Brian Hartline is staying at Ohio State, and he's being rewarded with a new title.
Ohio State announced Sunday that it has promoted Hartline to passing game coordinator. He will continue to be the Buckeyes’ wide receivers coach.
The promotion comes after a spectacular season for Hartline’s unit in which Jaxon Smith-Njigba broke Ohio State’s single-season records for receptions (95) and receiving yards (1,606) while Garrett Wilson (70 receptions for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns) and Chris Olave (65 receptions for 936 yards and 13 touchdowns) also had elite seasons, forming the best trio of receivers in school history. Hartline was named last week as the 2021 Wide Receivers Coach of the Year by Football Scoop.
“Brian is a dedicated Ohio State Buckeye,” Ryan Day said in a statement. “He is the top wide receivers coach in college football and he has continued to develop as an offensive coach to the point where we want him to have more of an impact on our offensive game plan. His taking over as passing game coordinator will allow for this.”
New Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, who played with Hartline at Ohio State, reportedly targeted Hartline as an addition to his staff in South Bend. But Hartline, who has been Ohio State’s wide receivers coach since 2018, will remain on staff at his alma mater, which he said was where he wants to be during a press conference in November.
“The conversations I have with my wife, we can’t imagine leaving the guys in the room,” Hartline said on Nov. 3. “Even to this day, like it gives me chills, trying to walk in and tell them I’m not gonna be in the room anymore. That would be really hard to do, and I don’t think I can do that. Never say never, but it almost chokes me up now. I couldn’t even imagine going in there and looking at Marvin (Harrison Jr.) and (Emeka Egbuka) and Jayden (Ballard) and telling them I’m not gonna be here anymore. Low chance.”
Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline was asked today how hard it would be to leave OSU for another job as his name continues to become popular in the industry.
— Garrick Hodge (@Garrick_Hodge) November 2, 2021
Hartline said he "couldn't imagine" leaving the Buckeyes and Ohio State is "the pinnacle of the ladder." pic.twitter.com/AzeiQwe6SG
Following Greg Studrawa’s departure from the staff, Hartline is now the fifth-longest-tenured member of Ohio State’s coaching staff behind associate head coach/defensive line coach Larry Johnson, assistant head coach for offense/running backs coach Tony Alford, Day and offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Kevin Wilson.
