Ohio State's Chris Holtmann Supports Carton, Scolds Critics
Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann won't say anything to frame a timetable for D.J. Carton's return from a leave of absence to tend to his mental health.
But Holtmann has a lot to say in support of Carton and passionately censured those who see weakness or disloyalty in the freshman guard's decision to step away from the team.
"That makes me angry," Holtmann said Saturday after a 68-59 victory over Indiana.
The Buckeyes avenged a loss to the Hoosiers three weeks ago and raised their Big Ten record to within two games of .500, but despite the significance of bolstering their NCAA Tournament resume, but the triumph brought a response more measured than a comparable result under different circumstances.
Carton's departure impacts his teammates and coaches because of the weight of the real-life intrusion onto what's supposed to be a fulfilling endeavor.
So questions about when, or if, he might return to the team this year were difficult to ask and answer because the overriding concern is, of course, for Carton's well-being.
"I can't comment on it," Holtmann said when asked whether he could estimate any timeline on the matter. "I think it's too early in the process. I wouldn't be comfortable commenting on it."
The coach had plenty more to say, however, in an opening statement thanking fans for their support of Carton and admonishing a much smaller number of responses that fell short of the ideal.
"The wide, vast majority of our fans are so unbelievably supportive of him," Holtmann said. "I want to thank our fans for that.
"For the rare few that Tweeted at me that this is somehow a reflection on our program, reflection on me personally...guilty. Guilty. So be it. You can take your antiquated thinking somewhere else.
"There is nothing, nothing more important in our program than our players physical and mental health and overall growth. Nothing. And that will always be the case.
"There's not a game. There's nothing. And if its somehow a reflection on...I think we all know that's wrong. I really appreciate the overall, overwhelming support of a young man in pursuit of this, and I know he does, too."
Holtmann said Carton addressed the team Thursday before announcing his departure in a social media post.
The mental health issue hits home with Holtmann because he ascended to become the head coach at Butler in 2015 when the head coach who hired him, Brandon Miller, took a medical leave of absence from the school for similar reasons.
Holtmann has since seen a therapist periodically to manage the pressures of his job.
He said the days of assuming that a mental health struggle is a personal deficiency are long gone.
I can't be any more emphatic about that (critical) thinking and about how damaging that can be," Holtmann said. "It's damaging to player and damaging to coaches.
"We're always going to be about the player. Bottom line, we are always going to be about the player. That's our responsibility."
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