Tag: Jake Diebler

WATCH: Ohio State basketball coach Jake Diebler reacts to Georgia loss in NIT

Hear from Diebler after the loss to Georgia. #GoBucks

The Ohio State basketball team had quite the run to end the season, but it all came to an end on Tuesday night when the Buckeyes finished just one play away from continuing on to the semifinals of the NIT Tournament. OSU fell  to the Georgia Bulldogs by a agonizingly close 79-77 score despite more than one chance to win it at the end of regulation.

The loss ends the season for OSU, but the final chapter was written with some hope for the future. The team played with renewed energy and purpose under new head coach Jake Diebler, and hopefully, the players and program can build upon it and take that momentum into next season.

Diebler was understandably upset after the loss but had to face the music in front of the media afterwards and did so with grace. In case you missed any of what he said, thanks to our friends at the Columbus Dispatch, we have his comments in their entirety.

Ohio State will now go into the offseason and we’ll be on top of any news that comes up until the Scarlet and Gray step back on the court to start the 2024-2025 season.

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Jake Diebler welcomes back former Ohio State coach to his staff

Welcome back coach!

As the college basketball season is winding down, we are starting to see new Ohio State basketball head coach [autotag]Jake Diebler[/autotag] round out his coaching staff.

One Monday, one of those dominoes fell as it was announced that [autotag]Dave Dickerson[/autotag] has returned to Columbus as the associate head coach. The former Maryland forward turned to coaching shortly after his playing career ended, and he moved up the ranks and held the same title for the Buckeyes from 2010 through 2017.

Dickerson recently was the head coach at University of South Carolina Upstate, where he didn’t fare all that well going 10-20 on the year.

Regardless of Dickerson’s record, he was an instrumental part of Thad Matta’s successful run and will now hope to duplicate that as a member of Diebler’s staff.

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Watch: Former Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann explains what went wrong

Do you buy Holtmann’s answer?

As well all know, [autotag]Chris Holtmann[/autotag] has been hired by DePaul and Ohio State removed the interim tag from [autotag]Jake Diebler[/autotag] and officially announced his hiring on Sunday.

What we didn’t know was why Holtmann believed that the Buckeyes moved away from him. During his introductory press conference on Monday, the former Ohio State coach was fairly succinct on his explanation: roster construction.

Holtmann didn’t think that he managed mixing his youth along with experience on the Buckeye roster, but mentioned that the group was not consistent enough to make a return to the NCAA Tournament.

Honestly, this is a cop out in my eyes, as Diebler was a win away from getting this team into the tournament. On top of that, in the era of one-and-done, you have to prepare for this. You think Holtmann would have learned after Malaki Branham, but he obviously didn’t

It’s fairly disappointing that Holtmann took part of the blame, as it was pretty clear that he was a much bigger part of the issue.

What do you think about Holtmann’s answer to his struggles in Columbus which led to his termination?

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Jake Diebler named new Ohio State men’s basketball head coach

Boom! Share a GIF on how you feel about this. #GoBucks

The interim tag has been removed from Ohio State basketball coach Jake Diebler, the university confirmed in a statement on Sunday.

Diebler took over after former head coach Chris Holtmann was fired a few weeks ago and made an immediate difference in the play and culture of the program. He steered the team to a 6-2 record and nearly pulled off an improbable late season run towards an NCAA berth. His teams beat Big Ten regular-season champion Purdue at home, won two away games — including at Michigan State, and instilled belief back into the program.

For his efforts on and off the court, he will now be the face of the program going forward.

“Jake Diebler possesses all of the characteristics we were seeking as we conducted a very comprehensive and thorough search for a new head coach,” OSU athletic director Ross Bjork said in a statement. “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 is the first Ohioan to be named the Ohio State men’s basketball head coach in 35 years.

“Throughout the search, every time we analyzed what was best for the program, our decision kept leading right back to Jake,” Bjork said. “The way he has led the program since February 14 has been exemplary and is only the beginning of what lies ahead for Buckeye Basketball. The future is exciting, and I cannot wait to watch him lead this program.”

“Our Buckeyes have rallied and shown true grit on the court with Coach Diebler, who has exhibited impressive leadership with the team,” said President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr in the same release from the university. “In addition to his multiple wins since being named interim head coach, he’s been an inspiration to the players. I’ve gotten to know Jake and I’m confident he will continue to lead the team admirably.”

For his part, Diebler is of course excited to move forward as the new head coach.

“It’s a blessing and a privilege to serve this program and I’m excited for this opportunity,” Diebler said. “I’d like to thank Ross Bjork and President Carter for believing in me and the vision that I have moving forward. Ohio State basketball is special and means so much to me and my family. I look forward to serving the entire Ohio State basketball family as best as I possibly can.”

Jake and his wife have two young daughters, Jaymes and Jessa, and a young son, Jackson. They are expecting a fourth childe in July.

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Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler reacts to dramatic win over Michigan State

Jake Diebler reacts to the exhilarating win on the road vs. Michigan State. #GoBucks

Well, who saw that coming? The Ohio State basketball team went into East Lansing and snapped a 17-game road losing streak in one of the toughest places to get it done by beating Michigan State in a virtual buzzer-beater.

To say that the team and fans were in a celebratory mood would be an understatement, and that goes right along with interim head coach Jake Diebler as well, who met with the media following the game to react to what he saw from his team and Michigan State.

In case you missed any of what Diebler said following the game, you can catch all of his comments in their entirety thanks to the Spartan Nation YouTube channel. In it, you’ll hear him discuss the team’s fight, praise for Devin Royal, how players make plays, the momentum in the program, and more.

Ohio State will now prepare to host Nebraska in Value City arena on Thursday. Win and people might start to talk about the Buckeyes’ ability to get back in the conversation about the postseason.

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Quotes: Tom Izzo and Jake Diebler address media following Michigan State basketball’s loss to Ohio State

Quotes: Tom Izzo and Jake Diebler address media following Michigan State basketball’s loss to Ohio State

I would say that this latest loss to Ohio State at home on Sunday is one of the more painful losses of the season. While Ohio State did recently beat Purdue, they have been one of the worst road teams in the Big Ten, are fresh off firing a coach, and this was a game where MSU had multiple large leads.

Yet, some interesting coaching decisions as the Spartans went scoreless for nearly four straight minutes to close the game led to an Ohio State win and MSU is now back on the bubble.

After the game, Tom Izzo and Ohio State coach Jake Diebler addressed the media, and you can find the notable quotes from that session below.

Ohio State basketball offers in-state 2024 wing

The Buckeyes offer an in-state prospect #GoBucks

It may have seemed like Ohio State basketball was looking outside the state to add to its 2024 recruiting class, but after Thursday night, that might not be the case.

Head coach [autotag]Chris Holtmann[/autotag] and assistant [autotag]Jake Diebler[/autotag] were on a Zoom meeting with Ohio wing [autotag]Colin White,[/autotag] and the conversation resulted in a scholarship offer.

White stands 6 feet, 6 inches and weighs 180 pounds. He held offers from West Virginia, Butler, Cincinnati and Stanford along with a few other mid-major programs. On the 247Sports composite, White is the No. 32 small forward and No. 152 overall recruit in the country. OSU has one commitment for the 2024 class, point guard Juni Mobley.

White is a top-five prospect in the state; the other four are already committed to other programs.

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Ohio State basketball coach Chris Holtmann announces staff promotions

Chris Holtmann announced some staff promotions on Thursday. #GoBucks

Things continue to take shape with the Ohio State basketball team this offseason. Head coach Chris Holtmann and staff have been very active in the transfer portal, and now, the guy running the show has announced some staff promotions.

The most notable promotion is the announcement of Jake Diebler to Associate Head Coach as well as the elevation of Mike Netti to assistant coach.

“Jake has a very bright future in this profession and I’m excited about his well-earned promotion,” Holtmann said in a statement. “He has done excellent work for us since coming here from Vanderbilt three years ago. He has a strong work ethic, great player relationships, reinforces our culture and he has recruited exceptionally well.”

Diebler has spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach on staff and also served as a video coordinator from 2014-2016. He filled in as the head coach against Northwestern (a 95-87 win) when Holtmann and Ryan Pedon missed time last season with COVID-19.

“I’m blessed to be able to continue to serve coach Holtmann and the Ohio State basketball program,” said Diebler in a statement. “This is a great opportunity for me to continue to learn from and grow alongside one of the very best in college basketball. My family and I love Ohio State, the city of Columbus, and are looking forward to working with this year’s team. Exciting things are ahead for the Buckeyes, and I can’t wait to get started with Team 124 this summer!”

As far as Mike Netti goes, he has been on staff with Holtmann for a total of 12 years, including the last five at Ohio State as special assistant to the head coach. The two were first together at Gardner Webb when they were assistant coaches for Rick Scruggs from 2003-06. Netti returned to Gardner Webb as an assistant for Holtmann from 2011-13.

“Mike has earned this promotion with his outstanding work here for the past five seasons as the assistant to the head coach,” said Holtmann. “Mike is a coaching veteran who has been a junior college head coach, a high major assistant as well as working in nearly every aspect of a college basketball staff. Mike has great contacts across the country and is terrific at skill and player development. We are excited about this new role for him.”

Netti also spent time elsewhere before joining Ohio State. He was at St. Francis College as an assistant coach, Lackawanna College as a head coach, and East Carolina as an assistant coach.

“I’m so grateful to Coach Holtmann for his trust in me and honored to have the opportunity in this role on our staff,” said Netti. “He and I have worked closely for almost 20 years, building programs, building relationships, and investing in our players. He has made me a better coach and I’ve benefited from his leadership. I was fortunate to have worked with outstanding coaches and staff in my time here and they have been so instrumental in this process as well. I’m excited and motivated to continue building on this rich tradition and I’m thrilled for the future we have in Columbus”

Two other current staff members have also been elevated into new roles. Kyle Davis will serve as the director of recruiting and branding while Robbie Rucki will take over the video coordinator role.

“These promotions, along with the addition of a director of recruiting and branding in which Kyle Davis will fill, gives us a strong, dynamic and complete staff,” said Holtmann.

Here’s an updated look at Ohio State’s basketball staff after today’s announcements.

Ohio State Men’s Basketball StaffChris Holtmann — Head CoachJake Diebler — Associate Head CoachJack Owens — Assistant CoachMike Netti — Assistant CoachDavid Egelhoff — Director of Basketball OperationsQuadrian Banks — Strength and Conditioning CoachTerence Dials — Director of Professional DevelopmentKyle Davis — Director of Recruiting and BrandingRobbie Rucki — Video CoordinatorJoe Gemma – Graphic DesignerBen Majors — Creative Video ProducerJohn McCausland — Program Assistant

As Ohio State basketball’s schedule begins to unfold, we’ll bring you updates.

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