Iowa State hires Tim Buckley as assistant coach after Cincinnati stint
Iowa State men’s basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger announced the hiring of Tim Buckley as an assistant coach Monday. Buckley, who previously served on Otzelberger’s staff at UNLV, begins his duties immediately.
“A renowned coach in player development, I’m excited to have Tim join our staff at Iowa State,” Otzelberger said. “Tim brings a wealth of knowledge, both as a head coach and assistant coach. He has recruited and developed some of the top talents in the NBA. I’m thrilled that our student-athletes will get the opportunity to work with Tim.”
Buckley brings more than 30 years of coaching experience to the Cyclones. His career highlights include eight NCAA Tournament appearances, three NIT appearances and five conference championships.
Widely recognized for his recruiting and development, Buckley has worked with 12 NBA draft picks, including nine first-round selections and six lottery picks. His former pupils include NBA stars Dwyane Wade, Victor Oladipo, Cody Zeller and Noah Vonleh.
Buckley spent the past two seasons at Cincinnati. Before his time with the Bearcats, he spent two years at South Carolina, where he helped the Gamecocks reach the 2024 NCAA Tournament and set a program record for regular-season victories. Under Buckley’s guidance, South Carolina led the SEC in scoring defense during the 2023-24 season, allowing 66.4 points per game.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity to be reunited with T.J. Otzelberger,” Buckley said. “What he has done over the last five years is amazing. Iowa State is a nationally recognized program and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Buckley’s resume includes two stints as a head coach. He led NCAA Division III Rockford (Ill.) from 1989 to 1993 and Ball State from 2000 to 2006. His 2001-02 Ball State team won the MAC West Division and reached the NIT Elite Eight, highlighted by upsets of No. 7 Kansas and No. 5 UCLA in the Maui Invitational.
Buckley also served as an assistant coach at Indiana, Marquette, Iowa, Wisconsin and Wisconsin-Rockford. From 2012 to 2017, he was the associate head coach at Indiana, where the Hoosiers won two Big Ten titles and reached three Sweet 16s. He also worked as a scout for the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2017 to 2019.
A native of Illinois, Buckley played at Waubonsee Community College and Bemidji State. He is a member of the Hall of Fame at both institutions.
He joins an Iowa State program coming off a 29-8 season and a trip to the Sweet 16. The 29 wins tied for the second-most in school history.
