Press Coverage: Ohio State Maintains Continuity By Promoting Brian Hartline to Offensive Coordinator, Billy Fessler to Quarterbacks Coach

Shortly after we published our first Press Coverage of the day reacting to the news that Ohio State had hired Tyler Bowen as its new offensive line coach, the Buckeyes filled out their offensive coaching staff by promoting wide receivers coach Brian Hartline to offensive coordinator and offensive analyst Billy Fessler to quarterbacks coach. Continuity will be a primary advantage of promoting internally for Day as Ohio State's offense breaks in a new quarterback and a coordinator who will be a first-time play-caller in Hartline.

Day gave Hartline a shot calling plays in the spring and summer of 2023 but didn't ultimately relinquish control of the offense, so Day’s decision to make Hartline the offensive coordinator again shows his faith that Hartline is now ready for that responsibility with two more years of experience. If nothing else, the move is a benefit to keep Hartline, proven as the nation's best recruiter and developer of wide receivers, around as long as possible.

Fessler showed his readiness to be Ohio State’s quarterbacks coach with his work alongside Chip Kelly last season, drawing praise from Will Howard among others for his role in developing the quarterbacks. He also has a background as both the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Akron, making him plenty qualified to be Ohio State’s quarterbacks coach even though he served in a support-staff capacity last season.

Eleven Warriors' Andy Anders and Dan Hope discuss both hires in the video at the top of the page.