Green Pastures
Groce takes the reins at Ohio University, Matta moves on
By VR Bryant
There’d been a buzz about it going on three years now. At the start of each season, the question would be asked at least once by any reporter doing his job. When was John Groce – widely considered the top assistant in college hoops – going to leave the nest and take over a program?
Late last week, we finally got the answer.
A move that (not surprisingly) got national attention, Ohio University athletic director Jim Schaus announced Friday that Groce had accepted the position of head coach for the Bobcats.
The position had been vacated just four days prior by former coach Tim O’Shea, who took a job at newly-anointed Division I Bryant University in Rhode Island to be closer to home. AD Schaus wasted little time in filling the void.
“John Groce has long been considered one of the top assistant coaches in the country,” Schaus said in a recent statement, “and has been renowned for both his recruiting successes and offensive expertise.”
Groce, of course, is excited to finally be in control of his own program. At just 36 years of age, the position is likely to be a launching point from which Groce – like his mentor Matta – will rise meteorically to the upper echelon of collegiate coaching.
For Matta and Ohio State, the move represents a great change in everyday operations, as the Buckeye coach will be without his ‘right-hand man’ for the first time in eight years.
“Obviously it’ll be a little bit different,” said Matta. “He’s been with me from day one. But you always know as a head coach that if you get the right guys on your staff, these things are going to happen.”
Apart from being Matta’s main recruiting cohort, Groce was often the yin to Matta’s yang, each complementing the other to form what was arguably the most effective recruiting team in the nation.
“John was the complete opposite of what I was,” Matta reflected, “and we did a great job of meeting in the middle. Him knowing me as well as he did, and his having such a great basketball mind and passion for recruiting — those are the things we’re going to miss.”
When asked how he differed from his long-time friend, Matta said, “He was more of a numbers guy, and I’m more of a people guy. He was very good at breaking things down and giving me the numbers. Those things could sometimes just fly right by me.”
The two were often animated on the sidelines during games, with Thad trolling up and down and John yelling and frantically waving around a dry erase board. For the first time as a head coach, the former will now have to look to someone else for back-up.
“As we go through practice, I’ll probably get accustomed to him not being there,” said Matta. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to not hear me turn and look at him and say, ‘What the hell?’ He won’t miss that as much as I’ll miss saying it to him.”
This is not the first time one of Matta’s understudies has moved into a lead role. Todd Lickliter, who took over for Matta at Butler in 2001, was recently hired by Iowa, while former associate Sean Miller remains the head man at Xavier.
With regard to the void on Matta’s staff, another former Butler man, Brandon Miller, will likely be among the names considered to fill the open spot, though Matta was understandably tight-lipped regarding exactly where the school is in the hiring process and how Groce’s responsibilities will be delegated going forward.
Whether Matta and athletic director Gene Smith decide to promote from within or hire from elsewhere, the coach remains confident that Ohio State basketball will continue its upward momentum.
The current team, now more than two weeks into summer practice, also got some early praise from Matta in the recent press conference. In contrast to a year ago when Jamar Butler, Kosta Koufos and David Lighty were all away for much of the summer, all the pieces are on campus and getting a head start on things.
Said Matta of the state of the team thus far, “Having them all here is something that’s been important for [us], getting them all on the same page and understanding who they are and where each guy comes from. They’re working hard and they’re making progress.”
Newcomers B.J. Mullens, Walter Offutt, Anthony Crater, and William Buford all knew each other coming in and are currently rooming together, while all the veterans are, according to Matta, “right around the corner.”
Junior college additions Jeremie Simmons and Nicola Kecman are also already on campus, enrolled in classes and participating in team workouts.
So while the team loses its top three scorers (responsible for 57% of the team’s total offense a year ago), fan hopes should remain high for the upcoming season.
Originally Published: Issue 657 - July 2, 2008
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