I've been a believer in Jeff Boals from the very beginning. He accomplished something very special taking them to the NCAA Tournament and upsetting Virginia.

However, it's now clear that he doesn't have what it takes to properly navigate things at Ohio in the current landscape of college basketball.

He's had several years and things are going in the wrong direction. Boals has too much faith in the wrong players, doesn't have an identity and has been horrible recruiting and developing players as we've seen Ohio drop far behind Akron, Kent State and Toledo.

I've desperately wanted him to be successful but I've finally given up all hope. I'm still going to root for Ohio to turn things around and finish the season strong but have zero expectations.

I don't believe Ohio will do anything regarding Boals following the season but it's time that they start thinking about what direction we want for OU basketball moving forward and if Boals should still be a part of it.

What’s really stale are ridiculous comments from know nothing fan(atic)s.

Please share your wisdom.

So you like seeing us lose to a terrible team with 2 D-One wins?
You like watching Boals get another T at the worst time?
You like the bad D?
You like the missed important free throws?
You like mental errors which included not fouling a 43% FT shooter in the last 30 seconds of the game?
I mean the list goes on.
I guess it’s not stale when you’re 341st in the country for the easiest 3 point shot.
Either have a take or not.

I was a huge anti-Saul guy but Boals won with Saul guys. Since then we have sucked. Boals is done. Enjoy being an assistant at OSU.

Funny reading all the comments. But for example, an unnamed poster worshipped Groce. Groce won 60% of his games at Ohio. That's decent. And what about Boals? Oh, he's won 59+% of his games. Statistically the same. I don't think the Ohio administration is going to fire a coach winning 60% of his games because a handful of fanatics, are ranting on a Bobcat fan site. These kids are in Athens to get an education. There is a reason I believe they are called student-athletes. More important things in life than a "game".

Listen ... only in the last few seasons has Groce found the formula to being a strong regular season coach. His stamp was and is an ability to get teams to 'peak' for conference tournament play and post-season.

It's a laudable trait, especially in a one-bid league. But really he's just a good mid-major coach. That showed at Illinois - in a bigger arena - he was nothing special. Now at Akron (with NIL $$$) he is a cut above.

Yet a closer look shows - despite Groce string of MAC Tournament wins - he's had as many player defections each season as Toledo. Miami, Kent and even us had more players staying than leaving for the portal in recent seasons. That should tell you something.

I agree 100% that the basketball team needs new leadership and a new direction. In the current climate of college athletics, you'd think our football team would have suffered. But even with all the coaching changes, we've managed to go 40-14 in the last 4 years, 23-1 at home, beaten 2 power 4 teams in Iowa State and WVU, been to 2 MAC Championship games winning 1,(should have been a third other than tiebreaker rules) and won 7 straight bowl games. Hope Slade analyzes the direction of the 2 programs and makes a change in basketball.

This is becoming a lazy argument with each season. Simmons’ agent is my classmate and he got a 6 figure deal to come here. He left a conference rival with a practice facility for Athens. You know, the same school we just lost to Tuesday (again) despite poaching its best player from a season ago.

We’re not flush with cash, but we’re certainly not crying poor either. Our entire portal class this past cycle consisted of 3 starters from better teams a season ago. Which of the top MAC schools could have said this in May? Breath came from a better conference as a 2 year starter and has gotten worse. Pending how you viewed the SBC, Connors has also gotten worse since coming here. This isn’t an NIL problem, it’s a coaching and roster construction problem.

On the flip side, Kent and Akron continue to remain at the top of the MAC with 4 year players like Gillespie, Lyles, and Johnson taking massive leaps this season. They’re all looking like 1st Team All MAC players. That isn’t NIL, that’s coaching and player development.

Boals hasn’t had a 4 year player of his own take that kind of stride during his entire tenure here. AJC went from preseason MAC POY to finishing on the 3rd team last year. Thats as close as it’s gotten. Sears was the last 1st Team player we had. But sure, a lack of money has caused this.

You don’t think in this era part of the vetting process includes how a coach will raise NIL? Regardless, give me someone who recruits all verticals, can develop, and actually runs a system to give us an identity. Something we haven’t had the last 4 seasons.

This program won’t be worse off without Boals because it isn’t very good with him and becoming more painfully obvious 20/21 was lightning in a bottle.

OCF- Do you know what the buyout is? The former AD extended Coach Boals and made him the top paid conference coach a few years ago.

I can't remember the last time I heard the term "student athlete." That ship sailed a long time ago. Heck, there was a guy on the Ball State team last night on his fifth school.

As for Groce, two MAC tournament titles in four years, three NCAA wins, and a couple of inches from an elite 8 appearance in 2012. Yes, league titles are important but in the MAC, it's the tournament title that gets a team and a school the recognition.

Alan…people trying to still justify how Groce was/is average to make themselves feel better about this program’s current problems sure is something.

I haven’t given up hope - but I think this is pretty hard to dispute:

‘Boals has too much faith in the wrong players, doesn't have an identity and has been horrible recruiting and developing players.’

Pretty much sums it up. And I love Boals. I would genuinely be sad to see him go. Not just as a fellow alum, but as a guy. I want him to succeed because he’s not just a coach, he’s one of us. But there is no disputing those 4 simple truths. It makes me more sad than anything to be honest, because I truly feel like we’re approaching a necessary parting. And I don’t want it. But you can’t dispute those 4 basic bullets.

Just looking at this online resume, which includes this sentence: "Larscheid previously held positions as a fundraiser at South Dakota State University, Northern Illinois University and the University of South Dakota."