Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger shoots down job speculation

Field Level Media|published: Wed 25th March, 21:11 2026

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger calls a play during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images

Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger on Wednesday disputed any speculation involving him and other coaching jobs as "not true," as rumors of him being a possible North Carolina coaching target persist.

Otzelberger addressed the situation at the team hotel in Chicago shortly after the No. 2 seed Cyclones (29-7) arrived in town for Friday's Sweet 16 game against No. 6 Tennessee.

"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 (university president) Dr. (David) Cook, (athletic director) 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, 48, is in his fifth season at Iowa State and has a 124-52 record entering Friday's game. This season marks the third time he has guided the Cyclones to the Sweet 16.

He has a contract paying him $4 million annually through the 2031-32 season that includes a $4 million buyout should he leave for another job.

Pollard commented on social media shortly after Otzelberger shut down all speculation.

"Excited for Cyclone Nation that TJ is not going anywhere -- he will be our basketball coach for a long time!" Pollard wrote.

Iowa State standout point guard Tamin Lipsey said he doesn't get surprised by speculation involving Otzelberger.

"There's rumors every year when there's a head coaching job, his name is brought up. That's a credit to him and what he's done with this program," Lipsey told reporters in Chicago. "This is where he wants to be. To see him come out and say that right away should mean a lot to us players and the fans in general."

Otzelberger has a 223-115 record in 10 seasons as a head coach, including stints at South Dakota State (2016-19) and UNLV (2020-21).

--Field Level Media