James Laurinaitis and Matt Guerrieri are familiar with the Ohio State football program. This offseason, however, both have embraced new roles in the program – the former as the Buckeyes' new linebackers coach, and the latter as the Buckeyes' new safeties coach.
On Tuesday, Laurinaitis and Guerrieri held press conferences on the indoor practice field inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. The defensive assistants discussed several topics with reporters. Still, both shared a similar mindset of gratitude for Ryan Day and Jim Knowles for allowing them the opportunity to join the Buckeyes' full-time staff.
Below are videos from Laurinaitis and Guerrieri's media sessions, as well as a bullet-point recap of what each coach said.
James Laurinaitis
- On becoming Ohio State’s linebackers coach: “I was aware the position was open, and I was hopeful. It’s something that – I believe a year ago when I came back – I voiced that was my dream was to be linebackers coach here. There was kind of a lot of unknown going through those few weeks, recruiting for the first time and all that. … But I felt pretty confident that I had done the best job I could have to prepare myself for the opportunity. I’m grateful that Coach Day believed in me.”
- On what he learned about being on the road, recruiting: “It’s a lot of logistics. … I thrived on the opportunity to meet these players, their coaches and the people that are important to them in person. It’s one thing to do it over the phone, but it’s another thing to do it in person and see you face to face. It’s a lot more impactful. … I was grateful to do it.”
- On whether being Ohio State’s linebackers coach will be different than last year: “I don’t think a lot is different. I certainly felt like the linebackers coach last year. I think the guys would have said the same thing. It’s the little things.” Laurinaitis said he is excited to have his own office to meet with players since he didn’t have one as a graduate assistant. He said there’s a “lot of responsibility” being Ohio State’s linebackers coach, “but I cherish that.”
- On his first offseason as a full-time assistant: “I’m really excited about it. It’s a bring spring for our guys.” Laurinatis said Cody Simon, C.J. Hicks, Gabe Powers, Arvell Reese and others will be fighting for playing time in 2024. “Cody is the only one with starts under his belt. It’s a big spring for our guys.”
- On if he has more of a “voice” on the staff now that he has been promoted: “When I came back here, I was very aware of that. Being a former player here, I didn’t want anyone in the building to think that – I’ll put it this way, I wanted to work for everything. Sometimes there’s a stigma with former players where they expect things handed to them. I didn’t want that to be the case. I wanted to work for everything.”
- On how playing at Ohio State and in the NFL will help him as a coach: “I think playing gives me a perspective of what I know mentally and physically these guys are going through. I know which plays are realistic to make and which ones aren’t. I think the guys appreciate that. I know Tommy (Eichenberg) and I have talked about that. He felt like having the perspective of someone who has done it before at the level that I was blessed to do it – when I would say something, it would carry some weight.”
- On Sonny Styles, his potential to play linebacker: “That’s a question above me. But I think Sonny has such a rare skillset in the sense that he can look like a safety, an outside linebacker, an old-school Sam, to use those terms. He’s so versatile. There are a lot of different roles that we can put Sonny in to bring out the best in him. With his body size and his age, when you try to project him forward, he’s in that Isaiah Simmons mix where you’re like, ‘What really is he?’ He’s just a weapon.”
- On C.J. Hicks: “He’s got to play. It comes down to consistency. Consistency breeds confidence. If you want to put your stake in a position, you have to do it day in and day out. The vision I have for our room is that we come out of this room with at least four guys who have earned the right to play. … Last year, I thought we had three guys that earned the right to play.” Those three players were Eichenberg, Steele Chambers and Simon. Laurinatis said he wishes he would have played Simon “a little more” earlier in the season.
- On the linebacker room: “I hope we have a room that reflects what Brian (Hartline) has in his room, where it’s guys constantly iron sharpening iron, trying to claw to get on the field for playing time. I hope that’s what we can have not only exiting spring but entering fall camp.”
- Laurinaitis said he is thankful that he won’t have to signal play calls anymore next season. He said it was “stressful” given “a lot of the well-publicized stuff that went on around signaling in our conference.” Laurinaitis said working on signals “takes up a of your time,” and now that he doesn’t have to do it, he’ll have more time to focus on the game and what goes on in it.
- On whether he is lobbying for Styles to become a linebacker: “I think every coach on our defensive staff would lobby for Sonny to come to their room. He has that versatility and that skill set. … I think it’s a combination of Coach Knowles and Coach Day talking about what’s best for our defense and what’s best for our future. … When you look at his body size, I think that he would excel as a linebacker. I also think that he has a unique skill set where he can play out in space like he did last year.”
- On what he needs to see from Hicks this offseason: “Just consistency, to be honest. C.J. has all the potential in the world. Sometimes he just needs to cut it loose and go play. I expect a big spring from C.J. The way he has attacked this offseason’s workouts and the way he has carried himself, I expect him to take a jump. … C.J. is getting to a point where, hopefully this spring, there will be a lot of growth. … I’m a big fan of C.J. Hicks. I always have been. He has a raw and rare skill set.”
- On Powers: “Gabe looks good as well. … Gabe Powers got significantly better from last spring all the way through the fall and into the winter. As the season went on, you would notice him making plays in practice routinely where you would think, ‘OK, the light bulb is coming on for Gabe.’ I can’t speak enough, when you talk about (Hicks and Powers) and Arvell Reese, about how big this spring will be.”
- On working with Jim Knowles: “Seeing how Jim calls a game and his thought process is fascinating. … He is brilliant. … When you go back and self-scout on when he made certain calls against certain formations, you’re like, ‘My goodness. This guy is on.’ … I think being with him for the whole year, you got to see how he approaches the game and his expectations. … I know what he expects. That experience has been very fruitful. I think I will be better for it this year.”
- On his recruiting mindset: "I try to be an ambassador of this school. I love this school. It's changed my life. It's done wonders for me and my family. To play here, recruit your position at the school you went to at the place that you love; it's so natural. ... I can say, 'This is what it did for me.'"
Matt Guerrieri
- On returning to Ohio State, reuniting with Jim Knowles: “It’s a great opportunity. Jim Knowles and I have been together since working a camp at Duke in 2012. That relationship is really strong. Whether (we are) working together or not, we talk a lot. The opportunity to get back here is to get back with family.”
- On the Caleb Downs commitment coming right after he was hired: “The transition back was unique. It’s not a lot of times in college football that you go back to where you were. You can have the same realtor. You can have your wife live in the same area. That kind of stuff is awesome. To get Caleb here was fantastic. But yes, I hit the ground running. … It’s been fast-paced. That’s how it should be.”
- On his relationship with Lathan Ransom: “It’s been great. It’s familiarity – to know guys, know about their families, and they know you and your family. … Lathan is doing great. He’s the heartbeat of that room. He’s been through hardship before. He continues to battle back. He’s a warrior.”
- On his time at Indiana, working under Tom Allen: “It was great. To be able to see the Big Ten from a different lens was valuable. Tom Allen was great to work for. He’s a strong defensive coach. I learned his system. There’s a lot of value from that standpoint. … It was great to learn from him and to call plays in the Big Ten.”
- On Sonny Styles, his fit in Ohio State’s defense: “He is a dynamic playmaker. You have seen that on Saturdays here. … He’s dynamic in what he can do. He’s a unique combination of being able to run, cover, tackle, mentality, size – he has a lot of things and attributes there. Without getting into specifics, we will take a look at a number of different things for him and put him in the best position for him to be successful and the team to be successful.”
- When asked if Styles will play safety or linebacker in 2024, Guerrieri said he’ll let Knowles answer questions about schematics. “But obviously (Sonny) has the skills to do a lot of stuff.”
- On Ohio State’s safety room: “I’ve been impressed with the depth across the board.” He named Ransom, Downs and Malik Hartford as three Buckeyes that have stood out to him since he took over as safeties coach. “I’m really excited about the playmaking ability for a lot of our guys.”
- On his previous role at Ohio State in 2022: “My title was analyst. I had never been in one of those spots before off the field. Jim wanted me to come here and help install the defense with him and transition with him. I’ve been one of his DB guys all along, and I think my job was to get guys up to speed with what the system was and be able to tailor that to Ohio State’s version of it.”
- On how he’s seen Knowles evolve: “It’s what makes him the best in the country. He’s able to adapt. Some guys have a great defense and then it stays the same for a number of years – but people catch up with him. It’s hard to get a beat on (Knowles). He’s probably in his office right now studying what the next move is. I would say that what makes him special is the way he can teach and make it functional… but his ability to adapt and his ability to change.”
- On Knowles growing as Ohio State’s DC: “What does it take to win? That’s the bottom line. It’s winning games, winning it all, accomplishing the goals that we have … For him, it was that he’s been an aggressive guy… but he’s continued to adapt over time (to win).”
- Guerrieri said Ransom has been “great in workouts” and “great in leadership” this offseason. He didn’t confirm whether Ransom will be available for spring practices, but he said Ransom’s efforts to get his body back in shape and ready for practice have been encouraging.
- On coaching at Ohio State: “This is the best place in the country. You get a chance to be at Ohio State. I’m from Cleveland, Ohio. This is home to me. I’m working with the best coordinator in the country, Jim Knowles. I’m working with the best coach in the country, Ryan Day. This place has everything you could ever dream of. To be able to be here and work with these young men on the daily – it’s a special opportunity.”
- On recruiting: “It’s about relationships. … It’s about building authentic relationships. … It’s about, over time, bringing (players) to where they want to be and, in turn, getting Ohio State to where it wants to be.”
- On Tim Walton: “He’s the best secondary coach in college football.”
