Ohio State basketball: Extension doesn’t mean Holtmann is safe

The Ohio State basketball team will have Chris Holtmann coaching them for another three years according to the contract extension Gene Smith just gave him. That gives him a little bit of job security heading into a year where he will be heavily scrutinized.

But just because he got the extension doesn’t necessarily mean that he is safe from getting fired though. Holtmann’s buyout is not an issue because it would be such a low figure that the Buckeyes wouldn’t have any issues paying it. If they needed to get rid of him, they still can.

That doesn’t mean that Smith is looking to get rid of him though. He gave Holtmann that extension for a reason. He thinks that Holtmann can still do things for this Ohio State basketball program. Personally, I’m not sure he’s right based on the track record Holtmann has.

That doesn’t mean that things can’t change though. This will be the best recruiting class that Holtmann has ever had at Ohio State. If he has a good year this year, which would mean either making the Sweet 16 or winning the Big Ten, then the pressure will back off a bit.

Based on what I’ve written over the past few months, you might think I’m not rooting for Holtmann. That isn’t true. I really like him as a person. I want him to succeed badly. That doesn’t mean that I am convinced with the results he’s put out so far.

Only time will tell if Holtmann is able to do what he needs to do this year to keep his job for years to come. Hopefully, he can make a run with this young but talented team. With only two guys back who played significant minutes from last year, it might be his toughest coaching job yet.