Ohio State is bringing Jared Sullinger back into the fold.
Sullinger, a two-time All-American who starred for the Buckeyesfrom 2010-12, is joining coach Jake Diebler's staff in a player development role. He will replace Nick Kellogg, who was the program's NIL/community relations coordinator and is now getting out of coaching.
The move brings one of Ohio State’s most accomplished players of the last 20 years back into the fold. A Northland graduate, Sullinger signed with the Buckeyes as the No. 3 national prospect in the 2010 class according to the 247Sports.com composite. He is the third-highest-rated recruit to play for Ohio State in the since the rankings began in 1999, and he quickly made a significant impact.
“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 statement. “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.”
In his first season, Sullinger was named both the national and Big Ten freshman of the year and was a first-team consensus All-American as well as the most valuable player in the Big Ten Tournament while averaging 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds as the Buckeyes went 34-3 and won the league title outright.
Before the era of name, image and likeness rights, he turned down the NBA to return for his sophomore season and was again dominant for the Buckeyes. Sullinger averaged 17.5 points and 9.2 rebounds in 2011-12 as Ohio State won a share of the Big Ten title, went 31-8 and reached the Final Four before losing a 64-62 showdown with Kansas that proved to be his final game with the Buckeyes.
He is one of only three Ohio State men's basketball players to earn multiple first-team all-America honors, joining Jim Jackson (1991-92) and Jerry Lucas (1960-62).
“Columbus is home, and Ohio State holds a special place in my heart,” Sullinger said. “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.”
Boston picked him No. 21 overall in the 2012 NBA Draft and Sullinger played four years with the Celtics and one with Toronto, averaging 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds while playing in 269 games across those five seasons. From there, Sullinger spent parts of the next several years playing professionally overseas while also getting involved with the Ohio State-affiliated team in The Basketball Tournament.
Sullinger coached the 2019 Carmen’s Crew team to the title and then hit the winning shot to lead the team to the 2024 championship while also holding down some coaching duties. While in Columbus, Sullinger has been a consistent presence around the program, playing with alumni against the current team and generally spending time with the Buckeyes in an informal mentorship role.
His addition is the latest made by Diebler that connects this era of the program to some of its not-too-distant past. Sullinger’s two seasons with the Buckeyes were played alongside William Buford, who was hired during the offseason as a program assistant. They both worked out under strength and conditioning coach Dave Richardson, who was with Ohio State from 2005-18 and rehired by Diebler during the spring.
Those three join assistant coach Dave Dickerson, who was with the Buckeyes in that role from 2010-17 and was Diebler’s first hire after he was promoted to head coach at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Ohio State men's basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @cdadamjardy.bsky.social, on Instagram at @cdadamjardyor on Twitter at @AdamJardy.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jake Diebler hiring Jared Sullinger to Ohio State coaching staff
