Ohio State has added another former Buckeye and NFL player to its coaching staff.
An Ohio State spokesperson confirmed to Eleven Warriors on Monday that former Ohio State safety and special teams standout Nate Ebner has joined the Buckeyes’ staff as a special teams quality control coach. Ebner was on the field coaching during Ohio State’s first practice of the spring on Monday.
Ebner, who went on to play in the NFL for 10 seasons despite being a walk-on for the Buckeyes, joins an Ohio State coaching staff that also now includes his former defensive coordinator with the New England Patriots, Matt Patricia.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said Monday that Ebner brings credibility to the coaching staff. He looks forward to seeing Ebner, a first-time coach, grow into his role with the Buckeyes.
"This is a guy who was really self-made and turned out to have a great career in the NFL," Day said. "He can have an impact on the safety room. He can have an impact on special teams. He's somebody that's now trying to make the transition from being a player to coach, so it's great to have him around."
Ebner is one of 10 new additions to Ohio State’s support staff this offseason along with Charlie Dickey (offensive program assistant), Austin Fields (offensive quality control), Marcus Johnson (assistant offensive line coach), Taver Johnson (defensive quality control), Colin Keanu (offensive program assistant), Wendy Laurent (assistant tight ends coach), Miguel Patrick (defensive quality control), Tony Washington Jr. (defensive program assistant) and Billy Yates (defensive quality control).
Johnson, Washington and Yates were also former NFL players, bringing Ohio State’s total number of former NFL players on its staff to seven as they join offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, linebackers coach James Laurinaitis and assistant secondary coach Michael Hunter. Ebner is now one of six former Ohio State players on the Buckeyes’ staff along with Hartline, Laurinaitis, co-defensive coordinator Tim Walton, offensive program assistant Devin Jordan and director of player development C.J. Barnett.
Day says sees significant value in adding coaches to his staff who were former Ohio State players and/or NFL players.
“I think it just builds culture,” Day said. “Guys understand what it means. There's experience, especially guys who have walked in those shoes before, who have gone through the process of playing at Ohio State, this is unlike any other place. So they've won games, they've lost games, they've grown. They get to tell their story of when they were in those same shoes. And I think it makes a big difference. Take a guy like Nate or James or Hart, and also their experience of playing in the NFL and making that transition.
“So there's just a lot of credibility when those guys speak. But you always wanna make sure you surround yourself with guys that love being Buckeyes, that love being around Ohio State, and to me, that's what's really important.”
