Ohio State football receivers coach Brian Hartline set to be named offensive coordinator

Posted by author February 5, 2025 Football

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Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline is reportedly set to be promoted to become the Buckeyes‘ offensive coordinator.

ESPN is among those reporting that Buckeyes coach Ryan Day has tabbed Hartline to succeed Chip Kelly in that role.

Hartline, 38, earned that title in 2023 for his success as the Buckeyes’ wide receivers coach. But Hartline didn’t call plays that season. Head coach Ryan Day did.

After the season, Day decided to relinquish those duties to concentrate on the broader picture as a head coach. He hired Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator, with Hartline getting a “co-coordinator” title. When O’Brien left after three weeks to become head coach at Boston College, Day hired his mentor, Kelly.

The Buckeyes won the national championship with Kelly, who left to become offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders. Now Day has turned back to Hartline.

Ohio State has also reportedly hired former Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen to be its offensive line coach and promoted Billy Fessler to be quarterbacks coach. Bowen takes over for Justin Frye, who was hired by the Arizona Cardinals. Fessler was an offensive analyst last year working with OSU’s quarterbacks.

It remains to be seen who will serve as OSU’s primary play-caller in 2025.

Hartline has established himself as probably the best wide receivers coach in college football. He has recruited and developed a string of elite receivers, including Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. Jeremiah Smith was the No. 1 overall recruit last year and, if anything, exceeded his lofty billing by being instrumental in Ohio State’s title run.

A North Canton native, Hartline played for the Buckeyes from 2005-08. OSU lost in the BCS national championship games in his sophomore and junior seasons.

The Miami Dolphins drafted him in the fourth round in 2009, and he had a productive NFL career. He caught 344 passes for 4,766 yards and 14 touchdowns in six seasons with the Dolphins and one with the Cleveland Browns.

Hartline joined Ohio State’s staff in 2017 as a quality control coach. He became receivers coach when Zach Smith was fired in 2018 following a domestic abuse scandal.

Fessler, an Erie, Pennsylvania, native, was a walk-on quarterback at Penn State from 2014-18. He was a graduate assistant at Ohio State in 2020 and ’21 before Akron hired him. He was promoted to offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2023.

Will Howard repeatedly praised him last season. During Ohio State’s national championship celebration at Ohio Stadium, Day included Fessler among the assistants he singled out for praise.

“Billy Fessler did a great job this season stepping in in a big way and helping that room out,” Day said.