OHIO STATE Matta hiring pleases CBS analyst Kellogg

The former Buckeye player is not happy with possible sanctions.
TOLEDO BLADE
Clark Kellogg is a proud Buckeye who isn't proud of recent events concerning Ohio State's basketball program.
The former OSU standout, now a college basketball commentator for CBS, doesn't like the fact the Buckeyes have not recently been a contender for the Big Ten championship or a serious player in the NCAA tournament picture.
Furthermore, he's not pleased the program could be facing NCAA sanctions for possible rules violations.
Yet, Kellogg believes the recent hiring of former Xavier University coach Thad Matta is a sign of brighter days ahead for the Buckeyes.
Matta, who fills the void left after the firing of Jim O'Brien, was selected by a coach search committee that included Kellogg and headed by OSU athletic director Andy Geiger.
"I thought the pool of candidates was strong in terms of the experience those guys had at running a college program -- their energy, their passion, their philosophy," Kellogg said. "But Thad just kind of jumped out -- because of his recent success I think that was something clearly hard to ignore."
Xavier record
Matta made the most of his three-year stint at Xavier. He guided the Musketeers to a 78-23 overall record during his time in Cincinnati, including an Elite Eight showing in the NCAA tournament last season. His Division I career coaching record of 102-31 includes a 24-8 mark he produced in one season at Butler.
Kellogg believes Matta is the best man to turn the Buckeyes' situation around.
"I think the fact that he's done a pretty good job early on at Xavier recruiting in Ohio it seems like he's got a pretty good inroads into the Ohio pipeline, which I think is really important," Kellogg said.
"The charisma, the energy, the success, the philosophy, I think all of those things just stacked up really nicely in his favor."
Intense process
The entire process of finding the right person for the coaching vacancy served as an eye-opener for Kellogg, who was one of about 10 people to form the search committee. He found the process to be more intense and detailed than expected.
It required reviewing the backgrounds and coaching history of all the candidates, as well as conducting interviews and discussing how each coach handled the interview process.
Matta, along with Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings and Rice's Willis Wilson on the search committee's short list, received a thorough review.
"It was interesting just to see the thought processes and the work that goes into determining candidates and then establishing some key criteria that you'd like to see in a head coach at your alma mater," Kellogg said.
"I think it will help me be a better supporter of the program and even help me be a better commentator after understanding what goes on when you're looking for a head coach."