OTTUMWA — Mike Holmes’ protégés are taking over.

A little over a month since Chris Gravett replaced Holmes as head coach of the Ottumwa boys basketball squad, another one of Holmes’ key assistants has landed a head coaching job in southeast Iowa.

Jeff Ebling will take over the top position for the Fairfield varsity boys basketball program in a move announced this week.

He’ll replace longtime Trojan head coach Mick Flattery, who stepped down after 19 seasons at the school in Jefferson County.

The “War on 34” between Fairfield and Ottumwa will have true Bulldog ties.

Ebling, 29, coached the OHS freshman hoops squad for two seasons before guiding Ottumwa’s sophomore squad the last four.

Gravett was Holmes’ top assistant and named Class 4A District Assistant Coach of the Year in the season Ottumwa last made state in 2004.

Ebling also applied alongside Gravett for the vacancy left by Holmes at OHS. They each joked about the possibility of Ebling going to Fairfield after the announcement of Gravett being hired as head coach at Ottumwa.

It’s become a reality.

“It’s going to be a battle. We’re very competitive,” said Ebling, who is a 2002 graduate of the University of Northern Iowa. “I’m sure he’ll be ready and I’ll be ready.”

Ebling attended Rockford High School (1997) in the Hawkeye State and coached for a brief period as an assistant at North Butler. Ebling was also an assistant baseball coach at Ottumwa for four summers.

Fairfield has made state twice in the past five seasons. The Trojans finished fourth overall at state in 2004 and competed at Wells Fargo just this past season.

Ebling said he is eager to begin a winning tradition at Fairfield. He said he sees Fairfield as a lot like Ottumwa in that the kids are hard-working and hard-nosed.

“It was kind of a job that just felt right. The future looks bright for Fairfield,” said Ebling.

Flattery will stick around to help coach Fairfield’s middle school hoops program. He compiled a career mark of 182-239 at Fairfield, according to the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s website.