On Jan. 15, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer announced a shake-up on his team’s coaching staff. Tim Hinton would no longer coach the Buckeyes’ tight ends, instead transitioning to an administrative role and Ed Warinner would move from coaching the offensive line to leading the tight ends. Greg Studrawa was then hired to replace Warinner as Ohio State’s offensive line coach.
It wasn’t quite a complete offensive overhaul, but it certainly changed some things for the Buckeyes.
The idea behind the move was to allow Warinner, who is also Ohio State’s offensive coordinator, to remain in the press box — where he spent the Buckeyes’ final two games of 2015 — to call plays. Because of that, Ohio State needed someone to fill-in down on the field and lead the offensive line.
Meyer landed on Studrawa, who worked with Meyer at Bowling Green before moving on to LSU and Maryland. Studrawa won a national championship with the Tigers during the 2007 season.
“I’ve known Greg for a long time, starting with my time at Bowling Green when he was my offensive line coach,” Meyer said when Studrawa was hired. “I know how good of a coach he is. There aren’t many people I’d entrust our offensive line to after the job coach Warinner has done, but Greg is one of them and I’m pleased to have him join our staff.”
Studrawa began his Ohio State tenure back in spring practice, and he was tasked with replacing three starters within his position group. Taylor Decker, Jacoby Boren and Chase Farris all moved on following the 2015 season as just Pat Elflein and Billy Price returned.
The transition was relatively smooth.
“It's a little different, but coach Warinner is still around and my guys are still in the room,” Elflein said during spring practice. “I like the transition. He's a good guy.”
Added Studrawa: “It’s been great. … I think the one thing is, in football, offensive line coaching is a fraternity so it’s not like we haven’t known each other. It’s not like we haven’t shared the same clinics and shared the same ideas and sat down because we have. We’re very, very similar in what we teach.”
After getting to work with Studrawa on the field, Ohio State’s offensive linemen said there was a slight difference in coaching styles between their old coach and their new one, but the general principles are the same.
“Coach Warinner was really intense and demanded perfection and not that Coach Stud doesn’t, but he just kind of approaches it a little differently,” Elflein said. “I love both coaches. Coach Warinner is my guy, he’s an awesome coach and he pretty much developed me to where I’m at today and coach Stud has kind of taken it to a different level, given me different stuff, different techniques. They’re both great coaches.”
Added Price: “Coach Warinner has got relief a little bit, just to be able to take care of the other positions on the offense. And to have somebody with a good enough record like coach Stud, he feels comfortable and safe with that.”
Studrawa’s first year with Ohio State will be far from easy as he looks to re-tool a unit with three new starters. Jamarco Jones is already pegged to join Elflein and Price while sophomore Isaiah Prince and freshman Michael Jordan are the favorites to land the other two positions.
But despite the turnover, Studrawa is enjoying his first fall camp with the Buckeyes.
“I think it’s the most intense thing I’ve ever been a part of, start to finish,” Studrawa said. “The energy that the kids have and the rest of the coaches have, it’s contagious. Everybody gets it. I tell you, it makes practices really fun to be a part of.”
