Anytime that a storied program like Indiana enters the coaching carousel, it makes for some uneasy times for programs with desired head coaches.
In a recent conversation with the Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman, John Fanta, and Rob Dauster, the trio gave their picks for the vacancy. Goodman elected to highlight Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger as the clear option.
“The guy to me right now, it’s easy, is Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger,” Goodman said. “Absolutely fits. Look at what they’ve done there. They’ve been in the tournament every year since he took over. He’s had a lot of head coaching experience, and he’s young enough that he can be there for 10 or 12 years.”
During his four-year career with the Cyclones, Otzelberger has turned Iowa State into a national title contender nearly overnight. His teams win nearly 70% of the time (.695) despite having one of the nation’s smaller NIL budgets.
“He’s got a culture there,” Goodman continued. “They defend, and they’re better offensively. They went to the Sweet 16 last year, and they might be able to get to the Final Four this year if they get healthy. The other part, guys? His buyout was really high a year ago when he renegotiated. It’s four million dollars right now. That’s nothing.”
Goodman finished his thoughts by saying, “The biggest question is if T.J. would want the job. To me, it should be easy that Scott Dolson (Indiana AD) should want T.J. Otzelberger. He checks every box.”
While it’s not the first time that Otzelberger’s name has been thrown into coaching searches, however, Indiana does possess an allure that very few collegiate programs have. With the way he’s transformed Iowa State Basketball, it certainly won’t be the last.
