Another Big 12 coach has entered the Naismith Coach of the Year discussion.
Iowa State head men’s basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger became the fourth coach added to the committee’s watch list, the school announced on Friday. Otzelberger, Tommy Lloyd (Arizona), Kelvin Sampson (Houston), and Bill Self (Kansas) are all up for the honor, typically announced during the Final Four.
Otzelberger previously finished in the top 4 finalists for the award in 2024, and has been included in the candidate field numerous times in Ames. Iowa State is currently 23-3 overall (10-3 Big 12) and third in the Big 12 entering Saturday’s road test at No. 23 BYU.
Despite some midseason woes, the Cyclones, No. 6 in the latest polling, are listed as a 2-seed in the Midwest Region in Joe Lunardi’s latest round of bracketology.
Iowa State’s three losses are all on the road: Kansas (84-63), TCU (62-55) and Cincinnati (79-70).
Otzelberger’s odds to win the Naismith coaching honor rise sharply should they win the Big 12 title, currently up for grabs between Arizona and Houston, two teams that’re 11-2 in league play as of this weekend. Should the Cyclones take a stab at the regular-season title, it’ll require wins in two top-25 games: at home against No. 13 Texas Tech on Feb. 28 and at No. 4 Arizona on March 2.
Even without a conference title, Iowa State looks poised for a solid draw on Selection Sunday. Otzelberger is 5-6 in the NCAA Tournament as Iowa State’s head coach, and guided the Cyclones to the Sweet 16 in 2022 and 2024.
