Former Blazer Talks Transition into Coaching

The ex-lottery pick seems to have found his post-playing calling.

Oct. 6, 2009; Portland, OR, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans (13) loses control of the ball as he drives to the basket on Portland Trailblazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) and center Greg Oden (52) in the first quarter of the game at the Rose Garden. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-Imagn Images / Steve Dykes-Imagn Images

Former Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden, the 2007 No. 1 overall pick out of Ohio State University, appears to have found his calling with his playing career now definitively in the rearview.

After playing one relatively successful season for Chinese Basketball Association squad the Jiangsu Dragons, Oden essentially ended his injury-riddle playing career (although he did return in July 2018 to play for the Scarlet & Gray as a reserve during the club's run through The Basketball Tournament).

In 2016, Oden re-enrolled at his alma mater OSU, and served as the basketball team's student manager. Oden ultimately achieved his most basketball success as a player for the Buckeyes, so it makes sense that he got his start there as a coach, too.

During his one-and-done season at the school, Oden was named a consensus second-team All-American, the NABC Defensive Player of the Year, and an All-Big Ten First Teamer, in addition to earning the Pete Newell Big Man Award.

He graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor's in Sport Industry. That fall, he joined Edyoucore Sports & Entertainment as an athlete advisor. Since April 2022, Oden has been serving under Butler Bulldogs head coach Thad Matta as the program's director of basketball operations.

In a recent episode of "The OGs" with title-winning former Miami Heat role players Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, Oden revealed that he was hoping to move up the assistant coaching ranks and eventually take on the head job somewhere.

"I'm not gonna stay comfortable," Oden said. "Never knowing what's going to happen, but aspiration is always to be a head coach. I want to be the guy in charge, I want to be the guy that makes the schedule. I want to be able to lead these guys, lead the program to the highest point it can possibly get."

The college game has changed a lot since Oden's day. The advent of Name, Image and Likeness licensing deals has happily monetized the world of the NCAA, which is great for players, but can present challenges to coaches.

"So as you know right now NIL [is the biggest challenge in college coaching]," Oden said. "As soon as you come to them, [they ask] 'How much can you give me?' So recruiting the right players that want to be at that school, that want to play for that coach — good character, guys who are coachable, that's the tough part. Then you gotta add in the NIL too, especially if they're good enough."

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