Iowa State gives men’s basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger new contract

Cyclone coach rewarded for 22-win season, NCAA tournament berth ‘greatest turnaround’

Rob Gray

Jun. 1, 2022 5:24 pm, Updated: Jun. 2, 2022 7:18 am

Iowa State men’s basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger (left) talks with his team during a timeout in the second half of a game against Missouri in January. Otzelberger has received a contract extension and $500,000 raise after leading the Cyclones to the NCAA Sweet 16 and the third-best turnaround in major college basketball history. (AP Photo/Matthew Putney, File)

AMES — It didn’t take Iowa State men’s basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger long to feel at home again in central Iowa.

He’s long called the position his “dream job” — and now it comes with more money and years attached.

“T.J. Otzelberger and his staff orchestrated arguably the greatest turnaround in college basketball history this past year, inheriting a two-win program and leading it to 22 victories and the Sweet 16 in their first season, and I’m grateful that we are able to reward that success with this extension,” ISU director of athletics Jamie Pollard said Wednesday in a news release announcing Otzelberger’s contract extension and pay raise. “I believe T.J. is building a championship culture within our program that fosters academic excellence, on-court success and accountability, and I believe that the momentum our program enjoys will lead to future success under his direction.”

Otzelberger rebuilt ISU’s roster and led the Cyclones to 22 wins as well as an unlikely NCAA tournament Sweet 16 berth in his first season. His contract now runs through June 30, 2027 and his annual guaranteed compensation has climbed from $700,000 to $1.2 million.

“There’s so many positives and things you’re familiar with, and probably none more than the relationship with Jamie Pollard and being able to have that synergy to hit the ground running,” Otzelberger said about coaching at ISU during a recent Tailgate Tour stop in Ottumwa. “(I’ve) been fortunate to be able to see things that have worked, maybe things that haven’t. I’ve been able to learn.

“I just really feel like I know Iowa State, I love Iowa State, I care about Iowa State. And we treat everything like we’re going to be here for the rest of our lives. I think when you do that, you make all the decisions for the long term — and those have also paid off for us in the short term.”

Otzelberger’s first season as the Cyclones' head coach produced a 22-13 overall record, the school’s 21st NCAA tournament bid and sixth Sweet 16 appearance en route to a season-ending ranking of No. 23 in the coaches poll.

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