Ohio State basketball has found their new coach.

On Friday, the Buckeyes hired Butler head coach Chris Holtmann to the same position. They agreed to an eight year deal worth $3.1 million per season. 

Holtmann is 45 years old and had been the coach of the Bulldogs the past three seasons. He went 70-31 in those three seasons, each making a trip to the NCAA Tournament. 

This past season he led Butler to a 25-9 record and an appearance in the Sweet Sixteen before losing to North Carolina. 

The Buckeyes mutually parted ways with longtime head coach Thad Matta on Monday.

It was an odd time for the coaching change being early June but it seemed as though Ohio State AD Gene Smith had to have someone in mind. Whether or not that was Holtmann is unknown. 

Hearing that Holtmann was likely the next coach, I did some research on him Friday morning including some videos of his coaching at Butler. 

He’s a defensive minded coach and his players know that’s what he expects from them. He also holds them accountable so if you make a mistake, he quickly teaches them their mistake and makes them do the drill or run the play again until they get it right. 

Being at Butler, Holtmann knows the region well for when it comes to recruiting. He recruited Wadsworth native and St. Vincent-St. Mary grad Henry Baddley to Butler in 2016.

He also got Massillon forward Kyle Young this past year who flipped from Ohio State, Young will be a freshman for Butler this fall. 

Holtmann has ties to Ohio as he was an assistant under then Ohio Bobcats now Akron Zips head coach John Groce from 2008-2010.