Gene Smith stood silent before the media contingent gathered in Ohio State basketball’s postgame interview room, clenching and unclenching his jaw as he tried to find the words he’d lost.
The decision he made to fire Chris Holtmann on Wednesday wasn’t an easy one for him. Firing someone is rarely easy, but it’s made harder when you’ve developed an admiration for that person’s character.
“It’s really hard,” Smith said sullenly. “When you have good people and you care about people, then it’s hard. When you don’t have a good person, you really don’t care about the person, it’s easier.