Written by David Regimbal

---

After spending the last five years as an  assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chris Jent is returning to his alma mater, Ohio State, to join Thad Matta’s staff as an assistant coach for the basketball team.

"This was the hardest decision I've ever had to make," Jent said during a press conference yesterday. "I loved every day I went to work, and for me to leave that, it could only have been this type of situation, where I'm basically going back to a home."

Jent joins a staff that recently felt the sting of departure when Brandon Miller, an assistant coach to the Buckeyes basketball team for six of the last seven years, stepped down from his position.

Jent was previously an assistant coach for the Orlando Magic during the 2004-2005 season before being promoted to an interim head coach position for 18 games. Shortly after that, he joined the Cavaliers and Mike Brown’s coaching staff before making his move back to Ohio State.

Jent is known for his tough, hard-nosed playing style, and is expected to be an effective recruiter for the Buckeyes.

For Jent, the decision seemed inevitable, “I bleed Scarlet and Gray, and that was it right there.”