ISU's T.J. Otzelberger Shuts Down Rumors Amid UNC HC Buzz After Hubert Davis Exit

Iowa State men's basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger is busy preparing for Friday's Sweet 16 game against Tennessee and was quick to dismiss any speculation he might leave for North Carolina or any other position after the Tar Heels announced Tuesday they are moving on from head coach Hubert Davis.

"Any speculation with me and any other jobs or opportunities is not true," Otzelberger told reporters Wednesday. "I'm the coach of the Cyclones, thrilled to be the coach of the Cyclones. … Just excited about our future. That's topic number one, there's no questions about it, there's nothing to talk about, there's nothing else to answer."

This is Otzelberger's fifth season as Iowa State's head coach, and the program has been to the NCAA tournament each year. This is the third time in that span the Cyclones have reached the Sweet 16, and that level of consistent success is sure to catch the eye of programs such as North Carolina that have a richer basketball history.

CBS Sports' Matt Norlander reported Otzelberger, Michigan's Dusty May and Arizona's Tommy Lloyd are among the candidates North Carolina will look into as it searches for its next head coach following a stunning loss in the first round of this year's Big Dance.

The Tar Heels lost a 19-point advantage in the second half against VCU before falling in overtime to mark the biggest blown lead in the first round in NCAA tournament history.

VCU Rams-North Carolina Tar Heels Highlights

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It was the last straw for Davis, who advanced past the first round just once in the last three years. Simply put, that isn't good enough at a program like North Carolina with an illustrious history of championships and winning that is better than all but a select few programs across the country.

The opportunity to coach at North Carolina is surely an enticing one for many coaches, but Otzelberger made it clear he is happy at Iowa State.

He has proven he can win there at an impressive level and is just two victories away from reaching the Final Four, where he surely wouldn't want to be distracted by any coaching rumors about the Tar Heels or any other team.