Can Ohio State basketball return to glory?

The Ohio State basketball program was a proud program for most of Thad Matta's tenure. He took the team to two Final Four's, a National Championship Game, and won multiple Big Ten titles. They were one of the most consistent programs in the country for about a ten year span.

At the end of his tenure, things started to slip. He left and Gene Smith brought in Chris Holtmann. Holtmann won zero Big Ten titles and made zero Sweet 16 appearances. Now he's been fired too. Can the next coach return the Buckeyes to glory and make them a good program again?

It's definitely possible. New AD Ross Bjork is embracing NIL to the fullest extent possible and that should extend to the Ohio State basketball program. That should help them get some elite recruits and should also be able to entice an outside coach to take the job.

An outside coach won't get the job if Jake Diebler has anything to say about it. In his first game as interim head coach, all he did was take down the second-ranked team in the country. He's trying to put a run together to secure the job on a full-time basis.

Do I expect him to be able to do that? No. I still expect an outside hire. That hire should have the tools to make this program successful again. Do Ohio State basketball fans expect to be in the Final Four every year? No, but a run there every seven or eight years is reasonable. Making the NCAA Tournament every year should be the expectation too.

Most Buckeye fans have reasonable expectations despite what some coaches who are friends with Holtmann might say. This program was in the dumps and they needed a change. Now it's up to Bjork to find the guy who can restore the glory that has been lost.