In 1997, a young graduate assistant coach at a small private Christian college in Indiana got a chance to return to his alma-mater. After serving as an assistant coach at another tiny Christian college at Geneva College in Pennslyvania, Chris Holtmann was returning to Upland, Indiana, as a graduate assistant at Taylor University. It was great to be back in his home gym and working for his former coach, NAIA Hall of Famer, Paul Patterson.
After three seasons at Taylor University the young up-and-coming coach was given an incredible opportunity to join the NCAA division I ranks at Gardner Webb University in North Carolina. He would go on to spend five seasons earning a strong reputation as a hard working coach and high character individual. He learned the inner workings of NCAA division I basketball and became recognized as a skilled recruiter. After five seasons at Gardner Webb he got a phone call from one of his former college teammates who had just become the head coach at Ohio University. John Groce offered Holtmann the opportunity to join his staff in Athens, Ohio. Holtmann was on the move again.
Prior to the start of the 2010-11 season, Holtmann was afforded the opportunity many coaches dream of. He was returning to Gardner Webb, this time as a head coach. To be an NCAA Division I head basketball coach was an extraordinary accomplishment. There are only 350 opportunities to get that particular position in the country. Only 350, finite chances to be a head coach at the NCAA Division I level. Holtmann was finally one of the chosen 350.
After Holtmann left for Ohio University, Gardner Webb hit a rough patch. The season before Holtmann returned, they won just eight games. In his first season as the head coach they went 12-20. But skilled recruiters find a way to add skilled recruits over time. A few seasons later, the team finished 21-13 and finished second in the Big South Conference. Holtmann was named conference coach of the year and he led them to an NCAA postseason berth for the first time at the NCAA Division I level in the program’s history. Gardner Webb was so pleased with his work that they offered him a contract extension that would make him a millionaire.
16 years after entering the profession, Chris Holtmann was an NCAA Division I head coach and earning his backloaded due for years working in obscurity, moving around the country, uprooting himself and his family for the pursuit of becoming a head coach. He finally had made it to a comfortable position. It’s in this position that many sit tight and ride out their career in a great spot. He loved the institution, had the backing of the administration, and was in a conference in which his recruiting skills would continually put them in a highly competitive situation. The comfort zone would work well for Holtmann at Gardner Webb, but he would choose a different course.
After becoming a well compensated head coach, Chris Holtmann would willingly give it away to become an assistant coach again. This time at the midwest powerhouse, Butler University. Close to home base, and not far from his alma-mater where it all began, Holtmann took a lower paying assistant coach job under Brandon Miller who had recently taken over for Brad Stevens. Stevens had recently left to coach a small team out east named the “Boston Celtics”. Holtmann became an assistant for Miller, learning the rhythms of the Butler way. After one season at Butler, Miller left the program due to medical reasons and Holtmann was named the interim head coach.
Growth Mindset
One of the most intriguing checkpoints in Coach Holtmann’s journey was his decision to leave Gardner Webb to join the staff at Butler. He was in a great position, the man in charge and paid well to do it. Why leave a great gig? He had major support and backing, the program was getting better and it was only going to keep snowballing under his leadership.
What prompts people to leave “great” positions?
For Holtmann and many others it’s about Growth. Holtmann moving to Butler was not really about a career maneuver. It wasn’t about an imaginary game of chess in which he would configure the board to get to the ultimate result he wanted. Head coaching jobs are too difficult obtain to just toss them aside for a game of musical chairs.
In the case of Chris Holtmann strategy was not the driver of the change. The driving force prompting the move was the desire to grow. He wanted to be in an environment that would challenge his growth and help him evolve into a better leader through the challenges and experiences that could only be provided at Butler and never at Gardner Webb. The question for Holtmann was not, “Am I successful here?” The question was “Am I growing here?” The answer to that question hits a growth mindset leader differently than a fixed mindset leader.
After a great run of success at Butler culminating in an NCAA Sweet 16 berth in 2017. A few weeks later, Holtmann moved on to his next growth opportunity at Ohio State. He is currently in year four leading the Buckeyes.
Willing Transition
There are very few individuals in the coaching profession who would willingly leave a head coaching position for an assistant coaching position. The toll that it takes to become a head coach, especially at the NCAA Division I level is so taxing that many when they finally ascend to that summit, never let go. There are many occasions in which a head coach will be unwillingly forced into a temporary assistant coach position after being fired or dismissed from their previous post. It is common for a former head coach to land as an assistant until they are able to gain another head coaching opportunity somewhere else. For Chris Holtmann to choose to leave the comfort, power, and authority of a head coaching position to go serve as an assistant without having been forced out at Gardner Webb goes against so many of the trends in collegiate coaching. It speaks of his character, humility, and just how far the pursuit of growth will take an individual. When we make growth and development more appetizing to our desires than wealth, position, status, or notoriety there is no limit to how far we can move forward. If Holtmann would have been fired from Gardner Webb and landed on his feet as an assistant at Butler there is no question the transition would have fostered growth in his development. The fact that it was a willing transition acts as a force multiplier to his growth. Humility and a rooted identity can lead to so much more growth than we realize.
Stay The Course
Sometimes the best embodiment of Staying The Course is to intentionally move into opportunities that will challenge our growth more than what is comfortable. With growth as a guide, Chris Holtmann navigated his way through multiple coaching opportunities, never staying in one spot longer than three to five years. To some it could appear he had never really planted his roots down. Never really sold out in one spot, always on the move, in and out before any real fruit could be harvested. The reality is, with each stop along the way, and the intentionality he possessed in each environment he is likely still harvesting personal growth and development from years ago. There are certainly times and seasons in life when Staying The Course means planting your heels in the ground and holding your position. Perhaps it means passing on opportunities to remain where you feel you are supposed to be. There are times when the most important component of a Stay The Course mentality is to not quit, to see this thing through, wait until you receive the reward for the hardship. However, there are other times when the purest form of Staying The Course is to cash out and move on. Head into the next challenge, the next opportunity that will challenge your comfort zone, and force you to grow a little more into the leader you are meant to be. Discernment is the ability to determine which course to run. Wisdom is knowing how to run your race.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” - James 1:5
Stay The Course,
JB
The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk: Chris Holtmann (Don’t be afraid to pursue growth)