After the firing of Chris Holtmann, rumors began swirling about who would be the next head coach at Ohio State. There have been many names that have been swirling around for the position.
Three Names Rumored to be the Next Head Coach at Ohio State
Lamont Paris
After an incredibly strong season in South Carolina, Lamont Paris has started to receive attention for a few major jobs. One that he has been repeatedly linked to is Ohio State. South Carolina currently sits at number two in the conference and has an opportunity to move into first with a game against Tennessee this week. The Gamecocks are number 17 in the AP Poll and have great wins against Kentucky, Florida, and at Tennessee.
His resume is not the only reason he is linked to the Buckeyes. Paris is an Ohio native and played at Division III College of Wooster. He also has coaching experience in the Big Ten where he was an assistant at Wisconsin. These two plus his great coaching job at South Carolina make him an ideal candidate to be the next Ohio State head coach.
Dusty May
Last year, Dusty May brought FAU to the Final Four. He has followed it up with another very strong campaign in Boca Raton. The Owls are currently on pace to make the NCAA Tournament again and have some impressive wins against Loyola Chicago, Texas A&M, Butler, and Arizona. May has also never had a losing season at FAU, an incredible accomplishment.
Much of the appeal also comes from his Big Ten roots. May is from Peoria Illinois and was a manager at Indiana. He has ties to the area and appears interested in a return.
One interesting twist to this scenario comes from Lebron James. It is rumored that the Ohio native really wants May to coach in Columbus. He reportedly promised his son Bryce would play at Ohio State if May were to coach there. On top of that, James would reportedly donate a large sum of money to the school. While these are obviously rumors, it is still something interesting to note when following this job search.
Some are skeptical about May’s interest in Ohio State. He could be waiting for the opening at his alma mater, Indiana. Mike Woodson did not have a good season and will likely enter next year on the hot seat. If May is willing to wait one more year, he could bring Indiana back to glory.
Jake Diebler
The final candidate may already be in Columbus; current interim coach Jake Diebler. Since the firing of Chris Holtmann, the Buckeyes have been great. They are 4-1 with a win against Purdue. The roster is finally playing to the potential that many saw in the preseason and some say they could even play their way into March Madness.
However, it can be tricky to promote an interim to the head coach position. In Diebler’s case, he will likely be the coach for fewer than ten games. Even though the team has been playing well, it is hard to trust someone with such a small sample size. He also has never been a head coach before.
Despite this, Diebler does have a solid resume as an assistant. He started at Valparaiso, then went to Vanderbilt before landing at Ohio State. He has been in Columbus for five years, so he knows the program well. Diebler could very well end up being the man for the job, but it could be difficult to pick him over more established options.
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