John Groce was so well-regarded in college basketball circles two years ago that a national columnist suggested the Ohio State assistant was about to have his pick of head coaching jobs.
While that buzz has subsided a bit – and Groce is still in Columbus – it certainly isn’t surprising that Thad Matta’s right-hand man and the program’s associate head coach is a hot commodity once again this offseason.
Sources have told Bucknuts.com that Groce was headed to Ohio University in Athens on Tuesday to meet with school officials about the recently vacated head coaching job. Groce did not return a phone message and OU basketball SID Cory Walton would not comment on the matter.
“Our athletic director has a policy that he has been very strict about, and that is we don’t comment on anyone involved in a personnel search, either here or at another university,” Walton told Bucknuts.com. “I can’t confirm or deny anything in that regard.
“He’s got a list (of candidates). It’s not a complete list. He is conducting a national search.”
The AD is Jim Schaus, who was hired to the school April 7 after serving in the same capacity at Wichita State for the past nine years. The men’s basketball post came open when Tim O’Shea left the school after seven seasons with the Bobcats to take over as head coach at Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I. Bryant is beginning a four-year transition from the NCAA Division II ranks to Division I and O’Shea, who is a Boston College grad, apparently couldn’t resist the chance to start over closer to his Eastern roots.
O’Shea compiled a 120-95 record at Ohio U. with one Mid-American Conference championship, two postseason berths, a pair of 20-win seasons and an appearance in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. The Bobcats were 20-13 last season.
“I would like to thank Tim O’Shea for all he has contributed to our program during his tenure,” Schaus said in a release announcing the departure. “We certainly understand Tim’s desire get close to home and wish him the very best in the future.
“We are in the process of a national search whose objective is focused on hiring the very best coach we can hire in the country. I am confident we will be able to hire a quality coach that will lead us to the highest level of excellence for Bobcat basketball in the future.”
Schaus could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
Groce, 36, is considered a topflight recruiter and also is Matta’s most trusted assistant when it comes to putting together game plans, conducting practice and calling plays.
“Coach Groce is a genius,” former OSU center Greg Oden said during Ohio State’s 35-win season of 2006-07, which culminated in an appearance in the national championship game. “He comes up with all this stuff. You’ve just got to remember. You see the play and soon as you turn around and walk away from the huddle, you go, `What did he just draw up?’ ”
Groce is one of the most recognizable assistant coaches in the nation, especially when it comes to playing wing man to the head coach. When Matta goes on the road to observe a recruit in action or make an in-home visit, chances are Groce is by his side.
Groce is credited with helping finalize commitments from Oden and Mike Conley Jr. as well as incoming freshman Walter Offutt and the verbally promised DeShaun Thomas. All of them came to prominence playing high school ball in Indiana, not coincidentally Groce’s home state.
Groce’s name has been linked to several coaching searches in the past few years. Reports suggested he was a finalist for the vacancy at Duquesne two years ago, primarily because Groce is friends with school athletic director Greg Amodio. However, the university pegged Ron Everhart of Northeastern for the job, picking him over Kent State head coach Jim Christian in March 2006.
Later that spring other reports surfaced that he was a finalist for the Murray State opening.
In April of last year – when OSU was still in Atlanta for the Final Four – Butler head coach Todd Lickliter was hired away to head up the program at Iowa. Groce’s name was expected to arise since both he and Matta had coached together at Butler and were closely tied to both Lickliter and Butler AD Barry Collier, Matta’s coach when he played at the school.
As he has in the past, Matta offered his blessings on Groce pursuing the job. However, Collier acted swiftly and bypassed Groce by hiring assistant Brad Stevens to the post.
Still, Matta has been preparing for the idea that his top aide eventually will land a head coaching job. In June 2007, Matta added 29-year-old Archie Miller to the staff as a full-time assistant and moved Dan Peters into the newfound role of associate director of basketball operations. Alan Major, who just turned 40, serves as the program’s other full-time assistant and Dave Egelhoff is a trusted staff member in the role of director of basketball operations.
Ironically, Groce’s name was mentioned as a candidate for the head coaching job at the University of Toledo (a job Peters applied for) soon after Stan Joplin was fired in March, but Groce said he had no interest in the job.
UT settled on Gene Cross, a Notre Dame assistant. A few months later it appears Groce may have interviewed for the opening at Ohio U.
“I find that interesting because those are similar jobs and very good jobs,” Mid-American Conference associate commissioner Rick Boyages, a former Ohio State assistant, told Bucknuts.com. “You look at Ohio University, that is a good situation because of the tradition there and the history. The arena (Convocation Center) is an older facility but it’s very well-maintained. Some of our biggest crowds in the conference have been there. It’s a neat place, a good school.
“I think interest in John Groce would make sense because I know he is well-known and well-thought-of in the state. I’ve never heard a bad word about him and usually it’s quite the contrary.”
Groce is within days of completing four full years at Ohio State next to Matta and he has served eight years on his staff.
Groce spent the 2000-01 season as an assistant under Matta at Butler, helping the Bulldogs capture the Midwestern Collegiate Conference regular season championship, MCC tournament championship and a spot in the second round of the NCAA tournament. As a collegiate coach, Groce has helped his teams reach postseason play 14 times in 15 years.
He was born in Muncie, Ind., grew up in Danville, Ind., and began his coaching career in 1993 as an assistant under Paul Patterson at his alma mater, Taylor University, in Upland, Ind. During that time, Taylor compiled a 71-28 record and earned a pair of trips to the NAIA national tournament. He helped Taylor to a 29-5 record and a No. 1 national ranking in 1994.
Groce earned his first shot at NCAA Division I basketball in 1996 with Herb Sendek’s staff at North Carolina State. The Wolfpack made postseason appearances in all four years (1996-2000) while Groce was at N.C. State. After rejoining Matta’s staff at Butler, Groce followed him to Xavier for three highly successful seasons. From 2001-02 to 2003-04, the Musketeers were 78-23 overall with three trips to NCAA tournament play, including a showing in the Elite Eight in 2004.
John and his wife, Allison, have a young son, Connor.
