SAN ANTONIO, TX -- Ohio State’s Chris Holtmann is the recipient of the 2018 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award. 

 

Holtmann inherited a team that finished 11th in the Big Ten last season and was picked to finish near the bottom of the league again in 2017-18. Instead the Buckeyes finished the (25-9) and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

 

“Chris Holtmann has enjoyed success at every stop in his coaching career,” said CollegeInsider.com’s Angela Lento. “Gene Smith’s decision to hire Holtmann is one of the best moves by an Athletic Director in recent memory. Chris Holtmann is one of the top five coaches in college basketball.”

 

Holtmann guided the Buckeyes to a 9-0 start in league play, the most wins to open a first season in the Big Ten by a coach since 1923, a 95-year span. Included in the opening league win streak was a victory over No. 1 Michigan State in Columbus. Later in the season the Buckeyes beat No. 3 Purdue, handing the Boilermakers their lone home loss of the season. 

Ohio State finished 15-3 record in conference play and Holtmann was rewarded with Big Ten Coach of the Year honors..

The Jim Phelan award is presented annually to the top coach in division I men's basketball. Phelan led the Mountaineers to the 1962 NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship. When he retired in 2003, after coaching for 49 years, he had amassed 830 wins (overall record of 830-524) in all divisions. In those 49 years, 19 of his teams amassed 20 or more wins in a season.
 

Rick Barnes, Tennessee

Chris Beard, Texas Tech

Randy Bennett, Saint Mary's

Tony Bennett, Virginia

Mick Cronin, Cincinnati

Kermit Davis, Middle Tennessee

Mark Few, Gonzaga

Chris Holtmann, Ohio State

Chris Mack, Xavier

Bob Marlin, Louisiana

Porter Moser, Loyola Chicago

Eric Musselman, Nevada

Kelvin Sampson, Houston

Rick Stansbury, Western Kentucky

Jay Wright, Villanova