COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline has been named the program's next offensive coordinator.
Head coach Ryan Day made the announcement on Friday. Hartline will replace Kevin Wilson, who left to become the new head coach at Tulsa.
“Brian has been successful in every football capacity for which he has been engaged,” Day said. “He has progressed incredibly well from college to NFL receiver, and then from quality control coach to wide receivers coach to passing game coordinator. He figures things out quickly and he is more than ready to now transition to offensive coordinator.
“Brian has also developed his receivers at an unprecedented level and he has recruited as well or better than anyone in the country. Now he’ll be recruiting for our entire offense and I think that is something that will be really positive for our program.”
Hartline, who played his college career with the Buckeyes, returned to the program in 2017 as a graduate assistant after playing for seven years in the NFL.
In 2018, then head coach Urban Meyer promoted Hartline to interim wide receivers coach following the departure of Zach Smith.
Day, who took over the program following the 2018 season, elevated Hartline to be the permanent position coach. This past season, Hartline was promoted to passing game coordinator.
“I am ready and I am really looking forward to this opportunity,” Hartline said. “Ohio State has established a premier threshold with regard to offensive output and that is something that we’ll strive to meet every day. I want to thank coach Day for his belief in me and for the positions he has put me in these last several years that have allowed me to succeed and grow.”
In his six previous seasons, Hartline has recruited and coached some of the best wide receivers in the nation including Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka.
The announcement is one of several moves by Day on the offensive side with Wilson’s departure. The following will be the assistant coaching staff for the offense in 2023:
- Keenan Bailey, on staff for the past seven years and most recently in the position of special assistant to the head coach, officially becoming the team’s new tight ends coach
- Offensive line coach Justin Frye also working as run game coordinator
- Tony Alford entering his ninth season with the program as running backs coach and also assistant head coach for the offense
- Corey Dennis beginning his fourth season as the team’s quarterbacks coach