Ohio State has added to its offensive brainpower ahead of the 2023 season with the addition of longtime NFL coach Joe Philbin as an offensive analyst. Philbin’s hire was first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel last week, and he has since been added to the university’s staff directory.
Philbin’s time in the NFL dates back to 2003 when he served as the assistant offensive line coach with the Green Bay Packers before eventually working his way up to the offensive coordinator position in 2007. He spent four years as the coordinator, including the 2010 Super Bowl championship season, before being hired by the Miami Dolphins as its head coach from 2012-15.
He later returned to the Packers as the offensive coordinator in 2018 before being named the interim head coach following Mike McCarthy’s firing during the season. Most recently, Philbin served as the offensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys from 2020-22.
With the Buckeyes, Philbin will serve under offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, who played for Philbin in Miami as part of his six years with the Dolphins.
“The addition of Joe has been phenomenal,” Hartline said this week. “He’s a former head coach, former offensive coordinator, and knows offensive line play. He has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to football. I mean, there’s a litany of things he brings to the building — how approachable he is, how coachable with two coaches he’s willing to be. There are so many positives to having Joe added to this staff, and I can’t wait to see him grow. He’s been a great addition.”
Hartline said of the process that led to Philbin joining the staff, “I kind of gave him the idea, and he was definitely receptive to it. We weren’t sure if it was going to work out, but between himself and Ohio State and everything, it worked out and I’m glad it did.”
Prior to beginning his NFL coaching career, Philbin was the offensive line coach under Kirk Ferentz at Iowa from 1999-2002. With his coaching prowess lying heavily along the offensive line, Philbin is expected to assist offensive line coach Justin Frye in reshaping a line that must replace three starters this season.
On Tuesday, Frye echoed Hartline’s comments about what he expects Philbin’s addition to mean for the program.
“It’s just another set of eyes that have seen it, done it, and coached it,” Frye said. “What he’s done is going to be nothing but big for the staff and for all our guys. He’s an A-1-A professional coming in, and he wants to learn our stuff and what we’re doing. And I want to learn what he’s done. It’s going to be really good for us, and so far, he’s been awesome.”
Philbin’s hire marks the latest addition in a continued push by Ohio State to utilize off-field analyst positions to add to the coaching staff. Asked about the shifted approach in recent years, Hartline said adding high levels of expertise to the staff is always going to be a benefit. “As much as we’re allowed to, we’re going to try to (do it),” he added.
Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on Twitter @DillonDavis56.
