Ohio State’s assistant basketball coaches are set to net a combined $1,125,000 this year.
Following Chris Holtmann’s three-year contract extension (through 2027-28) over the offseason, which will see the Buckeye head coach bring in $3.5 million annually, each of his three assistant coaches will make well north of six figures in the year to come, according to contracts provided to Eleven Warriors in response to a records request.
Fourth-year Buckeye coach Jake Diebler, who was promoted to associate head coach and the role of Holtmann’s top assistant this offseason, is the highest-paid of the bunch. Diebler’s base salary is set at $500,000 as the former Vanderbilt and Valparaiso assistant takes over for new Illinois State head coach Ryan Pedon as the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator.
Diebler has been instrumental in Ohio State’s recruiting success in recent years, helping the Buckeyes sign the No. 8 class in the country in 2022 – the highest mark in the Holtmann era – with another potential top-10 nationally ranked haul in the works for 2023.
“I’m blessed to be able to continue to serve coach Holtmann and the Ohio State basketball program,” Diebler said in a statement on May 5. “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."
Former Miami (Ohio) head coach Jack Owens will make $375,000 in his first year as an assistant coach under Holtmann. A nine-year assistant at Purdue before landing the Miami job in 2017, Ohio State hired Owens on April 2 to replace Tony Skinn, who left the Buckeye bench after one year to join Kevin Willard’s staff at Maryland.
“I think it’s a big-time opportunity for a coach like myself or a prospect to come here and have an opportunity to be here at Ohio State,” Owens said at a press conference in June. “I think we have a chance to put ourselves in position to win the Big Ten, go to the NCAA Tournament and have a chance to advance in the NCAA Tournament, for sure.”
After losing both Pedon and Skinn, Owens was the lone assistant coaching hire to come from outside the Ohio State program this offseason.
Sixth-year Buckeye coach Mike Netti was promoted over the summer from his previous role as Holtmann’s special assistant and will rake in $250,000 this year.
“I’m so grateful to Coach Holtmann for his trust in me and honored to have the opportunity in this role on our staff,” Netti said in a statement in May. “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.”
All three Buckeye assistants are on two-year deals that run through June 30, 2024, and stand to earn additional compensation for “exceptional achievements,” per their contracts. Diebler, Owens and Netti can earn an increase of 15% of their base salary for winning the national championship, 8.5% if Ohio State is crowned Big Ten champion and 4.25% for each of the following achievements: Winning the Big Ten Tournament, reaching the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Elite Eight and landing a spot in the Final Four.
Ohio State officially begins its 2022-23 campaign at home against Robert Morris on Nov. 7. The full Big Ten schedule for the coming season is slated to be announced on Thursday.
