AMES — On Feb. 13, Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger met with the media for his regular weekly press conference, but it didn’t start off as expected.
Otzelberger started his press conference with an opening statement — something he rarely does — that he used to reflect on the success of Iowa State’s program.
“I had that moment of perspective and appreciation for all of it,” Otzelberger said.
The last couple of seasons have been special for the Cyclones. It may be easy for people to forget about the past and to feel as though the current level of success is the standard for Iowa State, but Otzelberger knows from experience that getting the program to this level hasn’t been easy.
“I would just challenge our players, our fans, everybody that’s a part of it. Take time for those moments, too, because there’s some really awesome things happening in front of our eyes,” Otzelberger said. “You don’t really enjoy them and appreciate them when they are happening, they can pass you by. And that’s a shame when you miss out on those joys. Because like I said, I’ve been here when we hadn’t had them.”
Otzelberger knows all about being at Iowa State during down periods. He came to Iowa State as an assistant coach in 2006 under former head coach Greg McDermott and did not experience a single winning season in his first five years with the program.
On top of that, when Otzelberger returned to Ames to become the head coach, Iowa State was coming off of a 2-22 season, its worst winning percentage in program history.
Since Otzelberger took over, Iowa State has made it to three straight NCAA Tournaments, including two trips to the Sweet 16, with an almost guaranteed fourth trip to the tournament on the way this season. That is a program turnaround that cannot be overlooked.
Otzelberger gave a majority of the credit to this season’s success to the players.
“For me, it’s an honor to have such guys on the team and in the program that work the way they do, because there’s all these things that are uncommon that I think sometimes we have to realize are really not common,” Otzelberger said.
Otzelberger particularly praised his team’s toughness, most notably junior guard Tamin Lipsey, who Otzelberger called “the greatest winner” he had ever been around.
“The guy has a broken thumb, practices hard every day, competes hard every game, and actually is hunting his 3 more and shooting it better because of his mental toughness. Let’s never take that for granted,” Otzelberger said.
Otzelberger would go on to mention every single player on the roster by name during his opening statement, giving each one of them credit for the success of the team, something that is certainly appreciated by his players.
“Nobody’s going to have my back like T.J. [Otzelberger],” senior center Dishon Jackson said.
Otzelberger also made sure to praise the Iowa State fans, who have shown up all season long, whether at home in Hilton Coliseum or on the road in the opponent’s arena.
“I’d like to thank our fans that came out for us the other night at UCF. Unbelievable, amazing feeling when you play on the road and your fans come out and then it almost kind of shakes the other team,” Otzelberger said.
Fan turnout is just one of the byproducts that comes from turning the program around like Otzelberger has done.
“As we shift gears and come back to Hilton, we’ve also been fortunate to have the best home crowds I’ve ever been a part of,” Otzelberger said.
Otzelberger’s press conference served as a reminder of what goes into building a successful collegiate program. It takes everyone from the head coach to the fans to get to where Iowa State is at now.
“I’ve reflected a lot,” Otzelberger said. “Again, it starts with gratitude and thankfulness to our fans, appreciation for all the heroic things our guys are doing and excitement and enthusiasm for what is still in front of us this season.”
