Scarlet Sunrise: Kevin McGuff headlines Buckeyes Big Ten honors with Coach of the Year nod

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Kevin McGuff headlines Buckeyes Big Ten honors with Coach of the Year nod

Kevin McGuff led Ohio State women’s basketball to its first Elite Eight appearance since 1993 last season. He has the Buckeyes in position to make an even deeper NCAA Tournament run this year.

So it was no surprise when he was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year Tuesday.

McGuff has guided Ohio State to a 25-4 record during the 2023-24 campaign, including a 16-2 mark in conference competition. Before the Buckeyes’ loss at Iowa last weekend, they had won 15 games in a row, stitching together the program’s second-longest win streak in Big Ten play.

Although Ohio State is now No. 4, McGuff’s squad had tied its highest AP Top 25 ranking by climbing all the way up to No. 2, like it did last season as well. Most importantly, the Buckeyes — who have two wins over top-10 opponents in 2023-24 — captured their league-best 16th Big Ten regular season title.

Outright Big Ten regular season champs for the first time since 2009-10, Ohio State enters the conference tournament with the No. 1 seed.

The Buckeyes have the kind of experienced and talented roster to back up that accomplishment.

Five Ohio State players were recognized by the league’s coaches and/or media Tuesday for their play this season.

FIRST TEAM ALL-BIG TEN
Jacy Sheldon – coaches (unanimous)/media
Cotie McMahon — coaches/media

SECOND TEAM ALL-BIG TEN
Celeste Taylor — coaches/media
Taylor Thierry — coaches/media

HONORABLE MENTION ALL-BIG TEN
Rebeka Mikulášiková — media

OTHER NOTES
+ Taylor was named to the All-Big Ten Defensive Team by both the media and coaches, but only the coaches recognized her as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.

+ Sheldon — also Ohio State’s sportsmanship award winner — got an All-Big Ten Defensive Team nod by the media.

Observations from first practice of Ohio State spring football

Ohio State spring football is underway, and Lettermen Row was in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for the Buckeyes’ first practice.

The team returned 11 draft-eligible and starter-level players, not to mention the six transfers it added. Plus, a batch of early enrollees, including a pair of highly-touted quarterbacks, have been added to the mix.

For our observations on the offense, go here.

For our observations on the defense, go here.

Chip Kelly’s decision to take Ohio State OC job driven by pursuit of happiness

Chip Kelly’s decision to leave his UCLA head coaching job and become Ohio State’s new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach was driven by his pursuit of happiness.

“I’m really happy coaching a position,” he said Tuesday. “Really happy to be at this place.”

Kelly is also reunited with Ryan Day, who Kelly’s known since Day was playing Little League. They both played and then coached at UNH before Kelly eventually brought Day onto his staff in the NFL, first with the Philadelphia Eagles and then with the San Francisco 49ers.

Kelly is now working under Day, but that’s not the way either of them see their relationship at Ohio State. For more on that dynamic and Kelly’s head-turning move, head on over here.

RELATED

• Buckeyes focused on reps, not pecking orders, for quarterbacks early in spring

Counting Down

Buckeyes vs. Akron: 178 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 269 days

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