Photo via Xavier Daniels/The Daily Hoosier
Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler finalized his 2025-26 coaching staff on Friday with the hiring of former Indiana assistant Brian Walsh as assistant coach. Walsh, 36, replaces Talor Battle, who left to serve as an assistant at his alma mater Penn State on April 3.
“I’m excited for Brian and his family to join our Ohio State Hoops family,” Diebler said in a statement. “Brian is a proven recruiter with deep Midwest ties who has excelled at connecting with and developing players. His Big Ten scouting experience and analytics expertise are going to be a valuable asset to our program.”
Walsh joins Diebler’s staff after spending the past eight seasons at Indiana, including the last three as an assistant coach under Mike Woodson. He also served as the team’s recruiting coordinator in 2021-22 — helping them finish with the 10th-best recruiting class in the nation according to 247Sports — and the director of operations from 2017-2021. With Walsh on staff, the Hoosiers compiled a 149-96 record (65-84 Big Ten) and made the NCAA tournament just two times, both of which came with Walsh as an assistant coach (2021-22, 2022-23).
Prior to his time at Indiana, Walsh spent three seasons at Dayton from 2014-17, first as a graduate assistant in 2014-16 and then as assistant director of basketball operations from 2016-17. He helped the Flyers go 76-25 in that span, the most wins in a three-year span in program history.
He is also a former college basketball player, playing at Xavier from 2008-10 and before finishing his career at Akron from 2011-13. Walsh averaged 5.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists during his career, his best year coming as a junior in 2011-12 when he scored 8.3 points per game in a starting capacity.
Walsh will now bring his collegiate experience and recruiting chops to a youthful Ohio State coaching staff under Diebler that also includes associate head coach Joel Justus and assistants Dave Dickerson, Luke Simons and Jamall Walker, who are each returning for a second season in Columbus.
