"Living the Dream": Jake Diebler Loving Life as Ohio State's New Head Coach

Jake Diebler says he is enjoying every minute of his time as the newest head coach of Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball.

Mar 14, 2024; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes interim head coach Jake Diebler talks to / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

It is safe to say Jake Diebler is loving life as head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The former Buckeyes interim helmsman was offered the full-time gig back in March, which he accepted. Now several weeks into his tenure, Diebler said he is "living the dream" each and every day.

"Growing up in the state of Ohio, this is the pinnacle of the profession for me," Diebler said. "I get to wake up and even though times are crazy in college basketball, I am loving every second of it. … (It’s been) busy, fluid, and wild at times. I know there’s a lot of change happening in the landscape, but here in this program, we’re embracing it and leaning into it. It’s an exciting time for us and certainly for the sport as a whole.”

Mar 18, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State basketball head coach Jake Diebler speaks during his / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

Diebler recalled the night before the news of his promotion was to be made public. The 37-year-old said the night began as just he and his wife celebrating in their living room.

"We had just put the kids to bed," Diebler said. "My wife and I were sitting there, and it became clear that, you know, ‘Hey, this is happening.’ We took a moment there and said a prayer together...We probably DoorDashed or ordered some ice cream. I’ve got a bad habit of that. But, no, we celebrated together."

The moment was not private for long.

"By then, some stuff had broken online, and my best friend and his wife randomly showed up at our door late at night, and we were like, ‘Man, what are they doing here?'" Diebler said. "He bursts in there and says, ‘Is it true? Is it true?’ So we got to celebrate with the people we love and appreciate that night, too."

Switching subjects to the upcoming season, Diebler said he is more than grateful to the work that has been done by his coaching staff. Diebler also said Ohio State outgoing athletic director Gene Smith and incoming AD Ross Bjork have been by his side through the offseason.

"Things are changing every day," Diebler said. "We have great support here at Ohio State, which has been critical. We’ve been working with Ross (Bjork) and Gene (Smith), and how we’ve been able to navigate the space has been important...There’s been challenges and things are moving and shifting and changing, but we’re embracing the landscape right now. I look forward to finalizing things. But I think we’ve got a great group coming in.”