Buckeyes Now

OFFICIAL: Ohio State Hires Jake Diebler As Head Coach

The Ohio State Buckeyes have removed the interim tag from Jake Diebler and hired him as the full-time head coach.

Matt Galatzan

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The Ohio State Buckeyes' search for a new head basketball coach is at an end.

On Sunday, the Buckeyes officially promoted Jake Diebler and named him the team's new full-time head coach. 

Diebler had been one of two names the school had been focusing on to replace the recently fired Chris Holtmann alongside Florida Atlantic's Dusty May.

“Jake Diebler possesses all of the characteristics we were seeking as we conducted a very comprehensive and thorough search for a new head coach,” athletic director Ross Bjork said. “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."

JAKE DIEBLER SMILE
Matt Krohn -USA TODAY Sports

Diebler has accomplished several impressive feats already, including upsetting the then-No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers and breaking Ohio State's 17-game losing streak on the road.

Six games remained on the Buckeyes' regular-season schedule when Diebler took the reigns of the 14-11 team. And doing what many believed impossible, Diebler and the Buckeyes proceeded to win six of their last seven contests - including a victory against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the opening round of the 2024 Big Ten Tournament to improve to 20-12 overall.

Jake Diebler Emerging as One of Two 'Top Candidates' For Ohio State

Diebler nearly continued that run too, losing a heartbreaker to the No. 13 Illinois Fighting Illini to end their tournament run on Friday.

Now, he will attempt to keep that momentum going as the program's new full-time leader. 

“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.”

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com, AllAggies.com, and the Managing Editor of BuckeyesNow.com and TheGroveReport.com He is also the Editor-In-Chief of RamDigest.com and TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com

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