Ohio State has added a former NFL cornerback as a graduate assistant.
Michael Hunter, who appeared in six games with the New York Giants and spent time with six NFL teams from 2016-19, has joined Ohio State’s support staff as a defensive graduate assistant, taking the graduate assistant spot previously held by James Laurinaitis before he was promoted to linebackers coach.
Hunter will work with Ohio State’s defensive backs, according to 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz. He joins a staff of graduate assistants that also includes assistant defensive line coach LaAllan Clark, assistant offensive line coach Mike Sollenne and assistant tight ends coach Sean Binckes.
Hunter was the defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach last season at Tulsa, joining the staff after former Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson became Tulsa’s head coach. He previously worked with Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles at Oklahoma State, where he started his coaching career as a graduate assistant secondary coach in 2021 and 2022.
Hunter nearly joined Ohio State’s coaching staff in a support staff role when Knowles became the Buckeyes' defensive coordinator in 2022 but ended up choosing to stay at Oklahoma State at the time. Now, Hunter is officially on staff at Ohio State.
He’s the second new hire for Ohio State’s defensive support staff this offseason, joining former Michigan State and Seattle Seahawks pass rush specialist Brandon Jordan, who joined the Buckeyes as a defensive program assistant. He joins a staff of secondary coaches that’s led by cornerbacks coach Tim Walton and new safeties coach Matt Guerrieri – who was set to work with Hunter at Tulsa last season before becoming the defensive coordinator at Indiana – and also includes program assistant Gerren DuHart.
Hunter has a Big Ten background, spending four seasons at Indiana from 2011-14 before playing his final season of college football at Oklahoma State in 2015 as a graduate transfer.
