Ohio State Buckeyes' offensive coordinator Brian Hartline has reportedly accepted the head coach position with the USF Bulls.
The Ohio State Buckeyes received some unfortunate news on the first day of the early National Signing Day period, but this time, head coach Ryan Day has lost a coach instead of a highly-touted prospect.
According to college football insider Pete Thamel, Ohio State offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline is expected to become the next head coach of the USF Bulls.
Before becoming the highly-touted college coach, Hartline was a star receiver for the Buckeyes from 2006 to 2008.
During his time in Columbus, Hartline recorded 1,429 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on 90 receptions. His strong stint with the Buckeyes allowed him to be drafted in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.
After spending multiple seasons in the NFL, Hartline would eventually transition into a coaching role in 2017, joining Ohio State’s staff as an offensive quality control assistant. He was quickly promoted to wide receivers coach in 2018, and subsequently became the offensive coordinator in 2023 and 2025.
One area in which Hartline has done an excellent job is in the recruitment trail, as he was Day’s leading catalyst of the Buckeyes’ push to reclaim the title of “WRU.”
Since 2017, Hartline has helped Ohio State land a slew of talented prospects, including Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, and most notably, star sophomore Jeremiah Smith.
His ability to recruit at a high level while also leading the Buckeyes’ offense this season made him a prime candidate for a head coaching position.
Fans dealt with the Hartline rumors last season, as he was in the running for the head coach position at West Virginia. However, the 39-year-old would return to Columbus in 2025 to take over the offensive coordinator role for Ohio State this season, with Chip Kelly leaving the program.
This year, however, was much different. Earlier in the season, reports began to surface that Hartline was in the running for the Penn State head coach gig. Despite the fellow Big 10 Conference members failing to hire a head coach, Hartline chose the Bulls over the Nittany Lions.