Ohio State offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline has been hired as South Florida’s next head coach, but head coach Ryan Day confirmed on Wednesday that Hartline will continue to be with the team through its postseason run.
“The plan is for him to continue to be with the team, which is a challenge for him, but it speaks to his character that he wants to make sure he finishes this thing out the right way,” Day said. “He wants to be with us all the way through, all the way to the end and see this thing out during the season. It will be a busy month for him, but it’s been done before, and we’ll help him along the way.”
The timing of Hartline’s move certainly wasn’t ideal for Ohio State, with national signing day being the same day the move was announced, and the 2025-26 season still ongoing. However, Day said the unfortunate timing isn’t Hartline’s fault, and he’s happy for his offensive coordinator.
“We’ll do a quick team meeting here and kind of let the team know,” Day said. “He was able to let the wide receivers know and the recruits know. I’m really happy for him and his family. The fact that he gets the opportunity to do this, he’s put in a lot of hard work here at Ohio State as a player and now as a coach. That’s part of the profession. As a head coach, it’s gratifying to see one of your assistants get one of these opportunities.”
Day said he expects Hartline to do well with his first opportunity to be a head coach.
“I think he’s going to do great. I think it’s a great opportunity for him, and (I’m) looking forward to seeing how he does. That’s exciting for him.”
Hartline, who played at Ohio State from 2005-08, returned to the program as an assistant coach in 2017 after spending seven seasons in the NFL as a player. Hartline became the Buckeyes’ receivers coach in 2018 and developed into one of the better recruiters in the country. Shortly after it was first reported that Hartline was leaving Ohio State, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei four-star wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt (6-2,180) flipped his commitment to USC.
