According to reports by multiple media outlets, and reported by Eleven Warriors, as well, Ohio State Associate Head Coach, John Groce, will be leaving the program to take over at Ohio University.

Groce, who served under Thad Matta for eight seasons (1 at Butler, 3 at Xavier, and 4 at OSU), will be landing his first head coaching position, after serving 15 years as an assistant. The Taylor University (Upland, IN) graduate broke into the Division I coaching ranks in 1996 at North Carolina State, under current Arizona State head coach, Herb Sendek. Ever since coming to Ohio State, Groce has been one of the more highly regarded assistants in the nation, and is credited with bringing in many of the top recruits at OSU, such as Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. He replaces Tim O’Shea at OU, who left after seven seasons to take the head coaching position at Bryant University in Rhode Island. Archie Miller, Alan Major, and Dan Peters remain on Thad Matta’s staff for the Buckeyes.

John Groce will certainly be missed, but it is about time this man landed a Division I coaching position. He was mentioned for the Iowa and Butler vacancies last season, but nothing really came of those opportunities. It’s certainly a sad day for Buckeye basketball, but Dotting The “I” wants to wish the best to Coach Groce, as I’m sure he will find success with the Bobcats, and land a bigger job from there.