Ohio State's Brian Hartline Reassures Fanbase After Head Coaching Reports

Ohio State Buckeyes' co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline reassured the OSU fanbase after recent reports of interviewing for a head coaching vacancy at West Virginia.

Ohio State Buckeyes co-offensive coordinator Brian Hartline motions during the NCAA football game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa. on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. Ohio State won 20-13. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State Buckeyes' co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline told Eleven Warriors on Monday that being a head coach is not on his mind.

"Being a head coach is not really on my mind. Year-to-year you always have people who reach out and want to speak to you about opportunities. I'm never in a situation where I'm never going to talk to someone or anything about an opportunity, but my focus is – I love being at Ohio State. It's well-documented, and I see it as such."

- Brian Hartline

The speculations of the longtime Buckeye leaving for a head coaching gig began to grow when 247Sports' Chris Anderson reported earlier this month that Hartline interviewed for the head coaching vacancy at West Virginia. However, the Mountaineers would eventually hire former head coach Rich Rodriguez.

Hartline's name has been floated around as a future head coach even before his reported interview with West Virginia. In September, college football writer Adam Rittenberg listed the young coach as a "Non-primary play caller to watch" in an article discussing potential head coaches for the 2025 season.

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

Throughout his time with Ohio State, Hartline has made a name for himself, as he quickly became one of the best recruiters in all of college football. He is known for recruiting top-tier wide receivers to the program, such as freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith. He also played a major role in continuing Ohio State's outstanding wide receiver pipeline to the NFL.