"“Hartline is somebody who played the position, played at a high level, and played in the league."
The next head coach of South Florida football brings championship-level confidence, straight from the staff of the defending national champions. He will remain as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator until the College Football Playoff is finished. Ohio State is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation for both the CFP and AP Top-25 rankings.
He’ll replace Alex Golesh, who recently accepted the head coaching position at Auburn. Golesh went 23-15 overall, including 2-0 in bowl games in three seasons as USF head coach. His most impressive season as head coach was the 2025 season, where USF finished 9-3 with critical victories against teams such as Florida at “The Swamp,” as well as against an 11-1 North Texas team in Denton.
Brian Hartline: a home-run hire for USF!
Hartline was an integral piece of Ohio State’s run of dominance we’ve seen, culminating directly into their 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship. In Hartline’s last three seasons as offensive coordinator, Ohio State posted a record of 37-4. However, he’s been nationally recognized as Ohio State’s wide receivers coach, helping Ohio State post a 92-11 (89%) record in eight seasons. During this time, Brian Hartline was able to coach many future NFL prospects and players. This list includes, but isn’t limited to, Jeremiah Smith, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Emeka Egbuka, Terry McLaurin, and Carnell Tate.
Next week, the USF board of trustees is expected to authorize an internal loan of around $22 million towards athletics, considering that their 35,000-seat stadium is already under renovation, hoping to reopen in 2027. The USF staff and athletic departments show excitement in the hire, as Rob Higgins, the CEO of South Florida Athletics, said in a statement: “Hartline is somebody who played the position, played at a high level, and played in the league. He knows how to relate to everybody. He recruits at a very high level and knows what to say and how to say it but is always honest. I think he’s going to do great, and I can’t wait to see him flourish as a head coach. I think he’s going to be amazing.”
Ryan Day comments on Brian Hartline’s departure
For the third consecutive offseason, Ryan Day must interview and hire a new offensive coordinator. Despite the sudden absence of Brian Hartline for next season, Ohio State and Ryan Day remain optimistic, telling reporters, “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 in a statement. “Ohio State has been good for a long time, and we’ll continue to be good moving forward. While there’ll always be these situations for whatever reason, good or bad, we all aim for them to be good, and when we’re doing well, people have opportunities. That’s part of it.”
Ryan Day wasn’t shy about his feelings regarding the current NCAA calendar and how it’s constructed, noting the timing certainly wasn't beneficial to Ohio State.
“That’s not Brian’s fault. That’s other people’s fault. Hopefully, we can get some of this stuff addressed, but it’s like that for everybody in the country,” Day said. “So, instead of being upset about it, we’re going to embrace it. The plan is for him to continue to be with the team, which is challenging for him, but it ultimately speaks of his character, that he wants to make sure he finishes this thing out the right way.”
Despite the early departure, Ohio State is remaining headstrong and determined with their remaining team, in hopes of a similar postseason performance as last season. Up next, the Buckeyes will be facing the Indiana Hoosiers for the Big Ten Championship, which has the potential to be the best and biggest game of this 2025 season.
“I’m honored and excited to join the University of South Florida as its new head football coach,” Hartline said in a statement. “Becoming head coach at a place like USF is a dream come true for me and my family. I look forward to leading the team to new heights, both on and off the field. I can’t wait to get to work with our team and the entire USF community. Go Bulls!”
Key Stat
Ohio State posted a record of 37-4 in Brian Hartline’s last three seasons as offensive coordinator.
