Jake Diebler stresses importance of former Ohio State players to program

Since taking charge of the Ohio State Buckeyes, head coach Jake Diebler has made a concerted effort to look towards the past to help his program move forward into a brighter future.

By utilizing Ohio State’s rich history and leaning on legends like Scoonie Penn, Clark Kellogg and Michael Redd, the Buckeyes have found some continued success. While they’ve been far from perfect this season, they’re on the up and up following a 17-point win over Iowa earlier this week, following a pep-talk from the aforementioned Penn.

Speaking with the media after the victory, Diebler explained what it means to have legends of the program return to share their wealth of knowledge, and how it’s led to improved play for Ohio State.

“You guys know how much I care about former players, and how important I think they are,” Diebler stated, regarding Penn’s involvement and the love other former players have for the Buckeyes’ program. “I feel like a steward of this program, and including them in what we do is really important to me. Scoonie and I have been texting for a little bit about — really, I just wanted to let him come in and talk about what he sees, and the passion he has for this program, and really, kind of explain what he would do, in those moments, because he was such a great leader, you know, when he put on the scarlet and gray.

“We’ve had multiple guys come in. Clark Kellogg’s been around. Michael Redd’s been around. The listing, dating back to really, the summer, is extremely long. J.J. Sullinger has been around. The former players who are stopping in practice and giving their time, their words, their craft, their worldview — the list is long. I can’t tell you have appreciative I am of just their time, and their investment in our program.

“I’ve said this — there have been some unbelievable stretches throughout the history of our program, and those guys who were a part of that, when they can come back and share their experience, and pour into our guys, it’s so valuable. So, I guess we’ll have to bring Scoonie back, and he can echo that same message.”

All told, things are looking up for Ohio State after back-to-back wins, but Jake Diebler and company will need to keep the good times rolling this weekend. A showdown with Penn State is on the docket for Thursday, and then a trip to Illinois will follow on Sunday.

Utilizing lessons learned from legends of their program’s past, perhaps the Buckeyes can make a little run during the second half of the season. Count them out at your own risk, it seems.