DePaul head coach Chris Holtmann returned to Hinkle Fieldhouse for the first time in almost eight years, after he departed Butler for Ohio State in June 2017.
Holtmann was the head coach for the Indianapolis-based Bulldogs for three seasons spanning from 2014 to 2017. In the season prior to being the head coach, he was an assistant coach under Butler coach Brandon Miller — he took a medical leave of absence in Oct. 2014 and never returned to the program. Holtmann was named interim head coach, then had the interim tag removed in January 2015.
Holtmann walked into the postgame press conference room and started off his media availability with how surreal it was being back in the room where he gave postgame press conferences just eight years ago.
“It definitely feels different being back in this room,” Holtmann said.
Holtmann led Butler to three consecutive NCAA tournaments, culminating in a Sweet 16 run in 2017. That would be the last Sweet 16 the Bulldogs program has been to. In Holtmann’s three years as the head coach, he went 70-31 overall and 34-20 in Big East play.
Prior to the season, Holtmann did not know what emotions he was going to experience in his return.
“There’ll be emotions for sure,” Holtmann said in October. “You go back for the first time you’re on the visiting side, in that visiting locker room, that will be a unique experience.”
Holtmann recognized how special his time was in Indianapolis ahead of Saturday’s matchup in a familiar place.
“It is a surreal experience going in and practicing last night in Hinkle and then going to the visitor’s bench,” Holtmann said. “It was certainly surreal.”
Holtmann shared that he received a call from Georgetown head coach Ed Cooley the night before the game. Cooley, who made the high-profile move from Providence to Georgetown ahead of the 2023-24 season, has drawn significant attention for the unprecedented move of switching teams within the same conference in consecutive seasons.
“Cooley is a really close coaching friend,” Holtmann said. “We were talking about what some of the emotions are going into a moment like this. I appreciated how thoughtful he was with the call.”
Holtmann looked around a packed Hinkle Fieldhouse just before the national anthem and took a moment to take it all in.
“This place is just really special to our family,” Holtmann said. “It really is. I didn’t leave nearly as gracefully as I would have liked to, given how late it was in the summer. But I love this place. I love what it meant to our family.”
After the national anthem, it was all about basketball for Holtmann. Holtmann was not the only Blue Demon who made their return to Hinkle. DePaul assistant coach/general manager, Lavall Jordan, also made his return for the first time. Jordan succeeded Holtmann at Butler and was head coach for five seasons, amassing a 83-74 record. He also played at Butler from 1997-2001.
As Jordan made his way to the court from DePaul’s locker room for pre-game shootaround, a Butler passerby said, “A little different on this side, huh?”
“I know, trust me,” Jordan laughed.
DePaul dropped Holtmann’s return to Hinkle Fieldhouse 86-69 after a back and forth first half. The Blue Demons now continue their road trip on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. as they wrap up their season series vs UConn.
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- Live updates: Creighton ends DePaul men’s positive momentum with 24-point win
- DePaul basketball’s transformation: Chris Holtmann sparks early turnaround
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