The college basketball coaching world is full of deep-rooted connections, and that applies to both the highest and lowest levels of division play. Monmouth College basketball head coach Todd Skrivseth has coached the NCAA Division III men’s Fighting Scots program since the 2011 season, but that hasn’t stopped him from forming connections with numerous coaches who have made their way up to coach at power conference schools in Division I play. Before Coach Skrivseth’s time at Monmouth that has seen the Scots make numerous Midwest Conference Tournament appearances, Skrivseth helped coach at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. During Coach Skrivseth’s time at Whitewater, he worked alongside two future head coaches who are now preparing to coach in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. Speaking on the 2024 edition of the McClintock Law March Madhouse Tournament Talk on Tuesday, Coach Skrivseth discussed his past connections with current Iowa State basketball head coach T.J Otzelberger, and Alabama basketball head coach Nate Oats.
Otzelberger played for Wisconsin-Whitewater from 1998-2001 and has coached the Cyclones since the 2021 season, where he helped guide Iowa State to a sweet sixteen run in 2022, as well as a number 2 seed in this year’s tournament. Iowa State opens up their 2024 tournament schedule tonight against 15-seeded South Dakota State at 6:35. Nate Oats was an assistant coach at Whitewater from 2000-2002, and was officially hired to coach the Crimson Tide in 2019. Oats was recently signed to a contract extension that will run through the 2026-2027 season, as his Alabama men’s team is a 4 seed in this year’s tournament, taking on 13-seeded Charleston on Friday night at 6:35. You can listen to our entire broadcast of this year’s McClintock Law March Madhouse Tournament Talk on the Sports Podcast section of our website radiomonmouth.com.