Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes should swing big on basketball hire

The Ohio State basketball team will be looking for a new head coach following the firing of Chris Holtmann earlier this week. A once proud program, the Buckeyes have been stuck in mediocrity for much of Holtmann's tenure. Incoming Athletic Director Ross Bjork will lead the search, as this will be his first major task on the job. I believe he should come out swinging.

There is one coach out there who is head and heels above the rest and could be had at the right price. Current CBS broadcaster and former Villanova national championship-winning coach Jay Wright could be the Ohio State basketball's version of Urban Meyer.

Hiring Wright would be an instant morale booster for a program that is in desperate need of a jolt. And he would come in and set this program up for success in the near term, and also for long-term stability, much like what Meyer did for the football program.

Maybe a couple of seasons away from the game has given Wright the energy needed to start again with a new school. Or maybe it solidified his decision to walk away. But it's Bjork's job to find out and make him an offer that he couldn't refuse. As one of the biggest and most profitable athletic departments in the country, money should not be an issue.

And if Wright is hired, rest assured that The Schott will be filled once again. This program needs something different. Something more than the typical hire of a midwestern mid-major coach that's up in coming. This is Ohio State. And as fans, we should expect more. And after years of being mediocre, this fan base deserves more. Although, Jake Diebler made a strong impression with Sunday's win over Purdue.

Ross Bjork is accustomed to swinging big. At Texas A&M, and maybe because of the boosters, he swung big at Jimbo Fisher. That has not panned out. He also swung big on Buzz Williams for the basketball program, and it's worked out just fine. Let's see what Bjork can do with his first major hire here in Columbus.