Ohio State women’s basketball head coach Kevin McGuff today announced the hiring of Patrick Klein and Joy Cheek as assistant coaches on his staff. Klein remains on the coaching staff and will begin his third year as an assistant at Ohio State in 2013-14. Cheek comes to Ohio State after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Duke University.
Klein helped the Buckeyes to 43 wins during the past two seasons as an assistant under Jim Foster, working primarily with the post players and recruiting. In 2011-12 in his first year as an assistant in Columbus, Klein helped the Buckeyes to their school-record 10th consecutive NCAA tournament and a 25-7 overall record.
"I’m really excited to keep Patrick in our program," McGuff said. "He’s an incredibly hard worker and is very passionate about Ohio State – specifically this program. As an Ohio State graduate, his knowledge of the school and this team along with his connections in the state of Ohio and the Big Ten will allow us to move forward in a really positive way."
"I am honored to be able to continue my coaching career at my alma mater and the greatest university in the country," Klein said. "I have always had a tremendous amount of respect for Kevin McGuffand I am excited to work under his leadership."
A 2010 graduate of Duke University, Cheek comes to Columbus after spending the past two seasons at Duke under head coach Joanne P. McCallie. In addition to assistant coach, Cheek also will serve as recruiting coordinator for the Buckeyes.
"Joy Cheek is one of the brightest and most talented young coaches in all of college basketball," McGuff said. "With her pedigree as an outstanding player and coach at Duke she has the necessary experience to immediately impact our program. In her role as recruiting coordinator she will put us in position to attract the type of student-athletes that will allow us to compete at the highest level of women’s basketball. Joy also is an outstanding young woman who will be a terrific mentor to the young people in our program."
"I am really excited for the opportunity to join Coach McGuff’s staff at Ohio State," Cheek said. "It was very hard to leave my alma mater, but this is a wonderful opportunity and I know I am coming to a great school and a great program. Coach McGuff has had success everywhere he has been, is highly respected in the coaching profession and is someone I can learn from. I have always heard nothing but great things about Kevin and I am excited to get started and help take the Ohio State program to the highest level."
Prior to Ohio State, Klein served as an assistant coach at Illinois from 2007-09. At UI Klein helped the Fighting Illini to 49 wins and two postseason appearances. During his first season in Champaign, Klein helped the Illini to a 20-win season, a postseason appearance in 2007-08 and helped Jenna Smith earn All-America honors as a sophomore. In November of 2008 Klein helped Jolette Law and her staff sign the No. 3 recruiting class in the country – the highest-ranked class in school history.
In addition to his contributions at Ohio State, Klein also gained experience working with USA Basketball in the summer of 2006. He served on the support staff for the U18 FIBA Trials, monitoring and supervising 30 athletes during the trials week and assisting with on-court practice. Then, in August of 2006, he was on Anne Donovan’s support staff for the USA Senior Women World Championship Trials, serving as a practice player and assisting the staff with on-court and post-practice workouts.
Klein’s success isn’t solely devoted to basketball. He founded PB& J Consultants, a leadership consulting firm in Columbus, Ohio, in June of 2003 and remains the company’s CEO. Klein also is the founder and director of the iBELIEVE Foundation, which provides leadership, communication and problem solving skills to Appalachian youth and raises money to help send kids to summer camp. During the inaugural year in 2010, the program sent 35 kids to summer camp. Last year the program grew by leaps and bounds, sending more than 100 students in both Ohio and West Virginia to camp. In 2013, the program raised more than $100,000 and will send more than 200 students to summer camps.
A native of Belpre, Ohio, Klein attended Ohio State, earned a bachelor’s degree in business management in 2005 and a master’s degree from the Fisher College of Business in March 2011. While a student, he served as Director of Tournaments and Leagues for Ohio Sports Plus, Inc., managing AAU and seasonal leagues for more than 500 high school athletes. He also worked one year as a student manager for the Buckeyes in 2004-05 before becoming a graduate assistant for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.
At Duke, Cheek served as one of two recruiting coordinators in addition to working with the perimeter players. Upon graduating from Duke in 2010 with a degree in public policy, Cheek played professionally in the WNBA and overseas before being hired as an assistant coach by McCallie in 2011.
The 35th overall selection in the 2010 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever, Cheek played in seven contests for the Fever before traveling overseas to play in Leszno, Poland. After signing a brief contract with the Washington Mystics to open the 2011 WNBA season, Cheek was prepared to play in Spain before accepting the job at Duke.
One of 26 former Duke standouts to register more than 1,000 career points, Cheek played in 137 contests in her four years in Durham. A four-year letterwinner from 2007-10, she owns career averages of 8.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals. As a senior, Cheek averaged 9.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.3 assists as she started all 36 contests for the Blue Devils. She was named to the Memphis Regional All-Tournament team, All-ACC Tournament First Team, All-ACC Third Team and was a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior Class Award.
A native of Charlotte, N.C., Cheek was an ACC Honor Roll selection in 2008-09. In the summer of 2009, she performed an internship in the Office of the Vice President and Economic Policy at the White House. Following graduation from Duke, Cheek had the honor of introducing Vice President Joe Biden prior to making an announcement about Title IX on April 20, 2010.
The hiring of Klein and Cheek leaves one more assistant coaching position open on McGuff’s staff.
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