Assistant to the head coach and director of scouting Nick Kellogg speaks with media at the Schottenstein Center July 5. Credit: Jacob Benge | Sports Editor
Growing up, Nick Kellogg watched a lot of Buckeye men’s basketball game film and tape with one particular player who stood out.
His father, Clark Kellogg, spent three seasons at Ohio State and earned Big Ten Most Valuable Player honors in 1982 on his way to a career in the NBA. When the Buckeyes announced July 6 that Nick Kellogg will become the team’s director of scouting, he said it was a good experience to share with his father.
“He was thrilled,” Nick Kellogg said. “He didn’t try to sway me one way or another, but I can tell he’s just excited at the opportunity for me to be back home, for one, and then, obviously, to represent the school that he went to and have so much love and admiration for, so it was definitely a good combo.”
Nick Kellogg will also serve as an assistant to head coach Chris Holtmann. The relationship between Ohio State’s newest coach and Holtmann dates back to their days at Ohio University.
Holtmann was part of the coaching staff that recruited Nick Kellogg to the Bobcats, where he played guard from 2011-14. Holtmann took the head coaching position at Gardner-Webb in 2010, but Ohio appeared in the NCAA Tournament all four seasons, including to the Sweet 16 in 2012.
After completing his career at Ohio, Nick Kellogg pursued a professional basketball career overseas. His playing career finished around the start of the pandemic when he started reaching out to contacts, including current Marquette head coach Shaka Smart.
Smart connected Nick Kellogg to the Milwaukee Bucks organization, where he served as the team’s video coordinator over the last two seasons, including during their NBA Finals-winning season in 2020-21.
“The Milwaukee Bucks organization as a whole is extremely detail-oriented and extremely prepared in everything they do whether it’s video, practice, games, all the way down to the medical staff and training,” Nick Kellogg said. “That’s the one thing I want to stress to the guys just about coming in, getting their work done, preparing not only on the court but in the classroom as well. Just making sure the, details, all your T’s are crossed and your I’s are dotted.”
Nick Kellogg said Holtmann first reached out and gauged his interest in joining Ohio State. He said the two reminisced on their days at Ohio and the position with the Buckeyes, saying things “lined up perfectly” with his career aspirations and what both Holtmann and Ohio State sought for the future of the team.
“He was a guy that I saw myself building a relationship with even though I didn’t get the chance to play for him ultimately,” Nick Kellogg said. “We continued that relationship throughout over the years and my playing days and professional days and, obviously, up until he reached out about this position.”
In his role as video coordinator, Nick Kellogg said there’s more to the position than it sounds. He said it’s an “all-encompassing” role with off- and on-court demands, so he maintained his physical condition while also helping the coaches and players prepare.
Now moving into his new position at Ohio State, Nick Kellogg said the biggest responsibility he’ll have with the Buckeyes is relationship building.
“With that previous experience, playing experience and being in their shoes and having seen guys at the highest level — which I’m pretty sure a lot of them aspire to be — that’s something that I can really tap into and help them understand and guide them along, ” Nick Kellogg said.
His experience collegiately, internationally and professionally helps boost his resume and has given him a range of experiences to draw from. Nick Kellogg said he hopes to go down a long-term path toward coaching, starting with his father’s alma mater.
“Seeing that side of being with the Bucks and being at the NBA level and seeing that side of it, it’s definitely something that appeals to me,” Nick Kellogg said. “I love being on the court, helping guys just get better and ultimately helping teams trying to win.”
