The potential of Ohio State men’s basketball was represented by its history inside the Schottenstein Center on Monday.
As Jake Diebler was formally introduced as the Buckeyes’ new head coach in a press conference, more than 15 former Ohio State players were in the audience watching. That group included some of the best players to come through the program over the past four decades, such as Brad Sellers (1984-86), Lawrence Funderburke (1991-94), Michael Redd (1997-2000) and Aaron Craft (2010-14), among others.
During his opening statement at Monday’s press conference, Diebler took a moment to address those former players directly, making it clear that one of his biggest goals as the new leader of the program would be to make the program’s alumni proud.
“I'm humbled to be in this position. I take so seriously the foundation that you guys have laid for this program that which we stand upon and hopefully, we will honor in the greatest way to help get this thing to the heights that it belongs,” Diebler said. “This program has a rich tradition. And it's because of these guys and the guys before them. And when we talk about family in this program, it expands beyond the current roster, the current staff. It expands beyond guys who maybe played recently. It's all the way back to the beginning. And the amount of support that we got the last month from our former players – guys stopping into practice, spending time with our guys, speaking about what it means to wear an Ohio State jersey – I will forever be grateful for those moments.
“This is just the beginning of us building and growing that relationship. Because this is your program.”
Diebler had good reason to thank them. Ohio State’s former players are a big reason why he was promoted from interim coach to head coach, as incoming athletic director Ross Bjork said he spoke with at least 15 former Ohio State players during the search process before deciding Diebler was the right choice to lead the program.
“I could believe characteristics, I could believe profile, but I had to cross-check that and make sure that those who built the program, blood, sweat and tears, also I was able to talk to,” said Bjork, who led the search for Diebler. “I asked them questions: What does success look like? What does it mean to be the Ohio State coach? What do you expect in the program? And the feedback was consistent. They wanted leadership. They wanted a fit for Ohio State. And they wanted relatability, among a lot of other things. … It really validated that Jake is the right guy for this job.”
Those former players whom Bjork consulted appreciated the fact that he included them in the process.
“It was very important, because a lot of times, athletic directors don't do that. They don't ask other players and others who are connected to the program, which shows that he wanted to get some different voices in terms of the decision-making,” Funderburke told Eleven Warriors. “So I commend him for that. And that's just the entry. Now he's got to continue to engage us so that we can continue this program. Because we have hit-or-miss moments here – we have a few good years, not so much – we have to have the consistency like we did in the past from year in and year out, a stellar program.”
Although Diebler had never been a head coach before he became Ohio State’s interim coach on Feb. 14, the former players who were in attendance on Monday are confident that the 37-year-old Diebler, who had been an assistant coach for Ohio State since 2019, is ready for the job.
“I think Jake is overqualified, honestly,” Redd told Eleven Warriors. “I think what he brings to the table, obviously Ohio roots, his passion for the game. His age is actually one of his biggest assets; he's able to relate to these kids in a different way. Has a different approach, different methodology. And it worked this season (after he became interim coach). So continue to be himself, continue to be authentically himself, I think he'll do just fine.”
Ron Stokes, who played for the Buckeyes from 1981-85 and is now the color commentator for Ohio State radio broadcasts on 97.1 The Fan, had a significant voice in the search process as the president of the board of The Foundation, Ohio State’s primary NIL collective for men’s basketball. Stokes said Diebler impressed the former players who were involved in the process with not only the on-court results he achieved as interim coach but also his authenticity.
“He’s sincere with his message,” Stokes told Eleven Warriors. “There's no fakeness in it. I mean, he really cares about this university. He can't help it. I mean, he grew up in this state and his brother played here, and I think that's the biggest thing. He's genuine, and I think people who have interacted with him, all the former players, that's why they’re vouching for him, because they really feel that he's the right guy.”
Funderburke says three standout qualities about Diebler make him a good fit for Ohio State’s coach.
“He's relatable, he's reliable, and he's reputable,” Funderburke said. “He’s relatable, you can see it. You can see the difference in terms of the connectivity, in terms of the touch factor and the conductivity in terms of what they're able to translate on the basketball court. That's number one in a coach. And then reliable, you got to be consistent. You got to show up each and every day, every practice, every game. And I think that's very important with a certain level of passion that you have to have that can translate into their play. And then lastly, reputable. You gotta be a person of character. He's a man of faith like me who loves the Lord Jesus Christ. So I admire that.
“Now, he's got to have the leadership, he's got to have the mentorship and he's got to have the stewardship to great care in terms of the Buckeye legacy.”
“I think Jake is overqualified, honestly.”– Michael Redd on Jake Diebler becoming Ohio State’s coach
Sellers said Diebler “understands the formula” that’s made Ohio State basketball successful in the past, which Sellers believes starts with involving those who have helped Ohio State succeed in the past.
“There's a formula here that has worked over the decades. And one of the greatest things you have in this facility and in this state and this university are the peers that have come through here to help him,” Sellers told Eleven Warriors. “You have to understand the value of what that is, because it unlocks so many different things that you don't even know are out there. But it can help you.”
Now that Diebler is Ohio State’s new head coach, the path to continuing to impress the program’s alumni will be to achieve greater results on the court in terms of Big Ten titles and deep NCAA Tournament runs. Sellers and Funderbuke made it clear that their expectations for the program are nothing less.
“We don’t need to be second from the bottom in this league, we don’t,” Sellers said. “We've got to take this program back to where it belongs. This is a blue blood program. That's what it is.”
“It's not enough just to contend for the Big Ten,” said Funderburke. “We got to get some more banners up here in terms of Final Four banners and hopefully getting another national championship.”
That said, the former players Eleven Warriors spoke with Monday were all confident Ohio State can achieve those goals under Diebler’s leadership. And they don’t think it needs to take a long time for Diebler to get there.
“With NIL, it could be instant,” Stokes said. “I mean, if you are able to retain the nucleus of what we have now, and then you can go out and add some really nice pieces, it could be instant. I mean, you just think about the decision to bring Jamison Battle in. Jamison Battle has been instrumental, he helped us win basketball games. So if you can go out next year and bring in somebody that can come in and be impactful, and I'm talking about somebody who's going to be able to help you win games, it can be pretty quick.”
Even though Ohio State has now missed the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back years, Redd believes the Buckeyes aren’t far off from becoming a championship contender once again.
“I think we're very close,” said Redd, a member of Ohio State’s 1999 Final Four team. “It didn’t seem like it the last couple of years, but not too far removed from having tremendous success here in this program. So it can be done. I do believe Ohio State can be a blue blood program. It's a matter of execution, right? And buying in from everybody that's involved. And when that happens, special things can happen.”
