John Fanta suggests TJ Otzelberger as next Indiana basketball coach

Fox Sports’ John Fanta suggested TJ Otzelberger as the next Indiana basketball head coach, replacing Mike Woodson in 2025-26. 

The Iowa State head coach could make a lot of sense, jumping from the Cyclones to the Hoosiers. At least, that’s the way Fanta sees it.

At 47 years old, Otzelberger is currently in his fourth season at Iowa State, having made the tournament each of the last three years.

“If I had to make a prediction right now, I would say TJ Otzelberger, I think it makes a lot of sense,” Fanta said on Pardon My Take. “He’s done a phenomenal job at Iowa State, and I think he’s been outstanding at Iowa State, but I think that this guy is one of the best coaches in the sport who can take on the Indiana fan base and will be strong. 

“It should be the guy that Indiana pursues the most. And I’m just thinking, if I’m Scott Dolson, who’s running this search, you got to bow down to whoever you’re hiring and say, ‘look, we need you.’ Everyone’s like, ‘oh, it’s Indiana, the aura,’ come on man. Kids don’t know about that. They’ve seen the candy cane pants, but the days of coach Knight, god bless him, and may he rest in peace. But like, the fact is, that was a long time ago.”

With Woodson announcing he’s stepping down at the end of the year, Indiana will certainly need a boost after missing the NCAA Tournament last season and potentially not making it this year.

Otzelberger went into the weekend with a squad ranked in the top 10 and 21-6 on the season.

“You got to get a guy who coaches with toughness, who gets his teams to play endlessly hard, and a guy who can educate the kids on what it means to play in Indiana,” Fanta said. “I think TJ Otzelberger is one of the best three coaches in the sport. The building job he’s done in Iowa State, think about this, Iowa State hasn’t made a Final Four since 1944. He could lead them to their only second Final Four ever this year.”

In three-plus seasons at Iowa State, Otzelberger is 91-41 with the Cyclones, making the NCAA Tournament the last three years. He’s led the program to the Sweet 16 twice.

Otzelberger began his head coaching career in 2016-17 with South Dakota State and beginning his coaching career in 2001. With South Dakota State, Otzelberger went 70-33 and led the Jack Rabbits to the NCAA Tournament twice in three years.

After three years, Otzelberger then went to UNLV and went 29-30 in two seasons before being hired at Iowa State.