• New here? Register here now for access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Plus, stay connected and follow BP on Instagram @buckeyeplanet and Facebook.

LGHL Report: Former Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann has agreed to become the next head coach of DePaul

Report: Former Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann has agreed to become the next head coach of DePaul
Connor Lemons
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Joseph Scheller / USA TODAY NETWORK

Holtmann went 137-86 at Ohio State, taking the Buckeyes to the NCAA Tournament four times in six chances.

Former Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann’s time away from the game didn’t even last through the end of the Buckeyes’ season, as he has reportedly agreed to become the next head coach of the DePaul Blue Demons.

It was reported by multiple outlets on Thursday morning — Field of 68, The Columbus Dispatch, and Eleven Warriors, to name a few — that DePaul was focusing their coaching search on one candidate, Holtmann. By late afternoon, it was reported by Jeff Goodman that DePaul had officially hired Holtmann.

DePaul has hired former Ohio state coach Chris Holtmann, sources told @TheFieldOf68

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 14, 2024

DePaul has been the worst team in the Big East since moving from Conference USA in 2005, winning a total of 98 conference games in 18 seasons — an average of five conference wins per year.

DePaul has finished bottom two in the Big East in 12 of the 18 seasons it has been in the conference. This past season, the Blue Demons went 3-29 overall and 0-20 in the Big East. Like Holtmann, DePaul coach Tony Stubblefield was fired mid-season. The program has not had a winning record in the Big East since 2007.

The move to DePaul will be a return to the Big East for Holtmann, who was the head coach at Butler from 2014 to 2017. He took the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament all three seasons, including making it to the Sweet Sixteen in 2017.

He did not, however, make it to the Sweet Sixteen as head coach of the Buckeyes. Holtmann, 52, took Ohio State to the NCAA Tournament four times, and would’ve a fifth time as well if the 2020 tournament was not canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ohio State won their first round game three of those four trips, and was upset by 15-seed Oral Roberts in the other. However, Holtmann’s Buckeyes never made it to the second weekend.

Holtmann had an overall record of 137-86 at Ohio State in seven seasons, but was a combined 30-30 his last two seasons, including 9-25 in Big Ten play. On the morning of February 14, just 12 hours after losing to the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison, outgoing athletic director Gene Smith fired Holtmann with six games remaining in the season.

Ohio State is currently paying Holtmann a $12.5-million buyout, but there is language in Holtmann’s original contract that covered the scenario where he takes a new job:

“If Coach obtains any other employment or is engaged to provide service (regardless of whether the employment or engagement constitutes a Comparable Position), then the Post-Termination Payments shall be reduced by Coach’s total compensation from all sources directly related to such position(s) (including, without limitation, salary, deferred compensation, signing bonuses or other compensation income, except not including the employee benefits costs associated with such position(s)) (the “Mitigation Compensation”). Each monthly Post-Termination Payment that would otherwise be payable under Section 5.2.1(a) or {00334005-1} 18 Section 5.2.1(b) that is payable during the time that Coach has such position(s) shall be reduced by the gross amount of the monthly Mitigation Compensation.”

In essence (based on our best, non-expert, non-legal interpretation), Ohio State could reduce the buyout amount by the total amount of Holtmann’s contract with his new employer. So if Holtmann (hypothetically) signs a 4-year, $8-million contract with DePaul, Ohio State would owe him the difference between that and his $12.5-million — $4.5-million.

Documentation regarding Holtmann’s extension, which was signed in August 2022, was not released publicly. Accordingly, there is no known change to his buyout terms from the original contract, signed in 2017.

Interim head coach Jake Diebler led the Buckeyes to a 5-1 record since Holtmann’s firing, putting them firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble and drawing attention as a head coaching candidate for mid-major openings this spring. Many fans want to see Diebler hired for the full-time position after galvanizing the team and staff in the middle of what looked like a lost season, but the expectation is that new athletic director Ross Bjork will hire someone externally.

Continue reading...

LGHL Ohio State Wrestling: Mendez a champ, Buckeyes settle for fifth at the 2024 Big Ten Championships

Ohio State Wrestling: Mendez a champ, Buckeyes settle for fifth at the 2024 Big Ten Championships
Josh Dooley
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


usa_today_22432084.0.jpg

Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

While certain Buckeyes performed very well individually, the team’s slow start led to a mediocre finish.

Seeking the program’s first top-3 (team) finish at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships since 2020, Ohio State stumbled out of the gates this past weekend and, unfortunately, never even challenged the likes of Penn State, Michigan, and/or Nebraska.

Instead, the Buckeyes finished in fifth place, 81.5(!) points behind the Nittany Lions, who earned their second Big Ten Championship in a row and eighth overall.


The tournament got off to an ominous start for OSU, as Tom Ryan’s squad lost four of its first five individual matches — a rough stretch that included a surprising upset of Nic Bouzakis at 133 pounds.

Bouzakis, a 3-seed for the Buckeyes, was up big in his match with 14-seed Brody Teske of Iowa but surrendered several points in the third period to let victory slip away. Bouzakis rebounded with a win in his second match, but then dropped his third, eliminating him from both the tournament and contention for an automatic NCAA bid.

Brendan McCrone (125) and Bryce Hepner (165) also struggled over the weekend, losing all four of their combined matches. Both were 8-seeds going in, but had potential to finish much higher, as evidenced by McCrone’s regular season upsets of No. 1 and No. 4 in the country, as well as Hepner’s No. 12 national ranking. But neither was able to get anything going, leading to a pair of quick and early exits.

Despite the team’s disappointing finish, there were still some impressive individual highlights for Ohio State, including 141-pounder Jesse Mendez capturing the program’s 58th individual Big Ten title.

He capped off an outstanding tournament with back-to-back victories over Iowa’s Real Woods and Penn State’s Beau Bartlett, who have four All-American nods and an NCAA runner-up finish between them. Already viewed as a national contender, Mendez may now be the odds-on favorite (in his weight class) to win OSU’s first individual NCAA Championship since 2018.

JESSE MENDEZ IS A BIG TEN CHAMPION pic.twitter.com/l1FfY3EvUp

— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) March 10, 2024

Heavyweight Nick Feldman and 174-pounder Rocco Welsh also impressed for the Buckeyes, finishing second and third, respectively. Both are in their first season competing for the Scarlet and Gray and have proven to be stars in the making. They will likely head to the National Championships in Kansas City as top-5 or top-10 seeds in their respective weight classes.

But strictly from a team perspective, the Big Ten Championships were a bit of a disappointment for Ohio State. Ryan’s guys entered with high expectations and achieved only mediocre results — mediocre for such a talented group, that is. Thus the top-3 drought continues for the Buckeyes, who will now turn their collective attention toward the NCAAs, beginning March 21.

Ohio State will be well-represented in KC, with nine Buckeyes set to compete: Seven automatic qualifiers from the Big Ten Championships, plus Bouzakis and McCrone, who earned two of the 47 at-large spots. There, OSU will be looking to finish the season strong and potentially even match their Big Ten finish, which is exactly what they did last season (4th at both postseason tourneys).

While a top-5 national finish might sound like a longshot given the team’s most recent performance, keep in mind that this year’s Big Ten Championships featured 7 of the top 14-ranked teams in the country. The NCAAs are another step up, but here’s hoping Ohio State can replicate some of their regular season success.

Go Bucks!

Continue reading...

LGHL Ohio State women’s basketball Bracketology, March Madness tournament structure and key dates

Ohio State women’s basketball Bracketology, March Madness tournament structure and key dates
ThomasCostello
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament - Seattle Regional

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Here’s what you need to know about the Buckeyes’ inclusion in the NCAA Tournament before Sunday’s announcement of the tourney field

Ohio State women’s basketball left the Big Ten Tournament early after a one-sided defeat to the Maryland Terrapins, but the postseason is far from over. The Buckeyes still have a chance to exceed its Elite Eight tournament run from last season when March Madness starts next week.

Here’s what you need to know about the tournament, along with where the Scarlet and Gray might fall when the NCAA Tournament committee shares its tournament field this Sunday.


Bracketology


As the regular season ends, the NCAA Tournament committee releases its weekly top-16. That ranking includes every team on the radar to be a top-four seed in the annual tournament. In the final edition, before the Buckeyes traveled to Iowa City on March 3, Ohio State was in the top-four, earning it a potential No. 1 seed.

A lot’s happened since then.

The defeat to the Hawkeyes, and the subsequent loss five days later against the Terrapins, means that a No. 1 seed is no longer a strong likelihood. However, there’s no official way to know with the NCAA Tournament committee no longer releasing top-16 rankings. The closest system to go off is the art of Bracketology.

Across media outlets like The Athletic, Her Hoop Stats and ESPN, a two-seed is the consensus spot for Ohio State, with opponents varying between outlet. However, the groups don’t only agree on seeding, but also location and pairing with a No. 1 seed.

All outlets have the Big Ten regular season champs in the Albany 1 region, featuring the South Carolina Gamecocks, the likely No. 1 overall tournament seed.

NCAA Womens Basketball: SEC Conference Tournament Championship - South Carolina vs LSU
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks have lost one game since the start of the 2022/23 season

Should both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the region make it through the Sweet Sixteen, it means a matchup with the only undefeated team in men or women’s Division I NCAA basketball.


Tournament Structure


For those who extended Ohio State fandom to the women’s basketball team this season, most of the tournament structure is the same as the men. The tournament still features 68 teams, with four play-in games before the official first round. Then, it’s the same route from the First Round through the Final Four. The lone difference is location.

Each of the four bracket’s top four seeds host the first and second round games, with four cities also hosting a play-in, First Four, game. Last season, the Buckeyes hosted the first two rounds, plus a play-in contest.

With a likely top-four seeding this year, Ohio State will host the first two rounds next week, in Columbus.

Another location difference between the men and women’s games are in the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight. Instead of using four different host cities, the women centralize its regional semifinals and finals in two cities. In 2024 its Portland, Oregon and Albany, New York.

Last season, the Buckeyes traveled to the West Coast for one of two Seattle, Washington finals. Should Bracketology hold true, Scarlet and Gray fans have a substantially shorter trip to New York if it gets through the first two rounds.


Key Dates


The 68-team tournament field announcement is Sunday at 8:00 p.m. ET, live on ESPN. However, the range of dates for each of the rounds of the tournament are already scheduled.

First Four: Wednesday, March 20 through Thursday, March 21
First Round: Friday, March 22 through Saturday, March 23
Second Round: Sunday, March 24 through Monday, March 25
Sweet Sixteen: Friday, March 29 through Saturday, March 30
Elite Eight: Sunday, March 31 through Monday, April 1
Final Four: Friday, April 5
National Championship: Sunday, April 7

Continue reading...

LGHL Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: Way-too-early spring practice observations and a shocking staff departure

Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: Way-too-early spring practice observations and a shocking staff departure
Josh Dooley
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


usa_today_22696554.0.jpg

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Hangout Boys react to Ohio State’s first few spring football practices, and give their predictions for the men’s (basketball) Big Ten Tournament game against Iowa.

The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast is here! Join LGHL’s Josh Dooley and Chuck Holmes as they discuss Ohio State football, recruiting, and much, much more! Come for the hot takes, stay for the warm ones.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:


Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio



On this episode of “Hangout in the Holy Land,” Josh and Chuck take a deep, deep dive into Ohio State’s spring football practices... All, uh, both of them. As well as Tony Alford’s shocking move to Michigan.

But first, is the OSU men’s basketball team about to make another surprising Big Ten Tournament run? With five wins in six games under Jake Diebler, it certainly seems possible. The Buckeyes take on Iowa in the first round, in a game the Scarlet and Gray desperately need to win if they have any hope(s) of making the Big Dance.

After making a few men’s hoops predictions, the hosts turn their attention toward football. Why in the hell is Tony Alford leaving for Michigan? And what, if anything, was learned during the Buckeyes’ customary spring acclimation period?

The answer to the latter is probably “nothing”, but the Hangout Boys sort through way-too-early questions and observations anyway.

Please make sure to like, rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast! And as always, Go Bucks!



Connect with the pod
Twitter:
@HolyLandPod

Connect with Josh Dooley
Twitter:
@jdooleybuckeye

Connect with Chuck Holmes
Twitter:
@ctholmes3

Continue reading...

Filter

Latest winning wagers

Back
Top