Corey Dennis’ tenure as Ohio State’s quarterbacks coach is over, but he’s expected to remain with the program in a still-to-be-determined capacity.
While Bill O’Brien will replace Dennis as quarterbacks coach after joining Ohio State as offensive coordinator, Ohio State said Friday that “it is anticipated” that Dennis “will transition into a still-to-be-determined role with the program.”
It’s likely Dennis’ new role will not be as a full-time assistant coach, as Ohio State is expected to hire a defensive assistant coach to fill the remaining vacancy on its coaching staff opened up by the firing of special teams coordinator Parker Fleming.
Dennis, the son-in-law of former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, became Ohio State’s quarterbacks coach in 2020 following the departure of Mike Yurcich after his lone season with the Buckeyes. Dennis had never previously been a full-time position coach at the collegiate level. He started his coaching career as an Ohio State intern in 2015 and worked his way up to become a graduate assistant in 2016-17 and a senior quality control coach in 2018-19 before his promotion to the full-time staff.
Ohio State’s quarterback play was among the best in the country in Dennis’ first three years as quarterbacks coach as Justin Fields led the Buckeyes to the national championship game in 2020 and C.J. Stroud was a Heisman Trophy finalist in both 2021 and 2022. The Buckeyes’ quarterback play took a step back in 2023, however, in Kyle McCord’s lone season as Ohio State’s starting quarterback before he transferred to Syracuse.
While Dennis was the quarterbacks’ position coach for the past four years, Ryan Day still served as the Buckeyes’ primary quarterback developer. Now, O’Brien is expected to lead Ohio State’s quarterback coaching efforts while also calling the offensive plays, allowing Day to take on a CEO role as head coach – though it’s still a safe bet that Day will spend considerable time working with the quarterbacks given his background as a quarterbacks coach.
