Jake Diebler has added an Ohio State basketball legend to his staff.
Diebler announced Monday that former Buckeye guard William Buford will join the program as a program assistant. He played at Ohio State from 2008-12 before spending the next 14 years playing professionally overseas.
Buford is back with the Buckeyes
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) June 1, 2026
Buckeye Nation, welcome back William Buford as our new Program Assistant#GoBucks | #FightToTheEnd pic.twitter.com/RKwQa55n7I
Buford arrived in Columbus as one of the nation's top recruits. A Toledo native, he was named Ohio Mr. Basketball and a McDonald's All-American after averaging 23 points and 11 rebounds per game as a senior at Libbey High School. He signed with Thad Matta and the Buckeyes as a five-star prospect in the 2008 recruiting class.
He made an immediate impact as a freshman, averaging 11.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. Buford improved in each of his four seasons at Ohio State, earning third-team All-Big Ten recognition as a sophomore (14.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG) and second-team honors as both a junior (14.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG) and senior (14.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG). By the end of his career, he had scored 1,990 points, which now ties Jerry Lucas for fourth place on the program's all-time scoring list.
Will's excited to get going pic.twitter.com/LXLWDFd6Vp
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) June 1, 2026
The 6-foot-5 shooting guard was a key contributor on some of the most successful teams in program history. Ohio State reached four consecutive NCAA Tournaments during his career, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2010 and 2011 before making a Final Four run in 2012.
After going undrafted in 2012, Buford carved out a lengthy professional career overseas. While he briefly appeared in NBA Summer League and G League competition, he spent the bulk of his 14-year career playing in Germany, France, Greece, Italy and Turkey.
The coaching staff in Columbus has been finalized for the 2026-2027 season#GoBucks | #FightToTheEnd pic.twitter.com/hIS9yu9osJ
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) June 1, 2026
Buford also helped lead Carmen's Crew to a TBT championship in 2019, earning tournament MVP honors as the Ohio State alumni team captured its first title and the event's $2 million winner-take-all prize.
The addition of Buford is one of several staff announcements Diebler made on Monday. He also promoted Jamall Walker to associate head coach, hired Mike Wells as an assistant coach and hired Dave Richardson as a strength and conditioning coach.
