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What are the immediate implications of Jake Diebler becoming Ohio State’s head coach?
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Diebler is in talks to remove the interim tag from his title and become the head coach of the Ohio State men’s basketball team.
As reported by Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch on Saturday night, Ohio State interim head coach Jake Diebler is in talks with Ross Bjork and the athletic department to have the interim tag removed and become the regular, full-time head coach of the Ohio State men’s basketball team.
Diebler, 37, was thrust into the head spot when former head coach Chris Holtmann was abruptly fired on February 14, just 12 hours after losing to Wisconsin on the road to fall to 4-10 in the Big Ten. Diebler guided Ohio State to a massive upset of No. 2 Purdue four days later. He would go on to lead Ohio State to a 6-2 record over the final eight games, which also included wins over Michigan State in East Lansing and Iowa in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.
Under Diebler’s guidance, the Buckeyes nearly did the unthinkable by rising from the ashes and going from a Big Ten afterthought to an NCAA Tournament team. After knocking off Iowa on Thursday night to improve to 20-12 on the season, the Buckeyes finally began showing up on mock brackets for Selection Sunday — although the common consensus was they needed at least one more big win to really have a chance. Ohio State got that chance but fell to No. 2 seed Illinois 77-74 in the Big Ten quarterfinal.
Still, the way Diebler galvanized a group of young men — and staff — at an uncertain and bleak moment of the season clearly left a lasting impact on Ross Bjork, who will officially become Ohio State’s athletic director on July 1. Bjork was in attendance for Ohio State’s win against Michigan on March 3 — an 84-61 win. He was also in Minnesota this week to support Diebler and the team at the Big Ten Tournament and was seen in the hallway congratulating and embracing Diebler after Ohio State’s 90-78 win over Iowa in the second round.
This was Bjork’s hire to make, and he had the opportunity — as well as the cash — to make a splashy one. FAU head coach Dusty May and Xavier head coach Sean Miller were two names that also came up quite a bit in the search. Ultimately Bjork decided to stick with the guy who the fanbase has rallied behind, former players have stumped for, and that the current team went to war for over the final five weeks of the season.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25340408/usa_today_22314367.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
It says a lot about Diebler that he was able to elevate himself as a candidate during his on-the-job audition and put Bjork in a spot where he had to consider hiring him. But it actually says just as much about Bjork that he is willing to bet on Diebler — who has never been a head coach — when he certainly could have waited and hired an older, more experienced head coach. Bjork’s legacy as Ohio State’s athletic director will very much be intertwined with how Diebler performs as head coach.
There will be a press conference in the coming days where Bjork will speak on the decision, but he clearly valued the feedback he got from both current and former players about Diebler, as well as the thoughts of donors and the fanbase. It’s a gamble that very well could backfire — or we could look back in 10 years and have no choice but to give Bjork credit for having the moxie to put his faith in a fiery young coach who loves this program more than anything else.
With the regular season over, the NIT (potentially) looming, and the transfer portal opening up in less than 24 hours, Diebler will have a whole lot to attend to before the ink dries on his contract. Ohio State has a head coach — dominoes are going to start falling as soon as tomorrow.
Here are a few things that will immediately be impacted by Diebler’s interim tag being removed:
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25340409/usa_today_22786189.jpg "NCAA Basketball: Big Ten Conference Tournament Quarterfinal-Ohio State vs Illinois")
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
The transfer portal opens tomorrow, which will allow Ohio State’s players to seek other options if they so choose. If Bjork had hired someone other than Diebler, odds are more than a couple of the players on the current team would have sought a new home to finish their collegiate careers.
While this team once again failed to make the NCAA Tournament, it’s indisputable that there are players here who can build a strong core capable of competing to win the Big Ten. Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle Jr., Devin Royal, Scotty Middleton, and Felix Okpara were all big-time contributors with bright futures that nobody wants to see leave. Taison Chatman and Evan Mahaffey may not be dynamic game-changers yet, but have plenty of promise. Zed Key ceded his starting spot to Okpara this year, but has a year of eligibility left.
Retaining Diebler doesn’t mean none of these players will leave, but there’s a much higher chance the continuity will keep most of them in Columbus. Based on how Diebler did with this group down the stretch, that’s a good thing.
It also means that Ohio State can begin pursuing players who enter the transfer portal, starting Monday. It’s been reported that Ohio State’s NIL resources for men’s basketball are increasing, and Diebler should be able to be more aggressive in the portal this summer. Having a head coach in place means the coaching staff can start working on roster construction sooner rather than later.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25340410/usa_today_22553914.jpg "Syndication: Akron Beacon Journal")
Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK
When Diebler was elevated to interim head, he was asked about recruiting. He responded that his focus “has to be on the players currently committed to playing for Ohio State.” Obviously, that was another way of saying, “We can’t recruit guys if we don’t know if we will be here next month.”
Now that Diebler will for sure be here, he can work on keeping the commitments of the two players in Ohio State’s 2024 class — Juni Mobley and Colin White. Mobley is a four-star combo guard, the No. 49 player in the class, and perhaps the best long-range shooter in the country regardless of class. White is a 6-foot-6, 185-pound small forward from Ottawa-Glandorf High School who is only a three-star prospect, but was heavily recruited by other Power 5 conference teams as well. Since Diebler was a big part of both guys’ recruitment, it seems pretty likely the two would stay committed.
It also means Diebler can try to make up for lost time with blue-chip recruits in the 2025 and 2026 classes, including Darryn Peterson, Dorian Jones, Jerry Easter Jr., and Marcus Johnson. — many of whom were waiting to see what happened with Diebler before making decisions.
Peterson is a five-star guard and the No. 3 recruit in a loaded 2025 class. He is the highest-ranked Ohio prospect since Jared Sullinger in 2010. Ohio State is one of his final eight schools, but the heat turned down when Holtmann was fired. A March official visit that was supposed to be put on the books never materialized. Instead, Peterson recently took a visit to Kentucky. Whether Diebler remained on staff was reportedly a factor in how Peterson viewed the Buckeyes moving forward.
Jones (No. 50 in 2025) and Easter (No. 26 in 2025) are both Ohio products and guards that Diebler was involved with in the recruiting process. The two of them will likely hear from Diebler in the coming days and weeks once his new contract is signed.
2026 five-star guard Marcus Johnson, the cousin of former Ohio State guard Meechie Johnson and currently a junior at Garfield Heights High School in Cleveland, is another elite player who could gravitate toward Columbus now that Diebler is locked in. Johnson called Ohio State his “dream school” when the Buckeyes offered him a scholarship last July. He and his father were in attendance at Ohio State’s game vs Michigan on March 3 “in support of Coach Diebler.” If that doesn’t scream “I want him to be the coach” then what does?
Johnson is the No. 24 player in the class of 2026. He is a five-star recruit and the No. 4 point guard in the nation.
While less significant than other things, Ohio State’s overall feelings about the NIT after the loss to Illinois on Thursday were that they wanted to play more basketball if given the chance. However, with the transfer portal opening up on Monday, even one or two players opting to transfer or not play could have made it not worthwhile for Ohio State to participate. That was before Diebler became head coach.
It would be understandable if someone opted out of playing in the NIT, or simply opted out of playing basketball at Ohio State altogether because of the question marks with the coaching staff. But with Diebler staying on as head coach, the assumption is that the core of the team will remain, and the Buckeyes will chase a championship in the NIT, starting with at least one home game next week.
When asked about the possibility of playing in the NIT on Thursday night, Diebler said, “These guys are a joy to coach, and I think if we do play, there’s a championship to be won, and I know the competitive spirit of this group. So I would anticipate if that’s the case that we’ll be ready to go.”
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Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Diebler is in talks to remove the interim tag from his title and become the head coach of the Ohio State men’s basketball team.
As reported by Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch on Saturday night, Ohio State interim head coach Jake Diebler is in talks with Ross Bjork and the athletic department to have the interim tag removed and become the regular, full-time head coach of the Ohio State men’s basketball team.
Diebler, 37, was thrust into the head spot when former head coach Chris Holtmann was abruptly fired on February 14, just 12 hours after losing to Wisconsin on the road to fall to 4-10 in the Big Ten. Diebler guided Ohio State to a massive upset of No. 2 Purdue four days later. He would go on to lead Ohio State to a 6-2 record over the final eight games, which also included wins over Michigan State in East Lansing and Iowa in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.
Under Diebler’s guidance, the Buckeyes nearly did the unthinkable by rising from the ashes and going from a Big Ten afterthought to an NCAA Tournament team. After knocking off Iowa on Thursday night to improve to 20-12 on the season, the Buckeyes finally began showing up on mock brackets for Selection Sunday — although the common consensus was they needed at least one more big win to really have a chance. Ohio State got that chance but fell to No. 2 seed Illinois 77-74 in the Big Ten quarterfinal.
Still, the way Diebler galvanized a group of young men — and staff — at an uncertain and bleak moment of the season clearly left a lasting impact on Ross Bjork, who will officially become Ohio State’s athletic director on July 1. Bjork was in attendance for Ohio State’s win against Michigan on March 3 — an 84-61 win. He was also in Minnesota this week to support Diebler and the team at the Big Ten Tournament and was seen in the hallway congratulating and embracing Diebler after Ohio State’s 90-78 win over Iowa in the second round.
This was Bjork’s hire to make, and he had the opportunity — as well as the cash — to make a splashy one. FAU head coach Dusty May and Xavier head coach Sean Miller were two names that also came up quite a bit in the search. Ultimately Bjork decided to stick with the guy who the fanbase has rallied behind, former players have stumped for, and that the current team went to war for over the final five weeks of the season.
It says a lot about Diebler that he was able to elevate himself as a candidate during his on-the-job audition and put Bjork in a spot where he had to consider hiring him. But it actually says just as much about Bjork that he is willing to bet on Diebler — who has never been a head coach — when he certainly could have waited and hired an older, more experienced head coach. Bjork’s legacy as Ohio State’s athletic director will very much be intertwined with how Diebler performs as head coach.
There will be a press conference in the coming days where Bjork will speak on the decision, but he clearly valued the feedback he got from both current and former players about Diebler, as well as the thoughts of donors and the fanbase. It’s a gamble that very well could backfire — or we could look back in 10 years and have no choice but to give Bjork credit for having the moxie to put his faith in a fiery young coach who loves this program more than anything else.
With the regular season over, the NIT (potentially) looming, and the transfer portal opening up in less than 24 hours, Diebler will have a whole lot to attend to before the ink dries on his contract. Ohio State has a head coach — dominoes are going to start falling as soon as tomorrow.
Here are a few things that will immediately be impacted by Diebler’s interim tag being removed:
Roster stability and additions
The transfer portal opens tomorrow, which will allow Ohio State’s players to seek other options if they so choose. If Bjork had hired someone other than Diebler, odds are more than a couple of the players on the current team would have sought a new home to finish their collegiate careers.
While this team once again failed to make the NCAA Tournament, it’s indisputable that there are players here who can build a strong core capable of competing to win the Big Ten. Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle Jr., Devin Royal, Scotty Middleton, and Felix Okpara were all big-time contributors with bright futures that nobody wants to see leave. Taison Chatman and Evan Mahaffey may not be dynamic game-changers yet, but have plenty of promise. Zed Key ceded his starting spot to Okpara this year, but has a year of eligibility left.
Retaining Diebler doesn’t mean none of these players will leave, but there’s a much higher chance the continuity will keep most of them in Columbus. Based on how Diebler did with this group down the stretch, that’s a good thing.
It also means that Ohio State can begin pursuing players who enter the transfer portal, starting Monday. It’s been reported that Ohio State’s NIL resources for men’s basketball are increasing, and Diebler should be able to be more aggressive in the portal this summer. Having a head coach in place means the coaching staff can start working on roster construction sooner rather than later.
Recruiting
When Diebler was elevated to interim head, he was asked about recruiting. He responded that his focus “has to be on the players currently committed to playing for Ohio State.” Obviously, that was another way of saying, “We can’t recruit guys if we don’t know if we will be here next month.”
Now that Diebler will for sure be here, he can work on keeping the commitments of the two players in Ohio State’s 2024 class — Juni Mobley and Colin White. Mobley is a four-star combo guard, the No. 49 player in the class, and perhaps the best long-range shooter in the country regardless of class. White is a 6-foot-6, 185-pound small forward from Ottawa-Glandorf High School who is only a three-star prospect, but was heavily recruited by other Power 5 conference teams as well. Since Diebler was a big part of both guys’ recruitment, it seems pretty likely the two would stay committed.
It also means Diebler can try to make up for lost time with blue-chip recruits in the 2025 and 2026 classes, including Darryn Peterson, Dorian Jones, Jerry Easter Jr., and Marcus Johnson. — many of whom were waiting to see what happened with Diebler before making decisions.
Peterson is a five-star guard and the No. 3 recruit in a loaded 2025 class. He is the highest-ranked Ohio prospect since Jared Sullinger in 2010. Ohio State is one of his final eight schools, but the heat turned down when Holtmann was fired. A March official visit that was supposed to be put on the books never materialized. Instead, Peterson recently took a visit to Kentucky. Whether Diebler remained on staff was reportedly a factor in how Peterson viewed the Buckeyes moving forward.
Jones (No. 50 in 2025) and Easter (No. 26 in 2025) are both Ohio products and guards that Diebler was involved with in the recruiting process. The two of them will likely hear from Diebler in the coming days and weeks once his new contract is signed.
2026 five-star guard Marcus Johnson, the cousin of former Ohio State guard Meechie Johnson and currently a junior at Garfield Heights High School in Cleveland, is another elite player who could gravitate toward Columbus now that Diebler is locked in. Johnson called Ohio State his “dream school” when the Buckeyes offered him a scholarship last July. He and his father were in attendance at Ohio State’s game vs Michigan on March 3 “in support of Coach Diebler.” If that doesn’t scream “I want him to be the coach” then what does?
Johnson is the No. 24 player in the class of 2026. He is a five-star recruit and the No. 4 point guard in the nation.
Participating in the NIT
While less significant than other things, Ohio State’s overall feelings about the NIT after the loss to Illinois on Thursday were that they wanted to play more basketball if given the chance. However, with the transfer portal opening up on Monday, even one or two players opting to transfer or not play could have made it not worthwhile for Ohio State to participate. That was before Diebler became head coach.
It would be understandable if someone opted out of playing in the NIT, or simply opted out of playing basketball at Ohio State altogether because of the question marks with the coaching staff. But with Diebler staying on as head coach, the assumption is that the core of the team will remain, and the Buckeyes will chase a championship in the NIT, starting with at least one home game next week.
When asked about the possibility of playing in the NIT on Thursday night, Diebler said, “These guys are a joy to coach, and I think if we do play, there’s a championship to be won, and I know the competitive spirit of this group. So I would anticipate if that’s the case that we’ll be ready to go.”
Continue reading...