When John Groce left for Illinois, I was not bashful on this board in saying go get Jeff Boals NOW. A lot of people on this board did not agree with why Boals should have been the man after Groce. Many just felt like he wasn't ready and I couldn't understand why. What made John Groce more ready than Boals to become head coach at Ohio? Groce was an assistant at Ohio State before he came to Ohio. Boals was an assistant at Ohio State and Schaus never called him. Said he wanted somebody with head coaching experience, yet he hired Groce with none. I have no doubt Schaus regrets not hiring Boals seven years ago, but at least he finally got it right on his way out.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Ohio should never go more than 5 years without making the big dance. You see the success Dambrot had at Akron. You see what Oats did at Buffalo. It can and should be happening in Athens. This is a very important time in Ohio basketball history. Boals has a tremendous opportunity to take advantage of the current Preston years, but most importantly, the post-Preston era in recruiting. This was where Larry Hunter struggled with the post-Gary Trent recruiting years. He never took full advantage of it. I can't imagine how many HS basketball studs in Ohio have watched Jason Preston and company the past three nights and thought wow...that's a team I want to be on and a coach I want to play for.

What we witnessed the past three nights was astonishing. We wiped out three of the best teams in the conference and it was total domination. You have to have talent, but you have to have a coach who knows how to utilize the talent and maximize every ounce of potential out of them. That is what Boals is doing. If this entire team comes back next year and please let that happen.....it's not a stretch to say this is a top-25 caliber squad in 2021-2022.

Thank you Jeff Boals for returning to your alma mater and restoring glory back to the mens' basketball program. I have a feeling the best is yet to come. Go Bobcats!

I believe Schaus didn't hire Boals because he didn't want to be responsible if a Bobcat alum wasn't successful and had to fire him. Hiring Boals when you've got one foot out the door? no brainer.

+2. I've thought Jeff would make a great coach - even possibly at Ohio someday - since he coached me during HS at Coach Hunter's basketball camps back in the day. He's the real deal.

A reminder that how you interview is not all that indicative of how well you coach. Boals deserved to move up the coaching tree faster than he did. But it’s all our gain.

I still say it should've been Holtmann.

I wanted Boals after Groce, too. But i really didnt know any of the other options. Saul who?

I remember really really liking Saul after seeing him for the first time at Cincy Caravan. I thought we had a star.

I hope Mr Boals sticks around a few years. But i know i made a run for Cincy or The Land every five weeks or so as an undergrad. Ha!

Agree

My Cheerios were piss free. The first paragraph was just a bit self serving, and reminded me of his all-time most ridiculous post of "see look, I told you Groce is a March winner" after he won a random 1st round 10/11 MAC Tourney game (only to lose the next game) a few years ago.

Well I guess that's egg on my face. I thought that initial reply was to me even though I couldn't see what prediction I had made. I've always fashioned myself more of a Jeane Dixon anyway.