TJ Otzelberger shoots down rumors about North Carolina, other coaching jobs: 'I'm the coach of the Cyclones'

As rumors swirl about the coaching carousel, Iowa State coach TJ Otzelberger reaffirmed his commitment to the Cyclones on Wednesday. His name has come up in connection with the North Carolina vacancy after the program parted ways with Hubert Davis on Tuesday.

Otzelberger made his stance clear on the rumors and said any connection to other vacancies is simply “not true.” He has Iowa State in the Sweet Sixteen once again and met with reporters Wednesday after the Cyclones arrived in Chicago for the Midwest Regional semifinal.

Otzelberger also praised his relationship with Iowa State president David Cook and athletics director Jamie Pollard. He then said he’s looking forward to the future in Ames.

“Any speculation with me and any other jobs or opportunities is not true,” Otzelberger told reporters. “I’m the coach of the Cyclones, thrilled to be the coach of the Cyclones. And what I can say to you even more, as we move forward together, is the alignment on our campus – with Dr. Cook, Jamie Pollard – is amazing. We’re thrilled and excited about our future together.

“Really appreciative and grateful for Jamie Pollard and David Cook and the conversations we’ve had. Just excited about our future. That’s topic No. 1. There’s no questions about it, there’s nothing to talk about, there’s nothing else to answer. That’s the truth.”

Otzelberger took over for Steve Prohm at Iowa State in 2021 and has taken the Cyclones to the NCAA Tournament every year. This season marks their third Sweet Sixteen berth under his watch, and they will take on Tennessee at the United Center in Chicago on Friday. On the whole, Otzelberger has a 124-52 record at Iowa State, including a Big 12 Tournament title in 2024.

Across his three stops at South Dakota State, UNLV and Iowa State, TJ Otzelberger has a career 124-52 overall record entering Friday’s game and is well-regarded for his ability to establish a culture. This marks his third stint at Iowa State after working on staff from 2006-13 and 2015-16. Otzelberger’s buyout also sits at roughly $4 million.

North Carolina announced Davis’ departure Tuesday night after five seasons as the head coach at his alma mater. The sense is the Tar Heels could take some big swings to replace him, though perhaps the biggest fish in the pond – Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens – withdrew his name from consideration early Wednesday morning, CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander reported.