Bruce Parkhill wasn’t even thinking about jumping back into the coaching ranks.After spending 23 years as a men’s basketball coach, the former head coach at Penn State and William & Mary had been out of coaching for five years and wasn’t even looking the get back into the profession – until Ohio State head coach Jim O’Brien came calling. Even then, it was by accident the long-time friends came together to become colleagues at OSU. Parkhill was named associate head coach in early August, replacing Rick Boyages, who ironically took the head coaching position at William & Mary.Interestingly, O’Brien was looking for information on William & Mary to aid Boyages while he pursued the coaching job there. He then called Parkhill – a friend of his for 30 years – in order to get some information on the school and men’s basketball program, and then the wheels started turning.”I had some ideas of what the school is like, but I was just trying to get his opinion as to what kind of program it is,” O’Brien said. “Then one thing led to another, and he was asking some questions about Rick’s job and I got to the point where I just said to him, ‘Do you have any interest in this?’ He said he wasn’t sure, but he didn’t say no.”At the time, Parkhill was content with being out of coaching and was spending some of his free time during the basketball season as a television commentator.”It was pretty much just something to get me from fall golf to spring golf,” Parkhill said of commentating. “I enjoyed it, and it was nice because it provided a bridge to keep me in touch with some of the coaches that were friends and the game.”The call from O’Brien piqued his curiosity, though, and made him consider a return to the coaching profession.”I told Jim, ‘You’re one of the few guys I’d even think about doing this with,'” Parkhill said. “I mentioned it to my wife, and she said that it may be something I’d really enjoy. So she actually got me seriously thinking about it.”O’Brien hadn’t considered Parkhill as a possible candidate for the job before the two started talking.”I was a little bit surprised at first,” O’Brien said. “A lot of people that know him told me they would be surprised if he’d take it, but I thought we did very well by being able to get him. One of the key things was that I got somebody I knew.”After consulting with his wife, Arlene, and daughter, Kate, Parkhill accepted the offer when O’Brien approached him again later in the summer.”I was a head coach for 18 years at the Division-I level, and I had had enough,” Parkhill said. “I really don’t have a desire to be a head coach anymore. But I always enjoyed teaching the game, so the opportunity to do some teaching with an old friend in a good situation was real attractive. The main reason I decided to try this was to work with ‘OB’ and I’ve really enjoyed it.”The only negative aspect to Parkhill moving to Columbus from his home in State College, Pa., stemmed from his wife being unable to come along with him when he started the job on Sept. 1.”My wife has a business, and she’s under a lease, so she’s trying to sell the business,” Parkhill said. “But the lease runs for a year, so we’re doing the commuter thing right now. That’s been the only down side.”Despite not having his wife here, Parkhill has adjusted well to the situation at OSU and is fitting in well with his colleagues and the players.”He’s a good ‘people guy,'” O’Brien said. “He’s got a lot of integrity, and he’s a very bright guy who is a great coach. He’s a little rusty since he’s been out of coaching for five years or so, but I think he’s starting to feel more comfortable, and I think the guys on the team like him a lot.”The players agree with O’Brien, as they already have developed a solid rapport with Parkhill.”Coach Parkhill came in and fit in like he was here for 10 years,” said junior forward Will Dudley. “We’re familiar with him, and he’s one of us now. He’s a real good guy off the court and really cares about you.”Now in his third month with the program, Parkhill said things are progressing well as the first game of the regular season approaches.”It has been terrific here,” Parkhill said. “Obviously I thought it was going to be good and it’s been better than I anticipated. The people here have been wonderful. I’ve really enjoyed the staff, and the guys on the team are fantastic. They are really a great bunch of guys. So far, so good as far as I’m concerned.”