The Ohio State Buckeyes made the surprise decision to part ways with head coach Thad Matta Monday, a move that comes after the rest of college basketball fired and hired their coaches. In fact, the timing might have cost the Buckeyes Archie Miller, who is now the head coach Indiana. With Thad Matta now out, the question becomes who Ohio State will hire as their next head basketball coach.
Pete Thamel already suggested several targets, although we're excluding several. It's rather unrealistic to expect that coaches like Sean Miller, Shaka Smart and Billy Donovan (whom others have mentioned) would actually leave their current jobs for the Ohio State gig. Ohio State remains one of the best Big Ten jobs, it's not a blue-blood program. It would be a shocker for one of those coaches to leave their quality gigs to take on what is at least a short-term rebuilding project at Ohio State.
There could also be several coaches not the list who could end up getting a shot at the OSU gig, including Tom Crean who just missed out. So, which candidates will Ohio State target? Here are nine potential replacements for Matta:
9. Chris Jent or Dave Dickerson, OSU Assistants
Yes, I'm grouping the top two OSU assistants together. Athletic director Gene Smith made it seem like the Buckeyes will go outside the program for their next hire, but they could look inward because of the timing. If that's the case, both Jent and Dickerson could be options. Both have head-coaching experience, with Jent serving as an interim in the NBA and full-time as a D-League head coach, while Dickerson led Tulane. The top assistants (sorry, Greg Paulus, you're not ready for the job) are worth mentioning, but it'd be a surprise and a very underwhelming hire. By the way, the order in the above photo is Dickerson - Jent - Matta - Paulus.
8. Jeff Boals, Stony Brook Seawolves
Boals is a name many Buckeye fans should know as he served as an assistant coach from 2009 to 2016. An Ohio kid (he was born in the state and went to Ohio University), Boals is currently the head coach at Stony Brook. He posted a 18-14 record, getting his team to the CBI. It's not an inspiring hire, but think of it as promoting a better version of the two assistants listed above.
7. Gregg Marshall, Wichita State Shockers
Of all the names on this list, Marshall is perhaps the least likely. Still, he's long been a coveted coach and OSU could at least try to pursue him. We all know what he has done since taking the Wichita State job in 2007, leading them to six straight NCAA Tournaments, a Final Four berth in 2013 and a 261-90 overall record. However, the Shockers are going to be stacked next year and Marshall is already making $3.3 million. OSU might want him, but would Marshall have any interest in leaving what should be a preseason Top 10 team for a rebuilding project?
6. Pat Kelsey, Winthrop Eagles
Hiring Kelsey certainly wouldn't be a home-run hire, but he's a decent backup option. The former associate head coach at Xavier has spent the past five years as Winthrop's head coach, leading them to back-to-back Big South regular season titles and to the NCAA Tournament this year. He nearly took the job at UMass this offseason, before backing out right before the press conference. This is likely too large of a jump for Kelsey (unless OSU misses out on bigger names), although he'd be a prime candidate for the Xavier job is Chris Mack leaves (hint, hint).
5. Chris Collins, Northwestern Wildcats
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What Collins has done at Northwestern has been absolutely incredible. In his first head coaching job after 13 years as a Duke assistant, Collins has turned a historically terrible program around, earning the school's first ever NCAA Tournament appearance this season and even winning a game. The Wildcats have gotten better in each of his four years at the helm, and he'd be a good hire for the Buckeyes. However, it's unclear if either side has interest.
4. Buzz Williams, Virginia Tech Hokies
Williams was suggested by Pete Thamel and it's an interesting fit. He's proven himself at both Marquette and Virginia Tech and he could listen if the Buckeyes come calling. He got the Hokies back to the NCAA tournament after rebuilding them and he would face a similar rebuild at OSU. However, he doesn't have many ties to the Big Ten or Ohio.
3. Chris Holtmann, Butler Bulldogs
Holtmann signed a contract extension in April, but he could make the jump to OSU. He has led Butler to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances in his three seasons on the job, getting Butler to the Sweet 16 this year. He also has some Ohio ties, having served as an assistant at Ohio University from 2008-10. He's a quality coach, but much like Brad Stevens, he appears to love coaching at Butler. Holtmann is surely on the Buckeyes' list, but they might not land him.
2. Mick Cronin, Cincinnati Bearcats
Here's one of two Cincinnati-area coaches on the list. He's flirted with other jobs in the past, nearly ended up at UNLV. If the Buckeyes miss out on the big names, they could instead target Cronin. UC doesn't play sexy basketball - there's a lot of defense and not always enough offense, but UC has made the NCAA tournament in seven straight years. The cause of concern is that there's only been one Sweet 16 berth for Cronin at UC. Cronin heading to OSU would mean he leaves his alma mater.
1. Chris Mack, Xavier Musketeers
Mack is the latest in a long line of successful coaches at Xavier, going 187–91 in eight seasons with the Musketeers, including seven NCAA Tournament appearances, four Sweet 16s and now one Elite Eight run. He also helped the Musketeers navigate the transition from the Atlantic 10 to the Big East four years ago, and has them as one of the premier programs in the conference. Ohio State had success early under Matta, who also came from Xavier. Mack has spent his entire basketball life in Ohio, outside of playing at Evansville before transferring to XU, his alma mater. The pull of the Muskies remains strong for Mack, but he's a realistic target.
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