These Two Ohio State Coaches Listed As Poachable Head Coaching Targets

Two Ohio State coordinators were recently featured as names to watch for during this offseason's coaching carousel.

Nov 4, 2023; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Brian Hartline and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles warm up players during the NCAA football game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Ohio State won 35-16. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Ohio State Buckeyes have been known for producing talented football players throughout the history of the program, but could this become true for future coaches?

College football reporter Adam Rittenberg recently wrote about the potential coaches that could be next in line for a big job. The list included defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and co-offensive coordinator Brian Hartline.

While he may not be a top candidate, Rittenberg considers Knowles as a "power four coordinator to watch".

The question is whether he gets another head-coaching opportunity at 59, after going 26-34 at Cornell from 2004 to 2009. Knowles interviewed for the recent vacancy at Duke, where he served as defensive coordinator from 2010 to 2017. Would he sacrifice salary to take a Group of 5 job?

- Adam Rittenberg

Knowles' impact on the Buckeyes has been tremendous since arriving to Columbus in 2022. There's no doubt in his current role as a defensive coordinator, but a combination of Knowles' age and previous stints as a head coach could hold him back from finding a job.

Rittenberg also discussed Hartline as a "Non-primary play caller to watch".

Hartline, 37, is coaching at his alma mater and in his home state, and would only leave for a very desirable opportunity. He is an excellent recruiter and has worked under Urban Meyer and Ryan Day. The NFL might be a natural next stop, but perhaps Hartline could be steered to the right Power 4 opportunity.

- Adam Rittenberg

The young offensive coordinator's name has been floating around in coaching carousel rumors for a long time, which makes sense when looking at how well he's done recruiting. Hartline has helped land the Buckeyes nine different five-star recruits, according to 247Sports. All that said, Hartline has acknowledged to reporters in the past that he loves Ohio State and has indicated that it would take something truly unbelievable to pull him away from Columbus.