Ohio State has its new defensive coordinator following the hire of Matt Patricia. Current defensive assistants Tim Walton and Matt Guerrieri are getting promotions as well.
Walton has been promoted to co-defensive coordinator while Guerrieri has been elevated to Ohio State's passing game coordinator, a program spokesperson told Eleven Warriors.
The promotion is fitting for Walton, who has been on Ryan Day's staff as an assistant coach since the 2022 season. Walton initially coached the Buckeyes' cornerbacks in his first year and has earned a promotion each year, becoming Ohio State's defensive passing coordinator in 2023 and assistant head coach in 2024.
Under Walton's leadership, Ohio State's secondary has been a key strength to the team, as he developed standouts Denzel Burke, Davison Igbinosun, Jermaine Mathews Jr., Jordan Hancock and more. He's also been a prolific recruiter, most notably landing Devin Sanchez, the No. 1 cornerback prospect in the 2025 class, as well as in-state standouts Bryce West and Aaron Scott Jr. in the 2024 class.
En route to winning a national championship last year, the Buckeyes finished first in total defense and third in passing defense for the 2024 campaign. In the 2023 season, Ohio State finished No. 1 in the country in passing defense, only allowing 145.9 yards per game.
Walton played at Ohio State for his collegiate career, and now the Georgia native takes pride in bringing back "BIA" under his leadership.
Guerrieri is entering his second season as a full-time member of Ohio State's coaching staff. In his first, he coached the best safety tandem in the country, as Caleb Downs was a unanimous All-American and Lathan Ransom earned second- and third-team All-American honors from multiple organizations.
Guerrieri initially joined Ohio State’s staff as a senior advisor and analyst in 2022, then spent one year at Indiana as its co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach before returning to the Buckeyes. Guerrieri was the lead defensive play-caller for the Hoosiers in 2023, as he was during his tenure as the co-defensive coordinator at Duke from 2018-21.
Ryan Day is confident Guerrieri’s best coaching is yet to come.
“One of the brightest minds in college football, and I'm telling you, a star in the making,” Day said while introducing Guerrieri to the crowd during Ohio State’s national championship celebration at Ohio Stadium.
Guerrieri, who is 35 years old, is a native of Willoughby, Ohio, who played safety at Davidson from 2007-10 before starting his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Lenoir-Rhyne in 2011. He then spent 10 years at Duke before initially joining Ohio State’s staff in 2022.
