COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jake Diebler is officially the new head coach of the Ohio State men's basketball team.
Ross Bjork, the senior advisor for intercollegiate athletics at Ohio State, announced his hiring on Sunday. Diebler accepted a five-year contract and is now the 15th head coach in the program’s history.
“Jake Diebler possesses all of the characteristics we were seeking as we conducted a very comprehensive and thorough search for a new head coach,” 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.
Diebler, the first Ohio native in 35 years to be named men's basketball head coach, is in his eighth season with the Buckeyes. He first worked with Ohio State basketball in 2014, spending three seasons as a video coordinator on Thad Matta’s staff. After three seasons as an assistant at Vanderbilt, he returned to Ohio State as an assistant coach under Holtmann before the 2019-20 season. He was promoted to associate head coach before the 2021-22 season.
Diebler was named interim head coach in February after Ohio State fired Chris Holtmann, who coached the team for seven years. He led the Buckeyes to a 6-2 record over the last month of the season.
“The way he has led the program since February 14 has been exemplary and is only the beginning of what lies ahead for Buckeye Basketball. The future is exciting, and I cannot wait to watch him lead this program," Bjork said.
“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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