Report: T.J. Otzelberger headed for Iowa State

[heitclone]

TJ is an ok hire but it sucks we don't really have coaching searches, nice of JP to warn us though. His video yesterday basically said, I'm going cheap, you better be okay with it. He's done great things at ISU but man does he come off condescending every time he makes a decision he knows will be questioned.

 

[WhoISthis]

She!

I’ve said repeatedly that I don’t know how he’ll do here. I’ve said that I’m laying the groundwork for my posts to be revisited for years.

But I have been honest that because I’m not best friends with TJ, I do not see the appeal.

We all know you’ll love TJ immediately after he is hired like he’s your new kitten. Nearly all will, particularly if he has a good spring.
You’re not wrong to both support TJ and wonder WTF is going on in the AD to take a program that was rolling, and end up spending millions to fire an 0-18 coach two years after extending him, followed by millions to buyout a hire you likely get for free the next offseason.

We’ll know this spring whether Jamie asked the right questions for Otz to even be considered

 

[Cychl82]

Those words describe Prohm, too. But he simply couldn't coach.

I would agree, as I mentioned Im not super pumped but what else is there to say. Its underwhelming for sure IMO as I think that would be the consensus. Im just hoping for the best since weve already hit bottom. This also might mean we keep Hunter im hoping.

 

[WhoISthis]

Some of you guys trashing Pollard must not have lived through the Van De Velde years.

It’s this bad? That we’re now using the “TJ is at least better than Prohm” logic for the AD too?

I’m glad BVD cut baseball. I don’t know if JP would have had it in him

 

[NetflixAndClone]

I think today is the day to know if we hired TJ.

If the rumors are true, UNLV will want to get a head start on searching for a new coach. They may release a statement that will force ISU's hand in making the announcement.

On the flip side, it will be interesting to see if ISU makes an official release saying they haven't hired TJ. Doesn't mean they can't in the future, but it would be interesting to see how the national media would react.

 

[Lexclone]

I mean does everything have to be so dramatic?

Maybe you should try this board’s sister board: CycloneCalmLevelheadedFolks. No drama there, just Vulcan like discussion and analysis.

 

[isutrevman]

TJ is an ok hire but it sucks we don't really have coaching searches, nice of JP to warn us though. His video yesterday basically said, I'm going cheap, you better be okay with it. He's done great things at ISU but man does he come off condescending every time he makes a decision he knows will be questioned.

We don't? How did we find Chizik, Campbell and Prohm? Three guys with zero Iowa State connections.

 

[JimDogRock]

Maybe you should try this board’s sister board: CycloneCalmLevelheadedFolks. No drama there, just Vulcan like discussion and analysis.

Don't get my hopes up like that

 

[Stormin]

She!

I’ve said repeatedly that I don’t know how he’ll do here. I’ve said that I’m laying the groundwork for my posts to be revisited for years.

But I have been honest that because I’m not best friends with TJ, I do not see the appeal.

I am not best friends with TJ. Never met him. Put a few things in perspective. TJ is an outstanding recruiter. One of the best. The Midwest and Iowa State is the recruiting landscape that TJ knows best. Prohm with his Alabama and Kentucky contacts never really fit us. It all comes down to Staff. From the Podcast it sounds like TJ has a great Staff that will come on board. TJ is only 43 years old. TJ can recruit. He has had decent success in his early days of Coaching. IMO the hiring of TJ does have potential to work out well for Iowa State. We do not have very many good players on our roster. The cupboard is pretty empty. Nothing like Prohm was left with.

 

[Cymon]

It’s this bad? That we’re now using the “TJ is at least better than Prohm” logic for the AD too?

I’m glad BVD cut baseball. I don’t know if JP would have had it in him

We have a pre-season top 10 football team, facilities finally competing with other schools. Am I overly excited by the hire? Not really. But it's insane to me to trash Pollard. Guy has done more for ISU athletics than the past 2 ADs combined. And still has even more plans for facilities. He knows more than any of us how big his hires are. I trust him.

 

[iowastatefan1929]

2 buyouts make this one hell of an expensive hire

steve prohm shouldnt make us buy him out after this season if he has any moral compass

big 12 plays impatiently historically, would have liked to see a counter to that but its so damn risky, even if u get moser can he recruit

tj is the safe hire and continues the brand of basketball that pollard is trying to develop, kind of like what wisconsin does with their brand of basketball

and why was campbell so brilliant, he was counter the impatience of the big12 who could recruit and develop

 

[NetflixAndClone]

TJ is an ok hire but it sucks we don't really have coaching searches, nice of JP to warn us though. His video yesterday basically said, I'm going cheap, you better be okay with it. He's done great things at ISU but man does he come off condescending every time he makes a decision he knows will be questioned.

In my mind going cheap isn't really TJ though. He has a 3 mil buyout. Wouldn't going cheap be grabbing someone like Dana Ford? a mid to low major HC that gets paid a couple hundred thousand with a low buyout?

That's what in mind just makes this a bit head scratching. Its not like we are making a cheap hire. I'll support TJ though if he is the guy.

 

[jsb]

I think today is the day to know if we hired TJ.

If the rumors are true, UNLV will want to get a head start on searching for a new coach. They may release a statement that will force ISU's hand in making the announcement.

On the flip side, it will be interesting to see if ISU makes an official release saying they haven't hired TJ. Doesn't mean they can't in the future, but it would be interesting to see how the national media would react.

Just pull off the bandaid.

I look forward to the press release with some great quotes from former players Matt, Georges, and Naz singing the praises of TJ. I’m sure it will make it seem like he’s recruited every good player that’s ever come here. And hell that’s not far off.

There will probably be some quotes from his former bosses—successful Creighton coach and failed iowa state coach Greg McDermott. Successful Iowa state coach and failed nebraska coach, Fred Hoiberg. Failed Washington state coach, what’s his name, maybe even failed Iowa State coach Steve prohm!

 

[WhoISthis]

If it's TJ, so be it. Let's get a cheap deal done and get him up to visit Hunter, get him here to get good with JCL, Bolton and Foster and get the hope train out of the station. Unfortunately TJ doesn't warrant a hype train, but I will have hope.

Imo you don’t hire TJ without knowing he gets you Hunter, as well as a few other recruits and the good parts of the roster this spring. Perhaps that flight to Kenosha was locking that up.


We’ll know this spring whether TJ was hired because he’s the quickest way to improve the roster and quickly get us back, or if Jamie is just convinced his friend is the best candidate in college basketball for a long, no short cuts rebuild

 

[Statefan10]

Just pull off the bandaid.

I look forward to the press release with some great quotes from former players Matt, Georges, and Naz singing the praises of TJ. I’m sure it will make it seem like he’s recruited every good player that’s ever come here. And hell that’s not far off.

There will probably be some quotes from his former bosses—successful Creighton coach and failed iowa state coach Greg McDermott. Successful Iowa state coach and failed nebraska coach, Fred Hoiberg. Failed Washington state coach, what’s his name, maybe even failed Iowa State coach Steve prohm!

You’re spiraling lol. How many cups of coffee have you had already?

 

[DSM4Cy]

My mind still goes back to yesterday's release from Jamie which said "If you don't hear it from me, it's probably not true" as foreshadowing to this exact scenario. I still think it's going to be somebody else and a lot of people are going to have egg on their face.

It would surprise me in this case but nothing is impossible. Hard to see him hiring someone not named TJ Otz based on all the available information.

 

[ISUEmbassy]

So, assuming it is TJ, can someone who has watched him at SDSU or UNLV give some analysis on what his teams' identity is like? I'm hoping for improvement in any of the following (maybe even more than one, just trying not to be greedy!): rebounding, defense, ball security, offensive sets, shot selection, shot making, clock management, player management, etc.

 

[DSM4Cy]

In my mind going cheap isn't really TJ though. He has a 3 mil buyout. Wouldn't going cheap be grabbing someone like Dana Ford? a mid to low major HC that gets paid a couple hundred thousand with a low buyout?

That's what in mind just makes this a bit head scratching. Its not like we are making a cheap hire. I'll support TJ though if he is the guy.

Hey, based on FlightAware it might be John Groce from Akron. Making less than half a mil. You never know...

 

[isutrevman]

It's entirely possible and maybe likely that TJ came for an interview and a UNLV guy took that to mean he was offered and the job. UNLV is still saying it's still "speculative" at this point.

 

[jsb]

I am not best friends with TJ. Never met him. Put a few things in perspective. TJ is an outstanding recruiter. One of the best. The Midwest and Iowa State is the recruiting landscape that TJ knows best. Prohm with his Alabama and Kentucky contacts never really fit us. It all comes down to Staff. From the Podcast it sounds like TJ has a great Staff that will come on board. TJ is only 43 years old. TJ can recruit. He has had decent success in his early days of Coaching. IMO the hiring of TJ does have potential to work out well for Iowa State. We do not have very many good players on our roster. The cupboard is pretty empty. Nothing like Prohm was left with.

The comparison isn’t TJ vs prohm. It’s TJ be the field.

He has strengths. I think those strengths are overstated. But, again, I don’t know him.

Honestly, it comes down to wanting some fresh blood around here.

Jamie said yesterday that basically it’s going to take a while to turn things around. So if that’s true what does TJ bring that someone else doesn’t.