Ohio State names Jake Diebler as new men's basketball coach
A previous report on Diebler can be seen in the player above.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball interim head coach Jake Diebler is staying put in Columbus on a full-time basis.
The Buckeyes announced that Diebler has been named the 15th head coach in program history after guiding the team to an impressive stretch late in the 2023-24 season as the interim. Diebler will receive a five-year contract and is the first Ohio native to coach the men's basketball team in 35 years.
A press conference is expected to take place Monday afternoon to introduce Diebler as the new full-time head coach.
“Jake Diebler possesses all of the characteristics we were seeking as we conducted a very comprehensive and thorough search for a new head coach,” said incoming athletic director Ross Bjork. “Those include coaching ability, passion, energy, program knowledge, character, integrity and ties to Ohio. As an Ohio native, the son of a longtime Ohio high school coach and with deep connections to Ohio State, Jake knows what it takes to lead this program on a championship course."
Diebler took the job on an interim basis on February 14 when then head coach Chris Holtmann was fired. In the first game under Diebler, the Buckeyes upset No. 2 ranked Purdue in Columbus and followed that up by winning five of its last six regular season games. The late momentum carried as OSU beat Iowa in the second round of the Big Ten tournament before losing to Illinois in the quarterfinals on Friday.
The 37-year-old from Gibsonburg played guard at Valparaiso from 2005-2009 before joining the Beacons' coaching staff. After serving as an assistant coach at Vanderbilt for four years, Diebler joined the Buckeyes as an assistant coach under Holtmann.
Ohio State looks poised to miss out on the NCAA tournament for a second consecutive season and could receive an invite to the National Invitation Tournament. The 2024 March Madness bracket will be revealed at 6 p.m.