In an offseason with extensive coaching staff turnover, head coach Ryan Day and the university’s athletic department rewarded a few who continue to call Columbus home. According to contracts obtained by Eleven Warriors, Tony Alford, Corey Dennis, and Brian Hartline all received raises in the winter.
Alford will make $750,000 as Ohio State’s running backs coach. Day promoted him to running game coordinator in January, resulting in the $132,000 raise from last season to next. Alford has been with the program since 2015 and developed talents such as Ezekiel Elliot, Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbins.
Hartline will enter his fifth season as the Buckeyes’ wide receivers coach with a $350,000 raise from last season. With the additional salary, Hartline becomes the program’s second-highest-paid offensive assistant behind coordinator Kevin Wilson, who will earn $1.4 million this year. Alford will be the fourth-highest paid offensive assistant behind Wilson, Hartline and offensive line coach Justin Frye, who will make $800,000 in 2022.
Ohio State quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis received a $100,000 raise because he signed a new two-year contract in January. In his third year with the program, Dennis will earn $400,000 this season.
Wilson and defensive line coach Larry Johnson also signed contracts in the offseason. The former inked a two-year contract, while the latter signed a one-year deal. Both Wilson ($1.4 million) and Johnson ($1.133 million) will receive the same salaries from their 2021 contracts.
Overall, Ohio State will pay its 10 full-time assistant coaches $8.783 million in 2022 — an increase of $1.132 million from last season, when the Buckeye staff earned $7.651 million in total salary.
Below is a breakdown of Ohio State’s assistant coach salaries:
| COACH | TITLE | 2021 SALARY | 2022 SALARY | INCREASE | CONTRACT END |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JIM KNOWLES | DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR/LINEBACKERS COACH | $800,000* | $1,900,000 | $1,100,000 | 2025 |
| KEVIN WILSON | OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR/TIGHT ENDS COACH | $1,400,000 | $1,400,000 | N/A | 2024 |
| LARRY JOHNSON | ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH/DEFENSIVE LINE COACH | $1,133,000 | $1,133,000 | N/A | 2023 |
| BRIAN HARTLINE | PASSING GAME COORDINATOR/WIDE RECEIVERS COACH | $600,000 | $950,000 | $350,000 | 2024 |
| JUSTIN FRYE | ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH FOR OFFENSE/OFFENSIVE LINE COACH | $700,000** | $800,000 | $100,000 | 2024 |
| TONY ALFORD | ASST. HEAD COACH FOR OFFENSE/RUNNING BACKS COACH | $618,000 | $750,000 | $132,000 | 2024 |
| TIM WALTON | SECONDARY/CORNERBACKS COACH | N/A | $700,000 | N/A | 2024 |
| PERRY ELIANO | SAFETIES COACH | $215,000*** | $450,000 | $235,000 | 2024 |
| COREY DENNIS | QUARTERBACKS COACH | $300,000 | $400,000 | $100,000 | 2024 |
| PARKER FLEMING | SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR | $300,000 | $300,000 | N/A | 2023 |
