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Ryan Pedon (HC Illinois St.)

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#2 RYAN PEDON
Ryan Pedon, Ohio State | Pedon played at Wooster, helping to lead the Fighting Scots to three NCAA Tournaments. He was a grad assistant at Miami (Ohio) from 2000-02, the director of basketball operations at Kent State (2002-05), and was an assistant at Miami (Ohio) from 2005-10 and Toledo (2010-13) before becoming the assistant to head coach John Groce at Illinois from 2013-15. Pedon joined Chris Holtmann’s staff at Butler in 2015, and went with Holtmann to Ohio State in 2017.

“It begins with Ryan’s motor and work ethic, which is just outstanding. He’s thorough, persistent and great at relationship-building in recruiting and player development. He’s certainly paid his dues, but his constant curiosity and hunger to learn and grow as a coach is impressive. He’s really good. I’m really excited to see him become a head coach when he feels it’s the right opportunity.” – Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann

“He’s a grinder who has really established himself as one of the best assistants in the league due to his versatility. He can coach and has also been one of the best recruiters in the Big Ten.” – Big Ten assistant
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who knows what the future holds and certainly there is nothing at all to indicate that ho1tmann's tenure won't be long; however, if osu finds itself in a position to hire a new head coach in a couple years or five, who else could or should it be other than pedon? he'd be a great fit for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that he was born and bred a buckeye. i mean, what other candidate would we find who was once an osu ball boy?
 
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Ryan Pedon’s recruiting prowess
After a roughly 30 minute conversation with Pedon, it’s easy to see why he’s leading the way in recruiting. He absolutely loves coaching at The Ohio State University. It’s easy to sell a product you love. Pedon has come out on top in some tight recruiting battles and his explanation of how he does so reinforces his love for the University, the people he works with, and the city of Columbus.

“Well, I have a wonderful product to sell with great families in our program. More than that, it’s the alumni network, all of Buckeye Nation, and the city of Columbus. Columbus is one of three major cities in the Big Ten with Northwestern and Chicago and Minneapolis with the University of Minnesota. But what we can sell over them is the high level, elite basketball program that has a legitimate chance to go to a Final Four.

“I’m very careful not to lean on that too much, those are great selling points, but it’s more the people in and around the program being so connected that pushes us over the top. So it’s a combination of the ability to provide the total package and the relationships we build with the families.”

Although Pedon is topping the national recruiter rankings due to a lot of time and effort he has put in, he was also quick to divert credit to others because of how genuine of a person he is.

“I would like to give credit to our staff, head coach, and the product we have to sell as much as possible. In all honesty – I am a part of a great staff at a world-class institution. These factors have a way of making anyone look good.”

When Pedon was talking about his strategy in tight recruiting battles, it didn’t come off as fake or forced. In fact, throughout the entire 30-minute conversation, it was genuine and clear that he will fight tooth and nail to get the Ohio State Buckeyes back on top in the world of college basketball.
 
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“He does not have a weak area,” Holtmann said of Pedon. “I’m sure there are areas he says he can grow in and improve in, but I don’t think he has a significant weakness to him that he needs to now add in order to be a head coach. It’s just the right fit and the right timing, and it’s going to come sooner rather than later for him.”

"Sooner" could be as soon as the 2022 offseason. Given how close he has already come to a head coaching job, it’s difficult to imagine the annual coaching carousel not spinning his name into contention somewhere. And at some point, the right situation will solidify and Pedon, wife Stephanie and son Maddox will pack up and start anew.

It will be a moment both bittersweet and cherished. Although he is a people person with deep recruiting ties across the region, Pedon is not a self-promoter. He would rather talk about his players, Ohio State’s offensive game plan or even the minutia of Big Ten basketball history.

“When you are working in a happy place, I think it enables you to see things a little bit more clear because you’re not thinking through a desperate lens and you are able to judge each opportunity and look maybe a little more matter-of-fact and realize, 'I have a great situation here and I really believe in what we’re doing,' and that drives me.”

It also is what will likely drive him elsewhere eventually. But with Pedon, those roads could always lead back to Columbus again someday.
 
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