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TJ Otzelberger receives contract extension
AMES, Iowa – After guiding the Iowa State men’s basketball team to the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season and signing the highest-rated recruiting class in program history, head coach T.J. Otzelberger has been rewarded with a two-year contract extension, Cyclone Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard announced today.
Otzelberger’s contract now extends through June 30, 2029, and his total compensation will increase to $2.5M on July 1, 2023, $3M on July 1, 2024 and $3.5M on July 1, 2025, followed by $100,000 increases for each subsequent contract year. All other terms of his original contract remain unchanged.
Only the third coach in the program’s 116-year history to lead Iowa State to the NCAA Tournament in each of their first two seasons on the ISU bench, Otzelberger’s 2022-23 Cyclones went 19-14 overall and 9-9 in the Big 12 Conference, good for fifth place in the nation’s toughest league. Iowa State produced a nation-leading six victories over Associated Press (AP) Top 10 teams and was one of two teams to register eight or more wins over AP Top 25 teams, as Texas (10) and Iowa State (nine) led the nation. ISU’s nine AP Top 25 wins tied the program’s single-season record first set during the 2013-14 season and matched a year later.
Otzelberger’s 41 wins rank fourth among Cyclone head coaches in their first two seasons at the helm. He owns a 41-27 (.603) record in two seasons at Iowa State, and a 140-90 (.609) record in seven years as a Division I head coach.
Four Cyclones earned 2022-23 honors by the Big 12 Conference coaches. Gabe Kalscheur garnered second-team All-Big 12 honors and was also named to the Big 12 All-Defensive team. Jaren Holmes was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention, while also earning a spot on the Big 12 All-Newcomer team. Osun Osunniyi also earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors. Tamin Lipsey picked up a spot on the Big 12 All-Freshman team. Kalscheur also received NABC All-District 8 second-team recognition and played in the Reese’s College All-Star Game, leading the West Team to victory.
Iowa State signed the highest-ranked recruiting class in school history, a consensus Top 10 class by ESPN (8th), 247 (9th) and Rivals (10th). Five-star signee Omaha Biliew, a McDonald’s All-American, and four-star signee Milan Momcilovic, Wisconsin’s consensus Player of the Year and a MaxPreps All-American, headline the four-member class that also includes Kayden Fish and Jelani Hamilton.
Otzelberger’s debut season in Ames 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. ISU registered the third-best improvement in NCAA history, a +20-win improvement over the program’s 2020-21 record.
Photo from Cyclones.com
