Few coaches achieve a turnaround like the Iowa State Cyclones had this past season in their entire career, much less in their first year. Former South Dakota State Head Coach and current Cyclone Head Coach T.J. Otzelberger has now been rewarded for that progress with a raise and a contract extension.

Per the official release at Cyclones.com:

Otzelberger's contract now runs through June 30, 2027, and his additional guaranteed compensation will increase from $700,000 annually to $1.2M effective immediately with an annual increase of $100,000 starting on July 1, 2023. All other terms of his original contract are unchanged.

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The former Head Coach at South Dakota State led the Cyclones to an improbable Sweet 16 run this past season, which followed up a horrid 2-win season in 2020-2021.

After just one season, the extension proves that the Cyclones aren't just impressed with the work this past season, but also ready for what's ahead:

Otzelberger's debut season in Ames produced a 22-13 overall record, the school's 21st NCAA Tournament bid and sixth Sweet 16 appearance en route to a season-ending ranking of No. 23 in the coaches poll. ISU registered the third-best improvement in NCAA history, a +20-win improvement over the program's 2020-21 record. That 20-win improvement trailed only Towson (+21) and Middle Tennessee (+21) on the all-time charts.

Now at his third stop as Head Coach, joining SDSU and UNLV, Otzelberger owns a career record of 121-76.

During his time in Brookings, he posted a 70-33 record, which included two regular season Summit League Championships, two conference tournament titles, and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

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Source: Cyclones.com and Sports Reference

13 Famous Iowans

It's a great day for Iowans. The first ever Major League Baseball game was played in Dyersville, Iowa last night (August 12) in The Field of Dreams game and it was awesome!

What a great way to showcase a beautiful state and celebrate the hospitality of Iowans.

Iowa may seem far away from Tinsel Town, but The Hawkeye State has produced many famous actors, musicians, and athletes!

The following 13 are just the tip of the iceberg!

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