Hartline promoted to coordinator

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For the second consecutive season, Brian Hartline has been tabbed for an increased role in the Ohio State offense after he was officially named as the program’s next offensive coordinator on Friday.

Hartline replaces outgoing offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson, who spent the past six seasons in the role before accepting the head coach position at Tulsa prior to the Peach Bowl.

In a release announcing the promotion, Day said of Hartline, “Brian has been successful in every football capacity for which he has been engaged. 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.”

The promotion represents another big step in Hartline’s swift progression through the college football coaching ranks since joining the Ohio State coaching staff as a quality control coach in 2017. He was named the interim wide receivers coach just a year later before taking over the position full-time in 2019.

Hartline will continue to coach the wide receivers while now playing an increasingly significant role in leading the offense as a whole, although no word has been given as to how he will fit into Day’s future plans regarding the playcalling.

Promoting Hartline to coordinator hardly comes as a surprise following Wilson’s departure. While Hartline has remained adamant both he and his family are more than content with life in Columbus and at Ohio State, his rising status as one of college football’s best recruiters and position coaches has made Hartline a popular name for various coaching vacancies.

Hartline interviewed for the head coach position at Cincinnati in December before ultimately deciding to remain at Ohio State, but as an ascending star in the business, a move to a bigger role has always been realistic, perhaps even inevitable for Hartline.

With the promotion, Day may have taken an important step in locking down an invaluable piece of his coaching staff, at least in the short term. Hartline’s promotion will also give added scope to his recruiting prowess, which can only serve to benefit the entire Ohio State offense.

“I am ready and I am really looking forward to this opportunity,” Hartline said of the promotion. “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.”

Along with the announcement of Hartline’s promotion, Ohio State also announced the finalization of the entire offensive staff. Keenan Bailey, one of the many unsung heroes of the Ohio State staff, has been promoted to tight ends coach, filling the other void created by Wilson’s departure.

Like Hartline, Bailey has ascended quickly within the Ohio State program after serving for three years as a quality control coach working with the quarterbacks and receivers. Most recently, Bailey served as Day’s senior advisor.

Justin Frye will return for his second season as the offensive line coach, while now also serving as the run game coordinator. Running backs coach Tony Alford, now in his ninth season at Ohio State, will continue to serve as the assistant head coach for the offense.

Corey Dennis will enter his fourth season leading the Ohio State quarterbacks after being promoted to the position by Day ahead of the 2020 season.

Brian Hartline prepares to throw a pass to Ohio State receivers during warmups prior to the game against Toledo on Sept. 17, 2022, in Ohio Stadium.
https://www.delgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2023/01/web1_DSC_0938.jpgBrian Hartline prepares to throw a pass to Ohio State receivers during warmups prior to the game against Toledo on Sept. 17, 2022, in Ohio Stadium. Joshua Keeran | The Gazette

By Dillon Davis

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Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on Twitter @DillonDavis56.

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