Smith did travel to Omaha, Nebraska, where it’s believed he met with McDermott, but he returned to Columbus early Thursday without him. Upon his arrival, Smith told The Dispatch that no deal is complete for a new coach and that he is still working through a long list of candidates. Smith refused to say who was on the list because of confidentiality.
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Current Ohio State assistant Chris Jent interviewed with Smith on Wednesday afternoon, multiple sources told The Dispatch. Other candidates being considered include West Virginia coach Bob Huggins, Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams and Golden State Warriors assistant Mike Brown. All were confirmed to The Dispatch by multiple sources as under consideration to some degree.
Sources close to Huggins indicated that he let Ohio State know that he was interested in the position with an eye on closing the borders, keeping top in-state talent at Ohio State and chasing a national championship within the next few years before retiring and handing the reins to an up-and-coming coach.
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On Wednesday evening, sources were indicating that Smith would head to Cleveland today to talk with Brown.
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