Veteran defensive backs coach Taver Johnson returning to Ohio State
COLUMBUS — Taver Johnson has already been at Ohio State twice during his long, winding career as a defensive backs coach. First, he was the defensive backs coach for Jim Tressel from 2007 to 2011. Then he was the defensive backs coach for the Buckeyes under Urban Meyer in 2018, Meyer’s final season as head coach.
Now Johnson is returning to the Buckeyes sideline for the third time, this time as a defensive backs assistant under Tim Walton and head coach Ryan Day. The 52-year-old Johnson, who was the assistant defensive backs coach for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023 and spent last season on staff at Tennessee, has rejoined the Ohio State staff, multiple sources tell Lettermen Row.
Johnson will work with Walton and the rest of the defensive backs room.
After leaving Ohio State following the 2018 season, Johnson became an assistant defensive backs coach for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2019-2020. He then became an offensive assistant for the Raiders in 2021 before joining the Eastern Michigan staff for the 2022 season as a defensive pass game coordinator and safeties coach. He was, as stated above, most recently the assistant defensive backs coach for the Eagles in the NFL and was most recently a defensive secondary analyst for the University of Tennessee.
Now he’s back with the Buckeyes, the third defensive assistant addition at Ohio State in the last week.
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Ohio State recently added former UAB defensive line coach Miguel Patrick back to the staff after he spent two years with the Blazers. Patrick was an Ohio State defensive analyst during the 2022 season. The Buckeyes also recently added former UCLA outside linebackers coach and defensive line coach Tony Washington Jr., who Lettermen Row reported Saturday will join the staff for this upcoming season. Washington will work with the defensive line under Larry Johnson for the Buckeyes, taking over the role that LaAllan Clark vacated when he took the outside linebackers coaching role at Texas.
As Ohio State continues to round out its defensive staff ahead of a pivotal post-national championship spring practice period, the Buckeyes have added a familiar face back into the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Taver Johnson has rejoined the staff in a defensive backs coaching role under Tim Walton.
