COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The hiring of Jake Diebler as Ohio State’s full-time head coach in men’s basketball provided a full circle moment for the 37-year-old, who puts family and faith at the heart of how he operates.

Diebler was formally introduced on the same floor where he won a state title with Upper Sandusky High School in 2005 alongside his brother, Jon, with their dad, Keith, as coach.

Keith was on hand at the Schottenstein Center on Monday to see his son take the podium as Ohio State’s 15th coach. Jake Diebler is also the first Ohio native to hold that title in 35 years. He attributes all of that success to his dad, a legend in the Ohio coaching world.

With more than 300 wins coaching boys basketball and girls volleyball, Keith’s coaching career spans nearly four decades. Jake said he takes a lot of pride from growing up in Toledo and learning from his dad.

“How I coach is a reflection of how he coached and he taught me at a very early age how important passion was, both in a correcting but in an encouraging way too,” Jake Diebler said. “[Keith] being around this last month has been critical for me and the way he supported me.”

It was at that point in the news conference when his parents started to fight back tears.

“It’s tears of pride and tears of joy,” Keith Diebler said.

Monday was the culmination of a month-long audition for the former assistant coach. Keith was there for every drama-filled minute from the upset over Purdue to defeating Michigan State on the road.

“Everybody says you were so serious when you were at games. I was locked in,” Keith said. “He was coaching, and I’m locked in, and I guess that’s the coach in me.”

And as Jake’s dad, he was always confident in his son’s ability to deliver.

“I’m kinda like, game’s over and we’re riding back and I take a deep breath and it becomes surreal because I never had any doubt about him,” Keith said. “I’ve seen him lead a team to a state tournament win and I’ve seen the things that he’s done over the years. It’s never been a doubt on this end, it’s just extreme joy for me.”

Taking the interim label off of Jake’s title is just the latest example of how basketball has impacted the Diebler family.

“Basketball has provided my family and I the opportunity to see some of the greatest people. And for me, for five decades, I’ve had the chance to teach, mentor and coach,” Keith said. “That has to be the greatest. Wherever you end up. These last 48 hours have been crazy because of the amount of players that have gotten hold of me that go back to the 70s.”

And asked whether he’s ready to be in the spotlight that comes with coaching at Ohio State, Keith had one answer.

“100 percent. He’s ready.”