Smith joins former Ohio State guard Jacy Sheldon in roles on the coaching staff
After Ohio State women’s basketball prematurely ended its 2023-24 season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the carousel of player and coach moves began. For the Buckeyes, it meant assistant coach Wesley Brooks moved on to run his first NCAA program with Utah State. That left a gap on the Scarlet and Gray bench that head coach Kevin McGuff filled Monday, not going too far by adding former Buckeye legend Katie Smith to the program.
Smith played four years for Ohio State, amassing 2,578 points on her way to a stellar college career including an AP All-American honor, Freshman of the Year, Player of the Year and three times on the All-Big Ten team. Including a trip to the Buckeyes’ appearance in the 1993 National Championship, losing to Sheryl Swoopes and Texas Tech.
After college, Smith stayed close to home, playing for the Columbus Quest of the ABL, winning the league title in both of the league’s seasons before folding. When the ABL ended, Smith went into the WNBA, where the guard won two titles, was the 2008 Finals MVP and became a member of the National Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Logan, Ohio native is currently the assistant head coach of the Minnesota Lynx, but also had a brief head coaching role in the United States’ top professional league. Smith coached the New York Liberty in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Smith joins fellow WNBA names on coaching staffs across the country, including in the Big Ten. At Penn State, the Nittany Lions have Natisha Hiedeman, a player that Smith coaches on the Minnesota Lynx. Down in SEC country the Florida Gators have Atlanta Dream star Rhyne Howard in their coaching ranks.
McGuff tested the hire at media day, when prompted about replacing Brooks. The Buckeyes’ head coach was quiet about who, but did say that the school had to wait until the end of the WNBA season to finalize the hire.
Brooks coached the Buckeyes starting in May 2021, coming south from their Michigan Wolverine rivals. Before assisting Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico to three straight tournament appearances, Brooks spent time with the Utah Utes, West Virginia Mountaineers, and others.
For the Buckeyes, Brooks wasn’t only on the sideline or at practice but a key role in recruiting for the program.
With a college and WNBA legend joining Ohio State coaching, it gives the Buckeyes an advantage in both preparation and recruiting. Athletes join a Power Five school to better their chances at making it at the professional level. With a WNBA player to provide that experience day in and day out, it could be the tipping point for high school stars making the tough choice between multiple universities.
Ohio State also added recent graduate Jacy Sheldon to the staff as the Director of Player Development. Sheldon played the past five seasons for McGuff, leading the Buckeyes to a Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight in consecutive seasons. Sheldon ended her NCAA career with a spot on the AP All-American’s Second Team.
McGuff heralded Sheldon as a coach on the court, and is now a coach for the Buckeyes off it. Sheldon currently plays for the Dallas Wings of the WNBA and was set to join the Townsville Fire, in Australia, but didn’t join the side. Sheldon was at the opening game of the 2024-25 Buckeyes season against the Cleveland State Vikings, on crutches.