TJ Otzelberger Hires Familiar Face for Iowa State Basketball Staff

This offseason for the Iowa State Cyclones is likely going to be the busiest one since T.J. Otzelberger took over as head coach.

There are a lot of voids to fill on the roster with so many players no returning. Joshua Jefferson, Tamin Lipsey, Nate Heise, Dominick Nelson and Eric Mulder all exhausted their eligibility, while Cade Kelderman announced his intention to enter the transfer portal.

Milan Momcilovic’s future with the program is up in the air, since he entered the 2026 NBA Draft. On top of that, two assistant coaches, JR Blount and Kyle Green, were hired to become head coaches.

While the transfer portal opens on April 7 to start filling the roster, Otzelberger has already started to fill the openings on his coaching staff. As shared by college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, he has hired veteran Tim Buckley to join the Cyclones staff.

Iowa State reportedly hiring Tim Buckley to coaching staff

The mascot for the Iowa State Cyclones on basketball court. — Mar 21, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; The mascot for the Iowa State Cyclones during the first half of a first round NCAA men’s tournament game against the Lipscomb Bisons at Fiserv Forum. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

"A renowned coach in player development, I'm excited to have Tim join our staff at Iowa State," Otzelberger said, via the team’s official website. "Tim brings a wealth of knowledge, both as a head coach and assistant coach. He has recruited and developed some of the top talents in the NBA. I'm thrilled that our student-athletes will get the opportunity to work with Tim."

He is someone that Otzelberger knows very well. While he was the head coach of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, prior to being hired by Iowa State, Buckley was one of his assistants, a position he held from 2019 to 2022.

When Otzelberger left for Ames, Buckley spent two seasons as an assistant with the South Carolina Gamecocks before moving into his most recent role on staff with Wes Miller of the Cincinnati Bearcats.

However, he became available when Miller was relieved of his duties. He has been on the sidelines as a coach since 1986, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to Otzelberger’s staff.

Iowa State's T.J. Otzelberger has hired veteran Tim Buckley as an assistant coach, per release.

Buckley was on staff at Cincinnati last season.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 6, 2026

Buckley has some head coaching experience with Rockford and the Ball State Cardinals, which always helps improve a staff. His experience working in the Big 12 is an added bonus, as he knows how things operate in arguably the best men’s college basketball conference in the country.

He has more Power Conference experience from his time with the Wisconsin Badgers, Marquette Golden Eagles, Iowa Hawkeyes and Indiana Hoosiers.

"I'm thankful for the opportunity to be reunited with T.J. Otzelberger," Buckley said. "What he has done over the last five years is amazing. Iowa State is a nationally recognized program and I'm excited to be a part of it."

Buckley’s defensive background will help replace Green, who was known for his work on that end of the court during his five seasons with the Cyclones. He will also help keep the recruiting pipeline alive in Wisconsin, which Otzelberger has had so much success with.