If Ryan Day and the Ohio State football program wanted to take a deep sigh, get on the yoga mat, and celebrate the national championship it won as a part of the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff, it was short-lived. That’s because there was barely time for a celebration less than a week removed from all the confetti falling inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium after the win over Notre Dame before some coaching staff dominoes began to fall.
First, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles seemingly air-lifted out of Columbus and parachuted into Happy Valley to perform the same duties at Big Ten rival Penn State. That seemed like a bit of a gut punch, but that was followed by offensive line coach, Justin Frye, accepting a climb up the coaching ladder to the NFL as the Arizona Cardinals‘ offensive line coach. And now, Sunday, when rumors of offensive coordinator Chip Kelly being courted by NFL teams came to fruition with him being hired by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Whew.
So, now here we are. Day must replace three major assistant positions on his staff, not the least of which being the offensive coordinator post which seems to be a harder job to fill than a night shift offshore tax collector. So where does Day turn when trying to find a replacement for his mentor, friend, and former offensive coordinator? All we can do is speculate, but normally these things come down to relationships and production. So, with that in mind, here are five names that might make sense when it comes to the next offensive coordinator for YOUR defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes next season.
Kevin Wilson, former Tulsa head coach and Buckeye offensive coordinator
Why not start with a guy that’s already done it before? Sure, Wilson was never the primary play caller, but he worked as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator from 2017 to 2022. That crossed over through the Urban Meyer to Day transition and the current head coach and he seemingly fit well together. Also, Wilson’s son, Toby, was a part of the Ohio State team this season and there’s more than a little familiarity there. He has head coaching experience and a long history of being an offensive mind. It might be time to bring him back and turn things over to him fully this next season.
Brian Hartline, Ohio State co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach
Hartline seemed to be the offensive coordinator in waiting when he was promoted to co-offensive coordinator in 2023. Not many realize that he still holds that title today along with his role with the wide receivers. The issue is that Day never seemed to trust him fully to be the primary play caller, instead electing to hire Kelly when it came time to step away and focus more on a CEO type of role and delegate offensive play calling. However, Hartline has still had input, and if he’s been able to earn the trust of Day, it could be natural to just announce that he’s taking over primary responsibilities for the offense. He’s a heck of a recruiter and developer I think you take the chance of alienating him if he’s passed over this time around. That too, could factor in because he’s in demand in coaching circles.
Ryan Day, Ohio State head coach
What if — stay with me here — things just go back to the way they were when Day worked with Hartline and others on staff to generate a game plan and then the head man would be the guy calling the plays on game day? A guy who has the creativity and knack for calling offensive plays doesn’t just lose that itch and skill, and if Day can set things up where his other coaches can run things at a high level, then it’s not wild to think that Day just takes over play calling duties for next season. Especially with some of the hirings and staff changes already taking place across college football while Ohio State was going on its memorable College Football Playoff run.
Joe Moorhead, Akron head coach
This one isn’t necessarily about a former relationship but more like what Day did with the hiring of Jim Knowles. Sometimes you just go after one of the best guys out there, and Moorhead fits this bill. Moorhead is well-respected as an offensive play caller. He has had stops very successful stops as an offensive coordinator at Penn State and Oregon (where he helped orchestrate a win in Columbus in 2021). Things haven’t gone as well as a head coach at Mississippi State and Akron (currently), but he has the chops to come in and do what he did as the offensive coordinator at other high-level stops.
Pat Shurmur, Colorado offensive coordinator
I haven’t seen this name mentioned much, but stay with me here. I mentioned these things can be about relationships and you have to think that Day will lean on his mentor turned staff member, Kelly, when it comes to suggestions on hiring the guy to replace him. Shurmur was Kelly’s offensive coordinator during his stint in the NFL with the Eagles and would be a good fit to bring the same type of principles, scheme, and tendencies. Shurmur, like others Day has gone after, also has NFL head coaching experience to boot. With the yearly rumor mill going on his current boss, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, entertaining other coaching offers to the NFL, it might be a more secure spot to land anyhow. This might be off the radar a bit, but so was the hiring of Bill O’Brien and Chip Kelly. You know Day will swing hard at a great hire, and he could do a lot worse than this.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State offensive coordinator search: 5 names to replace Chip Kelly
