Eric Boggs
Ohio State’s basketball coaching staff under head coach Jake Diebler will feature two assistant coaches earning $400,000 or more for the 2024-25 season, according to public records obtained by The Columbus Dispatch. While not on the same financial level as Ohio State football’s high-paid coordinators, Diebler’s staff reflects a strong commitment to building a competitive program.
Joel Justus, who joins Ohio State as the associate head coach after serving as an assistant at NC State, will earn $425,000 in his first season with the Buckeyes. Jamall Walker, formerly with Grand Canyon University, will receive a salary of $400,000. Both Justus and Walker bring significant experience and will be instrumental in recruiting efforts, serving as two of the three assistants permitted by NCAA rules to recruit off-campus.
Talor Battle, the third member of Diebler’s assistant coaching team, joins Ohio State with experience as a former Northwestern assistant and Penn State’s all-time leading scorer. Despite being the least experienced among the new hires, Battle will also play a key role in the Buckeyes’ recruiting efforts.
In addition to the primary assistant coaches, Dave Dickerson will be earning $295,000 after a successful stint as the head coach at USC Upstate, where he made just over $210,000 last season. Rounding out the staff is Luke Simons, who comes from Baylor and will earn $185,000.
In total, Ohio State will spend $4,105,000 on its basketball coaching staff this year. This figure is down from the $4,835,000 spent under former head coach Chris Holtmann, despite Diebler having a five-man bench compared to Holtmann’s four. Notably, while Diebler’s overall staff budget is lower, the assistant coaches will receive higher compensation this year, with the total rising from $1,335,000 under Holtmann to $1,605,000 under Diebler. This increase reflects Ohio State’s dedication to investing in top coaching talent as they aim for success on the court.
