Reports: Butler's Chris Holtmann to be next Ohio State coach

Chris Holtmann will leave Butler to become the next men's basketball coach at Ohio State, according to multiple reports Friday.

Ohio State will hold a press conference later Friday at the Fawcett Center to announce Holtmann's hiring, sources close to the situation confirmed to the Columbus Dispatch.

Holtmann, 45, agreed to an eight-year deal with the Buckeyes, sources confirmed to ESPN. He reportedly will receive $3 million per season as the replacement for Thad Matta, who is the winningest coach in program history but surprisingly pushed out after 13 years on Monday.

Holtmann has been the head coach at Butler for the past three seasons, winning at least one NCAA Tournament game every year. He also spent three seasons as head coach at Gardner-Webb before leaving to become an assistant under Brandon Miller at Butler.

Holtmann was named the interim head coach in October 2014 after Miller took a medical leave of absence, and the tag was removed in January 2015.

Creighton head coach Greg McDermott met with Ohio State officials on Wednesday night and appeared to be leading candidate for the Buckeyes. But McDermott announced Thursday he plans to stay at Creighton.

Holtmann emerged as the front-runner Thursday afternoon. Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith's private plane was scheduled to fly to Indianapolis on Friday morning, according to the Columbus Dispatch.