Otzelberger out? UNLV coach among favorites to land Iowa State job

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Published Tuesday, March 16, 2021 | 9:57 a.m.

Updated Tuesday, March 16, 2021 | 9:15 p.m.

Update: 9:15 p.m.

Though T.J. Otzelberger remains the favorite for the Iowa State job and there are multiple reports that a deal is imminent, the Sun has not been able to confirm that Otzeleberger has been offered and accepted the job. Otzelberger has not responded to efforts to reach him.

Could T.J. Otzelberger be leaving UNLV after just two seasons on the job?

According to reports, the scarlet and gray head coach is among the favorites — probably the top choice — to replace Steve Prohm at Iowa State.

Rumors had been circling for weeks that Otzelberger could be in the running if the position were to open, and Iowa State made things official on “Black Monday” by firing Prohm after two down seasons in Ames.

ESPN cited sources naming Otzelberger as the favorite in its report on Prohm’s dismissal.

Prohm led the Cyclones to the NCAA Tournament in three of his first four seasons at the helm, but things deteriorated over the past two years. He posted a 12-20 record in 2019-20, and it all cratered this season as Iowa State went 2-22 overall and 0-18 in the Big 12.

The search to replace Prohm will undoubtedly include Otzelberger, who had two separate stints at Iowa State under three head coaches. He first served under Greg McDermott from 2006 to 2010, and he was retained by ISU head coach Fred Hoiberg from 2010 to 2013. Otzelberger left for an assistant job at Washington, then returned after two years to work as an assistant under Prohm for the 2015-16 campaign. Following that season, Otzelberger was hired as the head coach at South Dakota State, where he spent three years (and made two NCAA Tournaments) before UNLV came calling.

UNLV has had its ups and downs during Otzelberger’s short tenure. Things started slowly in 2019 as the scarlet and gray opened the season 2-5. But the veteran-laden squad improved over the course of the season, and Otzelberger had them peaking at the right time, as they closed the schedule with a five-game winning streak to finish 12-6 in conference play (good for a tie for second place in the Mountain West).

The momentum didn’t carry over to the 2020-21 season. Amid major roster turnover (Otzelberger brought in six true freshmen and several transfers), the team underperformed from beginning to end, posting a 12-15 overall record and an 8-10 mark in the MWC.

In his two seasons in Las Vegas, Otzelberger has gone 29-30 overall and 20-16 in the Mountain West.

Despite that record, Otzelberger is considered a strong candidate at Iowa State due to his ties to the program. He was regarded as an ace recruiter in his two stints in Ames, responsible for bringing in many of the Cyclones’ top players during those runs, and Otzelberger maintains a strong relationship with Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard.

According to the Des Moines Register, Iowa State interviewed Otzelberger for the coaching job after Hoiberg departed, and he was under serious consideration until the school ultimately decided to go with Prohm.

When asked before the Mountain West tournament about his potential interest in the Iowa State job, Otzelberger declined to comment.

If Otzelberger were to bolt, it would throw UNLV's offseason into a now-familiar state of chaos. There are a handful of players who are weighing whether to return next year, and UNLV has to be active and aggressive on the the transfer market to fill holes. All of that would have to take a back seat to a coaching search, which would be the second basketball hire for athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.