Two former Buckeyes, Katie Smith (left) and Jacy Sheldon (right), will join the Women’s basketball coaching staff. Smith joins as an assistant coach and Sheldon joins as the director of player development. Credit: Ohio State Athletics (left), Gabe Haferman | Lantern File Photo (right)
Once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye.
Ohio State Athletics announced in a Monday press release that Katie Smith, class of 1996, and Jacy Sheldon, class of 2024, are joining the women’s basketball staff for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
Both Smith and Sheldon are natives of Ohio, born and raised in the Buckeye State. These deep regional ties make the duo familiar with Ohio’s culture and values, also creating a strong desire to positively represent Ohio State on and off the court.
Head coach Kevin McGuff said he’s thrilled to add two program legends to his staff, noting he feels the pair will make a tangible impact on his players.
“At the forefront of what I want this program to be about is our ability to impact young women both on and off the court,” McGuff said. “I think both [Smith] and [Sheldon] are going to be extremely impactful with our current players.”
Smith served as an assistant coach for the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx from 2020-24. However, Smith said she had reached a point in her life where it felt right to “come home.”
“It was the right time to be back,” Smith said. “It was more than just a personal decision at that time in my life.”
As the WNBA offseason ramps up, many teams have vacant head coaching positions. Having been a coach in the league since 2014, Smith said she had a perfect opportunity to take on one of those empty roles.
But, she said it never would have worked.
“The biggest thing was leaving Minnesota and leaving the [WBNA, the place] I’ve literally [been] in my whole adult life — I’ve played in the WNBA or been associated with it,” Smith said. “It wasn’t the time to do it for me.”
Still, Smith said her love for coaching continues to motivate her year after year.
“You get to be around players, and coach basketball and watch basketball; it’s phenomenal,” Smith said. “I’m all game for it — it’s just a lot of fun.”
Smith said she will join Ohio State’s coaching staff as an assistant coach, working directly alongside McGuff. With extensive experience as both a head and assistant coach, Smith brings a new viewpoint on the game.
As for Sheldon — who was named the team’s director of player development — she said she originally planned to spend her offseason in Australia.
Even so, she said unexpected circumstances brought her back to Columbus to experience the game from a new angle.
“My original plan was to go play in Australia for Townsville Fire, which I was super excited about,” Sheldon said. “In the last two months of the WNBA season, I was worsening an injury. I got home, and before I was about to leave for Townsville, I found out about it. So, I had to miss out on that opportunity and had to prioritize my health and recovery.”
Sheldon said this setback ended up transforming into something positive, as it led her back to Ohio State.
She expressed how the opportunity to return was one she couldn’t pass up, and said she saw it as the perfect fit, both for her future athletic and professional career.
“Obviously, I love Ohio State, and it’s always going to be home,” Sheldon said. “Once I saw the opportunity there, I had to take it.”
Sheldon said her primary focus as the director of player development will be promoting team members’ evolution as athletes on the court and as individuals off the court, helping them grow not only as basketball players, but as well-rounded members of society.
“Being able to affect these women in a different way is awesome for me, and I’m excited,” Sheldon said.
