Jake Diebler on expectations at Ohio State: 'We're not going to lower the standard'

It has been over a decade since Ohio State last won any kind of title. Even so, Jake Diebler isn’t shying away from that being the goals for the Buckeyes to get back to during his tenure.

Diebler spoke about the expectations for his program during a press conference last month. For him, the fact of the matter is he understands the job he is supposed to do there in Columbus. That means meeting and exceeding the plans of winning championships at Ohio State.

“I mean I just appreciate what this program has been,” said Diebler. “I got to see it from a very intimate spot when my brother was here.”

“Like, the standard here in this program is just that,” Diebler continued. “We’re not going to lower the standard because maybe it’s year one.”

Diebler’s official debut this season after he went 8-3 last year as the interim isn’t necessarily going to lead to any banners at all. Still, it very well could with how he is emphasizing it with his new roster and throughout their building.

“We’ll see what happens this year, you know. Just because we talk about it doesn’t certainly guarantee that we’re going to be able to do it,” said Diebler. “I think we’ve got great pieces. I think we have the personnel to really take a jump this year.”

“It certainly doesn’t guarantee anything, you know. But, I think, for our guys to know, ‘Hey, this is where we want to go’? There has got to be reminders of that,” Diebler added. “It’ll be hard. We’re going to face adversity. But I think just if we can lean back to, ‘Hey, this is why we’re doing it’? That’s going to help us fight through that adversity.”

2013 was the last time that Ohio State won the Big Ten Tournament. 2012, a season prior, was the last time they won the conference’s regular season.

Since then, the Buckeyes haven’t won any crown in the league. That span also includes six early exits from the NCAA Tournament without mentioning the five they’ve missed altogether, including the last pair.

Ohio State’s case hasn’t added any new trophies in almost the past dozen years. That’s what Diebler is there to hopefully change, though, with him respecting the job at hand for him going into his first season as head coach.

“The standard is the standard. That is competing for championships,” said Diebler. “That’s the way this program has been. It’s the way this program is going to be moving forward. We feel a great deal of responsibility to help push that.”

“That’s what we’re striving for,” Diebler said. “We’re not going to shy away from that.”