Ohio State has named its next women’s basketball coach.
The school announced Tuesday that Washington’s Kevin McGuff will be the next coach of the Buckeye program.
“We are excited with the opportunity for Kevin to lead our women’s basketball program,” said OSU athletic director Gene Smith in a released statement. “He is a proven leader and has done a marvelous job everywhere he has been. We welcome him back to his home, Ohio.”
The move comes less than a month after splitting ways with former coach Jim Foster on March 19. Foster spent 11 seasons in Columbus and garnered a 279-82 record.
McGuff, who spent nine seasons at Xavier (214-73) in Cincinnati before jumping ship to Washington in 2011, led the Huskies to a 21-12 finish that ended in a loss to Pacific in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament second round this year.
“I am extremely excited and humbled to be the next women’s basketball coach at Ohio State,” McGuff said in a released statement. “This is an amazing opportunity for my family and me to come back to the state of Ohio. I would like to thank Gene, Miechelle Willis (executive associate athletic director) and President (E. Gordon) Gee for putting their faith in me to be their next head coach. As someone who is from the state of Ohio, I know how special of a place this is and my goal is to have Ohio State competing at the highest level of women’s college basketball.”
McGuff, who was 41-26 in two seasons with Washington, signed a contract extension on March 26 through 2020, according to a press release.
An OSU spokesman said the terms of McGuff’s contract will be made available at a press conference Wednesday.