Brian Hartline reaffirms commitment to Ohio State, has no plans 'to go anywhere else'
COLUMBUS — Ohio State wide receivers coach and passing-game coordinator Brian Hartline has proven himself to be one of the premier position coaches in all of college football.
He will have a chance to be a head coach because of that at some point. This does not appear to be the time for him to move on, though.
Hartline ended speculation that he was a candidate for a head coaching job elsewhere in the state of Ohio on Thursday by putting out a statement on Twitter.
Hartline confirmed on social media that, despite all that speculation that he might leave the Buckeyes, he is staying in Columbus.
“I am aware of the speculation surrounding my name connected to other vacant coaching positions and appreciate all of the support, but right now my heart is at Ohio State and I do not have any plans to go anywhere else,” Hartline said Thursday afternoon in a tweet.
Hartline, the Buckeyes wide receivers coach and passing-game coordinator, has earned a reputation as one of the country’s premier recruiters of wide receivers. He has hauled in at least one five-star receiver in every recruiting class since 2019. But he also can develop that talent, sending both Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave to the NFL as first-round picks.
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Last season, Hartline had opportunities to leave Ohio State, but he stayed with the program with a boost in pay and a new title: passing-game coordinator. The Buckeyes made sure to lock Hartline in despite the outside interest, particularly from Notre Dame.
Hartline reportedly interviewed for the head coaching vacancy at Cincinnati on Thursday.
But in the end, the chance to stay home was simply too much.
“I love it here,” Hartline said last year. “It’s a passion here. All I care about is this [wide receivers] room. That’s my main focus and my forever focus. … But I’m also not a person to sit here and tell you, ‘no, I’m never leaving Ohio State.’ I’m not saying I ever will. Go up the ladder? Go where? This is the pinnacle of the ladder. I don’t need the satisfaction of calling plays or whatever. I don’t know what that ladder is. But to me, I’m at the pinnacle of the ladder. That’s a big question, hard to answer.
“All I know is that I love Ohio State. My wife is from here. We live here. I love my house. That would be really hard to leave.”
The pull to stay where he is as the top receivers coach in the country is simply too strong to lure Hartline away — for now.
Hartline is staying put at Ohio State, leaving other opportunities in the rearview mirror.
