Ohio State Promotes Mike Netti To Full-Time Assistant Coach
Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann announced several changes to his staff on Thursday morning, including a promotion for special assistant to the head coach Mike Netti, who will now serve as a full-time assistant.
“Mike has earned this promotion with his outstanding work here for the past five seasons as the assistant to the head coach,” Holtmann said. “Mike is a coaching veteran who has been a junior college head coach, a high major assistant as well as working in nearly every aspect of a college basketball staff.
“Mike has great contacts across the country and is terrific at skill and player development. We are excited about this new role for him.”
Netti just wrapped up his fifth season with the Buckeyes after four years as an assistant coach at East Carolina, where he notably helped guard Akeem Richmond knock down an NCAA-leading 155 three-pointers.
Prior to that, he was an assistant on Holtmann’s staff at Gardner-Webb from 2010-13, where he was instrumental in the development of two-time Atlantic Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Year Tim Jennings.
That marked Netti’s second stint with the Runnin’ Bulldogs, as he was an assistant alongside Holtmann from 2002-06 before becoming an assistant at St. Francis (N.Y.) College and head coach at Lackawanna (Pa.) Junior College.
A native of Liverpool, N.Y., Netti played collegiately at Division III Alvernia College, where he led the Golden Wolves to a Pennsylvania Athletic Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. He then transferred and graduated from Syracuse in 2002.
Additionally, Holtmann officially promoted assistant Jake Diebler to the role of associate head coach on Thursday. He was the lone assistant to remain on staff after last season, as Ryan Pedon became the head coach at Illinois State and Tony Skinn took a parallel job at Maryland.
“Jake has a very bright future in this profession and I’m excited about his well-earned promotion,” Holtmann said. “He has done excellent work for us since coming here from Vanderbilt three years ago. He has a strong work ethic, great player relationships, reinforces our culture and he has recruited exceptionally well.”
The Buckeyes previously announced the hiring of former Miami (Ohio) head coach Jack Owens to fill Skinn’s role on the staff, meaning Holtmann’s three-man bench is now full.
That said, Diebler and Netti actually sat together on Ohio State’s bench last season when Holtmann and Pedon missed the 95-87 win over Northwestern on Jan. 9 after they both tested positive for COVID-19.
Other promotions announced on Thursday include video coordinator Kyle Davis being named the director of recruiting and branding and program assistant Robbie Rucki taking over Davis’ role as video coordinator.
“These promotions, along with the addition of a director of recruiting and branding in which Kyle Davis will fill, gives us a strong, dynamic and complete staff,” Holtmann said.
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