Ohio State men’s basketball is bringing home one of its most decorated players. Head coach Jake Diebler announced Thursday that the school has added former Buckeye All-American Jared Sullinger to the program’s staff as Director of Player Development.
It’s the latest example of Diebler drawing on the Scarlet and Gray’s basketball lineage to build out his support staff. Sullinger becomes the second former Ohio State player Diebler has brought back to Columbus this year, joining William Buford, who was hired as a program assistant earlier this offseason and is preparing for his first season on staff. Former Ohio State big man Terence Dials is also on the staff as the recruiting coordinator.
“Jared’s love for Ohio State and his passion for helping young players grow make him a tremendous addition to our program,” Diebler said in a release announcing the Sullinger hire. “Combine that with his basketball IQ and experience playing at the highest levels, I believe he’s going to elevate our development to even greater heights. Our players will benefit from his leadership and commitment to developing the next generation of Buckeyes.”
A Columbus native and Northland High School product, Sullinger starred for the Buckeyes from 2010 to 12 and remains among the most accomplished players in program history. He earned consensus first-team All-America honors in both of his seasons in Columbus, was named the USBWA National Freshman of the Year in 2011 and was twice named first-team All-Big Ten.
As a freshman, Sullinger averaged 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, leading the Buckeyes to a Big Ten regular-season championship, a Big Ten Tournament title and a No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. He was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year and the Most Outstanding Player of the 2011 Big Ten Tournament.
He followed that up with another dominant season in 2011-12, averaging 17.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game while helping lead the Scarlet and Gray to the Final Four. Over his two seasons, Sullinger totaled 1,281 career points and 717 rebounds, cementing his status as one of the most productive frontcourt players to ever play for Ohio State.
Sullinger entered the 2012 NBA Draft after his sophomore season and was selected No. 21 overall by the Boston Celtics. He spent four seasons in Boston before a stint with the Toronto Raptors in 2016-17. He appeared in 269 career NBA games, averaging 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds. From there, Sullinger built a lengthy international career with stops in China, South Korea and Puerto Rico, winning CBA International MVP honors in 2024 and earning two Chinese Basketball Association rebounding titles.
Prior to Thursday’s announcement, Sullinger announced his retirement from professional basketball, and he is now entering the next phase of his basketball career: coaching.
“Columbus is home, and Ohio State holds a special place in my heart,” Sullinger said in the release. “The tradition here, the culture, and the support from Buckeye Nation shaped me into the player and person I am today. I’m grateful to Coach Diebler for the opportunity to come back and pour into these guys.”
This will not be Sullinger’s first foray into coaching and working on a basketball staff. In addition to his playing career, he’s a familiar face to Buckeye fans for his work with Carmen’s Crew, Ohio State’s alumni team in The Basketball Tournament, where he both played and coached in multiple runs — including guiding the team to its lone TBT championship in 2019. He returned to the court for Carmen’s Crew as recently as the 2024 tournament, suiting up alongside fellow Buckeye alums Andre and Kaleb Wesson, Kyle Young and Keyshawn Woods.
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That connection to the program has become full-time. With Sullinger and Buford both on staff, Diebler has built a support system stocked with players who won at the highest level in Columbus — a pipeline of institutional knowledge for a Scarlet and Gray roster looking to build on last year’s run to the NCAA Tournament and climb back toward the top of the Big Ten.