Brian Hartline has reportedly interviewed for the head coaching job at West Virginia.
247Sports’ Chris Anderson reported Wednesday that West Virginia interviewed Ohio State’s wide receivers coach for its head coaching vacancy, citing multiple sources.
According to Anderson, West Virginia could announce a hiring as soon as Wednesday, so “Hartline has to be taken seriously as a candidate.” Rich Rodriguez, who was previously West Virginia’s coach from 2001-07 and is currently the head coach at Jacksonville State, has been viewed as the leading candidate in the search.
Hartline has been Ohio State’s wide receivers coach since 2018, initially taking over the job on an interim basis before being promoted to the role in a full-time capacity in 2019. Since then, Hartline has established himself as college football’s preeminent wide receivers coach, producing four first-round NFL draft picks – Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison Jr. – while trotting out elite receiving corps on an annual basis, including this year’s group led by 2024 Big Ten Receiver and Freshman of the Year Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate.
Hartline also currently holds the title of co-offensive coordinator for the Buckeyes. He was Ohio State’s lead offensive coordinator in 2023, though he was not the primary play caller, but became co-offensive coordinator this year after Chip Kelly was hired to lead the offense.
