Ohio State’s Brian Hartline is On3’s national position coach of the year

On3’s 2022 national position coach of the year is Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline.

The development and play of Hartline’s wide receiver group has been a big part of the Buckeyes ranking second nationally in scoring offense and returning to the College Football Playoff after missing out last season.

Ohio State needed younger wide receivers to step up because of an injury situation that’s caused the Buckeyes to play most of the year without star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Aided by Hartline, that’s happened.

Under Hartline, sophomore Marvin Harrison Jr. emerged as one of the nation’s top wide receivers and was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which is awarded annually to the best wide receiver in the country. Harrison, who has made this leap after posting 11 catches last year as a freshman, is tied for second among Power 5 players with 12 receiving touchdowns and tied for fourth among Power 5 players with 1,157 receiving yards.

Harrison is one of three Ohio State wide receivers with at least six receiving touchdowns. Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming are the others.

As with Harrison, Egbuka has broken out as a big-time contributor in Year 2 with the Buckeyes under the guidance of Hartline. After catching just nine passes last season, Egbuka is fifth in the Big Ten with 66 catches, fourth with 1,039 receiving yards and tied for third with nine receiving touchdowns.

Hartline turned 36 on November 22. He is a former Ohio State wide receiver, and played seven seasons in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns before getting into coaching. He finished his NFL career with 344 catches, 4,766 yards and 14 touchdowns. 

Hartline has been on the Buckeyes’ staff since 2017, including the past five seasons as Ohio State’s wide receivers coach. Hartline was promoted to pass game coordinator for the Buckeyes earlier this year.