David Woods

david.woods@indystar.com

INDIANAPOLIS – Speculation about Chris Holtmann is starting early this year.

The Butler basketball coach is being mentioned as a possible successor at North Carolina State, even though N.C. State still has a coach.

The Sporting News reported N.C. State is in the process of searching for a replacement for coach Mark Gottfried and gauging the interest of potential candidates. A Raleigh, N.C., TV station reported N.C. State has decided to fire Gottfried at the end of the season.

Holtmann, 45, has a stance of not commenting about job speculation. In May, he was awarded a contract extension through the 2021-22 season, and his annual salary is believed to exceed $1 million. (As a private university, Butler does not have to release such figures immediately, although those eventually are made public on tax returns.) Gottfried’s salary is $2.5 million.

That Holtmann’s name would come up is nothing new. He was mentioned in 2015 in connection with the job at Tennessee, which hired Rick Barnes, and was pursued in 2016 by Georgia Tech, which hired Josh Pastner.

In fact, Holtmann’s name almost certainly will come up as a candidate for other jobs opening soon.

N.C. State is sure to inquire about Dayton’s Archie Miller, an N.C. State graduate. Miller might be awaiting an opening at Ohio State, where Thad Matta has endured health issues and is going through an uncharacteristic 15-12 season. Miller is a former Ohio State assistant. Matta coached at Butler for one season, 2000-01.

Besides Holtmann, Big East coaches who could be in the mix at N.C. State are Xavier’s Chris Mack and Creighton’s Greg McDermott. In North Carolina, the hot mid-major coach is Kevin Keatts, who has led UNC Wilmington to a 22-5 record and first place in the Colonial Athletic Association.

Holtmann has ties to North Carolina, having been head coach for three years at Gardner-Webb in Boiling Springs, N.C. He was 21-13 in his last season there (2012-13) before coming to Butler as an assistant to coach Brandon Miller.

After Miller took medical leave and did not return, Holtmann took over and has gone 23-11, 22-11 and 19-6 in three Butler seasons. Holtmann has had success not only on the court — he is 2-0 in first-round NCAA tournament games — but brought in a 2017 recruiting class that is the highest-rated in Butler history. He was a national Coach of the Year candidate until Butler lost three of its past four games.

Call IndyStar reporter David Woods at (317) 444-6195. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.