St. Thomas More High School welcomes T.J. Otzelberger into Alumni Hall of Fame

MILWAUKEE, SEP. 15, 2025 — St. Thomas More High School is proud to announce that T.J. Otzelberger, head coach of the Iowa State men’s basketball team, will be inducted into the school’s Alumni Hall of Fame on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. Thomas John “T.J.” Otzelberger was a three-year starter on the Thomas More basketball team until graduating in 1996 and a member of the 1994 state runner-up basketball team.

“We are honored to welcome T.J. back to our school and into the Alumni Hall of Fame,” said STM President John Hoch. “He was a hardworking and charismatic student when he came to Thomas More, but the discipline and leadership he honed here shine through in his remarkable coaching career and community work.”

Otzelberger’s journey eventually led him to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he served as team captain. He coached high school basketball in Burlington, Wis., before his first collegiate assistant job with Chipola College in Marianna, Fla.

With an initial stint at Iowa State as an assistant coach from 2006-2013, Otzelberger later moved to the University of Washington, where he was named one of the top 10 assistant coaches of the 2014 season by NBC Sports. In his first head coaching position with South Dakota State, Otzelberger led the Jackrabbits to a Summit League Conference Championship and the NCAA Tournament.

After a two-season coaching stop at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Otzelberger returned to Iowa State, where he remains today, leading the Cyclones to four NCAA Tournament visits and two Sweet Sixteen finishes so far during his tenure as head coach.

Otzelberger will be the final inductee of this year’s Hall of Fame cohort, preceded by five other honorees who include Guinness World Record-holding Broadway performer George Lee Andrews (in absentia), Chicago architect Gary Pachucki, long-time STM staff person Linda Janick, late STM board chair Robb Schleck, and financier and education philanthropist Jim Kitzinger.

Members of the media may request access to the event to take photo and video of the induction. Requests to speak with T.J. about his experience as a graduate of Thomas More (now named St. Thomas More) may also be granted with prior approval. Requests should be directed to STM Development Director Jim McLaughlin, mclaughlinj@tmore.org.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.