Chris Holtmann is bringing another Ohio State assistant coach to DePaul.
Brandon Bailey, who was one of four assistant coaches for the Buckeyes this past season, is leaving the Buckeyes after one year to join Holtmann’s staff at DePaul, according to Adam Jardy of The Columbus Dispatch.
Bailey is an alumnus of DePaul, where he previously spent time working with both the men’s and women’s teams. He joined Ohio State’s coaching staff last July after college basketball teams were allowed to hire a fourth full-time assistant coach.
After working in the NBA with the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons, Bailey was expected to improve Ohio State’s defense when he joined the staff as defensive coordinator before last season. The Buckeyes only achieved slight improvement on defense, though, allowing 103.1 points per 100 possessions to rank 160th in the country after allowing 103.9 points per 100 possessions (231st) during the 2022-23 season.
Bailey becomes the second Ohio State assistant coach to follow Holtmann to DePaul, joining Jack Owens. Fellow Ohio State assistant Mike Netti has also been rumored to join Holtmann’s staff at DePaul, though that move has not yet been confirmed.
As a result, Jake Diebler will have a mostly if not entirely brand new staff of assistant coaches for his first season as Ohio State’s head coach. Diebler made his first official hire for his coaching staff last week when he hired USC Upstate head coach Dave Dickerson, who returns to the Buckeyes after previously serving as associate head coach from 2010-17.
“We need guys who are in here committed to serving our players and this program with all the energy and the positivity and the love and care that’s required,” Diebler said Wednesday in an interview with 97.1 The Fan’s Rothman and Ice when asked about filling out his coaching staff. “Development for guys both on and off the court is really, really important to me. This program has always been about that, and we have to keep that.
“Certainly, we need guys with great basketball minds, experience, recruiting experience, and Dave Dickerson, he fits all that. For me, you got a guy who’s won a national championship, who’s been to a Final Four at Ohio State, that stuff was really, really important. His wisdom and knowledge in all the different areas that go into being a college basketball coach was something I just felt was critical for our staff.”
