John Groce

John Groce, born on September 7, 1971, in Muncie, Indiana, embarked on his coaching career as an assistant at his alma mater, Taylor University, from 1993 to 1996. He then served as an assistant at significant programs such as North Carolina State (1996-2000), Butler (2000-2001), Xavier (2001-2004), and Ohio State (2005-2008). During his time as associate head coach at Ohio State, the Buckeyes achieved a 105-35 record and advanced to the NCAA Championship game in 2007, and Groce was recognized as Rivals’ 2006 National Recruiter of the Year. His foundational experiences in building strong programs and developing talent paved the way for his head coaching roles.

Groce’s head coaching journey began at Ohio University in 2008, where he compiled an 85-56 overall record over four seasons. He led the Bobcats to two Mid-American Conference Tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2010 and 2012, notably guiding them to the Sweet Sixteen in 2012. Following this success, he became the head coach at the University of Illinois in 2012, where his teams achieved 95 wins and made postseason appearances in four out of five years. He consistently demonstrated a commitment to recruiting success and academic achievement alongside on-court performance throughout his tenure.

In 2017, Groce took over as head coach for the Akron Zips, where he has since accumulated a 140-81 overall record, including a dominant 85-39 mark over the last four seasons. Under his leadership, the Zips have secured multiple Mid-American Conference Tournament Championships (2022, 2024, 2025) and regular season titles (2020, 2025), leading to three NCAA Tournament appearances. His tenure at Akron has seen significant individual player accolades, including Enrique Freeman becoming the first Zip selected in the modern two-round NBA Draft era under Groce’s guidance, and Groce himself receiving the MAC Coach of the Year award twice (2020, 2025) and the Hugh Durham Award in 2025. His emphasis on making an impact and fostering a “OneAkron” vision highlights his dedication to both athletic excellence and community integration.