The Morning Dish – Sunday, November 9th
Finding His Voice: Ohio State head coach Jim O’Brien is facing a challenge this season on the Buckeye sidelines. It’s not with one of his players, it’s a damaged vocal chord, which is forcing O’Brien to work practices with a microphone. O’Brien, who underwent neck surgery five weeks ago to repair neck and shoulder pain, was left with one of the two vocal chords damaged. O’Brien was aware of the risk prior to the procedure, and was instructed that it may take up to eight months for the chord to heal – well after this upcoming basketball season. O’Brien, whose coaching career may be threatened if the chord cannot be repaired, has been working on communication methods with his players that they can employ during the regular season. Another option may be to have assistant coach Rick Boyages, who joined the squad after three years at the helm of William & Mary, relay calls, or even take over as interim head coach. O’Brien will also investigate surgical options if he is still having difficulty after the eight-month recovery period.
Horned Frog Back: Texas Christian received some good news yesterday in that freshman center Oluwafemi Ibikunle has been given clearance by the NCAA to join the squad following an investigation into two secondary NCAA violations. Ibikunle, who was the recipient of two illegal benefits from former assistant coach Jai Steadman, who resigned amid the controversy in August. Steadman allegedly drove Ibikunle from the TCU campus in Fort Worth to Mexico to obtain an F1 student visa, and the transportation was also considered a non-approved trip by the NCAA. The cost of the transportation was repaid by Ibikunle, and the $386 was given to a local charity. Ibikunle was originally suspended for 20% of TCU’s games, pending the results of the investigation.
