Former Seton Hall assistant Tony Skinn to join Buckeye staff
Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann has reportedly filled the assistant coaching vacancy on his staff.
The Asbury Park Press's Jerry Carino reported May 20 that Tony Skinn, a former assistant coach at Seton Hall under head coach Kevin Willard for the past three seasons, has joined the Buckeye program.
Skinn fills the void created by the departure of long-time Holtmann assistant Terry Johnson, who left Columbus to join Matt Painter's staff at Purdue in April.
Holtmann said in April that in Johnson's absence, assistant coach Jake Diebler would become the team's new "defensive coordinator", and that he would take his time with the new hire. Holtmann said the vacant position on his staff was in "incredibly high demand."
RELATED: Holtmann talks replacing Johnson, Diebler to be new ‘defensive coordinator’
Prior to his time at Seton Hall, Skinn, 38, was an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech from 2015 to '18, and had previously spent time as a high school athletic director in Washington D.C.
Skinn played college basketball at George Mason from 2003 to '06 and was the second-leading scorer on the 2005-06 team that made a run to the Final Four.
Following his collegiate career, Skinn played professionally for several seasons, including three in France. Skinn, who was born in Nigeria, was a member of the 2012 Nigerian national basketball team that qualified for the Olympics.
With Skinn on staff at Seton Hall, the Pirates went 55-36 and made one NCAA Tournament appearance in the past three seasons.
According to Skinn's Seton Hall bio, the assistant coach worked closely with the team's backcourt.
UPDATE: Thursday, May 27:
Skinn's hire was made official Thursday, as the Buckeye program sent out a release to announce the latest coaching staff addition.
“We are really excited about the addition of Tony Skinn as an assistant coach,” Holtmann said in the release. “Tony comes highly recommended from every level – NBA, college, AAU and high school. Tony was an outstanding player on a Final Four team, and as a professional. He has developed a reputation in his coaching career as being a tremendous worker, he’s detailed oriented, builds excellent relationships with players and is an outstanding recruiter."
Holtmann said Skinn has strong ties in the DC Metro area, and welcomed his family to the program.
Skinn said in the release that the chance to join the Ohio State staff was "very unique", and he thanked Holtmann for extending the opportunity.
“As a fan of basketball, the Ohio State brand is second to none and I'm excited to get to work," Skinn said. "This is a very good team and program, and I hope with the experiences that I had as a player and now as a coach, that I can make a big impact. I’m not too far removed from the process of being a player. I know the culture and the mentality of the day-to-day grind, and I can put myself in their shoes and help them become a better basketball player.”