COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State coach Jim O'Brien hopes a damaged vocal cord will heal so he can work without a microphone.
"There's a chance that can happen," he said. "But if it doesn't, there's more surgical options to repair that."
One of O'Brien's cords was damaged during surgery Oct.1 to correct chronic neck pain that had spread to his right arm. He said doctors advised him the procedure could hamper his ability to speak.
"It has to get better if I'm going to continue my coaching career, quite honestly," he said.
O'Brien is using a microphone in practice. The team will look for other ways to help him communicate with players, Ohio State spokesman Dan Wallenberg said.
"They say if it doesn't come back after eight months, it's not coming back," said O'Brien, who had a raspy voice before surgery. "It could come back next week. It could come back in six months. I think we have to be a little bit patient, but I'm of the mind-set I want to coach."
If O'Brien can't coach this season, associate head coach Rick Boyages figures to stand in. He rejoined O'Brien's staff in April after leaving the head-coaching job at William & Mary. Boyages was Buckeyes associate head coach from 1998 to 2000 and was O'Brien's assistant for six seasons at Boston College.
Preseason game
FSU 83, GLOBAL SPORTS 68: Anthony Richardson scored 19 and Nate Johnson added 17 for the host Seminoles. Richardson was 6-for-8 from the floor, and Johnson made all five of 3-point attempts. Freshman Von Wafer came off the bench to score 14 for Florida State, which led 51-30 at halftime.
The Seminoles sputtered in the second half, shooting 34.6 percent after connecting on 58.8 percent in the first. They held Global Sports to 35.8 percent.
