AMES – Currently in his fourth season as the head coach of the Iowa State men’s basketball program, T.J. Otzelberger has re-signed through the 2032 season as announced Tuesday.
“In just four years, coach Otzelberger has transformed our Iowa State men’s basketball program into one of the nation’s best. Since his return to Ames, Cyclone fans everywhere are enjoying the many successes that his teams have produced,” Iowa State President Dr. Wendy Wintersteen said in a statement. “His commitment to academic and athletic achievement is very strong and we are excited that he will continue to lead our program for many years to come.”
Since Otzelberger has become the head coach of the Cyclones, he has led the team to the NCAA Tournament all three years, made the Sweet 16 twice and brought home the Big 12 Tournament Championship last season.
Otzelberger has a 79-36 record as head coach of the Cyclones and is 29-25 in Big 12 play. His overall head coaching record sits at 178-99.
“I’m thankful for the support of our President, Dr. Wintersteen and our Athletics Director, Jamie Pollard,” Otzelberger said in a statement. “My family and I love Iowa State University, and the community, and are happy to continue calling it home. Our fan base is second-to-none and we value their continued support as we continue this journey together.”
Before being the head coach at Iowa State, Otzelberger served as an assistant coach under Greg McDermott from 2006-2010. After Fred Hoiberg was signed on as head coach, Otzelberger moved into an associate head coach role.
He then went to Washington to be an assistant coach for two seasons before returning to Ames for one season as an assistant coach under Steve Prohm. Otzelberger got his first head coaching position in the 2016-17 season at South Dakota State, where he spent three seasons.
After that, Otzelberger coached at UNLV for two seasons before returning to Iowa State to take over as head coach.
Now in year four at Iowa State, Otzelberger and the Cyclones are ranked third in the country and boast a 9-1 record.
“The complete reimagining of our program under coach Otzelberger’s leadership is a testament to his vision and the plan that he and his staff have successfully implemented,” Pollard said in a statement. “His continued emphasis on the program’s daily habits has not only reshaped our program but has allowed the Cyclones to quickly pull off one of the greatest turnarounds in college basketball history.”
