who will replace brian hartline at ohio state

Brian Hartline's Departure from Ohio State Brian Hartline, Ohio State's wide receivers coach and former offensive coordinator, left the program after the 2025 season to become head coach at South Florida (USF), creating a significant vacancy in Ryan Day's staff.

Latest News Recap

Reports from early December 2025 confirmed Hartline's move, shocking fans amid Ohio State's playoff push following their national title. As of mid-December, no official replacement was named, but Ryan Day began interviews quickly to maintain momentum. This comes after Hartline's success developing stars like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jeremiah Smith.

Top Replacement Candidates

Speculation centers on a mix of internal promotions, NFL retreads, and college coordinators, with Chip Kelly emerging as a fan favorite for a potential reunion.

Candidate| Role/Background| Why a Fit?
---|---|---
Chip Kelly| Former OSU OC, Raiders OC| Proven OSU success (35.7 PPG); seamless return to elevate Day's scheme.159
Keenan Bailey| OSU TEs Coach| Internal continuity; respected since 2019, mirrors Hartline's rise.159
Brian Daboll| Ex-Giants HC| NFL pedigree; rumored contender for OC role.17
Tommy Rees| Browns OC| Recent Notre Dame/Alabama experience; top-3 in fan lists.1
John Hankton| Michigan WRs Coach| Elite WR developer interviewed by OSU; strong résumé.3
Others| J.T. Barrett (Bears), Jason Candle (Toledo HC)| Familiar names from lists, but less buzz.1

Forum and Fan Buzz

On Reddit's r/OhioStateFootball, fans debated retention but accepted the move, with some hot takes on promoting internals. X (Twitter) discussions highlighted Hartline's Dec 2024 post appreciating Buckeye Nation, fueling emotional reactions. YouTube breakdowns like PrizePicks' top-10 list trended, pushing Kelly and Bailey.

"Hot take: we might retain the coach who secured a national title last year and is currently placing us at #2." – Reddit user

Trending Context as of Jan 2026

By early 2026, with the offseason underway, OSU's search remains a hot topic amid playoff reflections—no confirmed hire yet, but Kelly's NFL availability post-Raiders keeps him prominent. Expect announcements soon, as recruiting heats up.

TL;DR: No official replacement for Brian Hartline yet; Chip Kelly and Keenan Bailey lead speculation from Dec 2025 reports.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.