Butler coach Thad Matta has added a pair of familiar faces to his staff in Greg Oden and Jon Diebler. Both starred for Matta during his time leading the Ohio State program.
Oden will serve as Butler’s director of basketball operations and Diebler will hold the director of recruiting title.
Teams featuring Oden and Diebler posted a record of 144-39 (.787 winning percentage) under Matta at Ohio State.
“Greg and Jon are widely known for the success they had on the court, but what they will bring to our staff and Butler far exceeds that collegiate and professional playing experience,” said Matta. “Both possess great energy and strong basketball knowledge. They will relate well to our players and will help them grow on and off the court. I was excited years ago when they committed to be part of my program as players and I’m just as excited they are joining my staff as we build our program here at Butler.”
Oden was the Naismith Prep Player of the Year coming out of Lawrence North High School and was dominant in his one season with Matta and the Buckeyes in 2006-07, leading OSU to the national championship game. He averaged 15.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game while earning All-Big Ten first team honors. He was named the NABC Defensive Player of the Year, the Pete Newell Big Man Award winner and a consensus second team All-American.
Following that season, he was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Portland Trailblazers. Oden spent five seasons in Portland and one season in Miami before injuries limited his professional career.
Oden served as a graduate assistant on the Ohio State staff during the 2021-22 season. He initially returned to Ohio State prior to the 2016-17 season and worked as a student coach for one season and as a student manager for two seasons while completing his sport industry degree. He received his undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University in the spring of 2019.
Diebler is one of the most prolific scorers and shooters in Ohio State history. His 374 career three-pointers are the most in program history (only Jordan Bohannon of Iowa has made more in Big Ten history), while his 1,536 points are No. 15 in the Buckeyes’ record book. Diebler shot 41.6 percent from three-point range for his career, including a 50.2-percent mark as a senior, the best in Ohio State history.
Diebler played for Matta from 2007-2011 before being drafted by the Portland Trailblazers in the second round of the 2011 NBA Draft. He then embarked on a professional playing career over the next decade with stops in Greece, Turkey, and Israel.
After retiring as a player, Diebler started his coaching career with the Charlotte Hornets, serving in a video/basketball operations position during the 2021-22 season.
Additional members of Matta’s staff will be announced in the coming weeks.
