Recapping Buckeyes coaching additions, losses so far this offseason

COLUMBUS — Ohio State has one of the best coaching staffs in America every year.

And Buckeyes assistants are always sought after by other programs around the country, leading to coaching turnover every offseason.

Lettermen Row is combing through every coaching move the Buckeyes have made, both into the program and out of the program, since the offseason arrived. Let’s break down all of them as spring practice is set to begin in a couple of weeks.

Buckeyes coaching departures

Perry Eliano: Just two years after hiring him to run the safeties room, Ohio State parted ways with Perry Eliano, who came to Ohio State from Cincinnati after a successful run with the Bearcats defense. He coached first-round cornerback Sauce Gardner and Thorpe Award winner Coby Bryant during his time at Cincinnati, helping the Bearcats reach the College Football Playoff.

This all comes after the Buckeyes had one of the best defenses in the country this year. Eliano helped field one of the country’s top passing defenses with defensive passing game coordinator Tim Walton and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Where Eliano struggled was on the recruiting trail, taking big swings for top prospects around the country and not connecting on any of those swings. Eliano and the Buckeyes were in good position during the high school recruitment of five-star safety Caleb Downs before he ultimately chose Alabama as part of the 2023 recruiting class. Downs led Alabama in tackles as a true freshman starter before transferring to Ohio State this offseason.

Parker Fleming: After three lackluster seasons of special teams play, Ohio State coach Ryan Day parted ways with special teams coordinator Parker Fleming in mid-January. Fleming had spent three seasons as a quality control coach with the program before being promoted before the 2021 season. No replacement was announced for Fleming; one of the 10 assistant coaches will take over the special teams operation.

Corey Dennis: Buckeyes coach Ryan Day, a quarterbacks coach by trade before he became a head coach, made the decision to part ways with Corey Dennis as the quarterbacks coach to give the Buckeyes an opening on the offensive side of the coaching staff. It was first filled by Bill O’Brien, then Chip Kelly after O’Brien left. The original plan was for Dennis to have a new role with the Ohio State program, but he instead found an analyst job on Kyle Wittingham’s staff at Utah.

Mark Votteler: Ohio State is now searching for its third director of player personnel in as many years. This time, the Buckeyes must replace Mark Votteler, who left his post with the Buckeyes to become the general manager at Mississippi State. He was with Ohio State for just one season; Votteler replaced Zach Grant, who left after the 2022 season to join the staff at Cincinnati. Both Grant and Votteler were on  On3’s 2022 list of rising star personnel and recruiting staffers you need to know, and now they’ve both spent time at Ohio State. The Buckeyes will need to replace Votteler.

Buckeyes coaching promotions, additions

Chip Kelly: Ohio State made massive headlines earlier this month when it hired then-UCLA head football coach Chip Kelly to become the Buckeyes offensive coordinator. The offensive mastermind of the Oregon offense from 2009-2012, Kelly lead the Ducks to incredible highs during his four years — and he left a roster that ended up in a national title game two years later. The 2015 season was when Day and Kelly reunited in the NFL. Kelly, a few years removed from his successful — and innovative — run at Oregon, hired Day as his quarterbacks coach in 2015 for his third and final season with the Philadelphia Eagles. After that, he brought Day with him to San Francisco to be the QBs coach there in his lone season with the 49ers.

Kelly was University of New Hampshire’s offensive coordinator while Day was the quarterback at UNH from 1998-2001. Day finished his UNH playing career as the program’s leader in pass completions (653), touchdown passes (53), completion percentage (59.9 percent) and total offense (8,492 yards), although those records have since been surpassed. Then Day started his coaching career under Kelly at UNH, serving as the Wildcats’ tight ends coach in 2002.

The connection between Day and Kelly is very strong.

Matt Guerrieri: Former Ohio State senior advisor and analyst Matt Guerrieri is back with the Buckeyes after spending one year as Indiana’s co-defensive coordinator. Guerrieri has a long history with Jim Knowles from their time together at Duke and for a year with the Buckeyes. Once Perry Eliano and Ohio State parted ways, Guerrieri was the Buckeyes’ top target for the new safeties coach. Two days after the job opened, it was filled. Ohio State has its next safeties coach to lead a veteran unit alongside secondary coach Tim Walton.

James Laurinaitis: The Buckeyes added former All-American linebacker and NFL veteran James Laurinaitis to their coaching staff last year as a graduate assistant. That move came after Laurinaitis spent one year on the coaching staff under fellow former Buckeyes star Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame. Just one year later, Laurinaitis is now a full-time position coach for Ohio State; Ryan Day promoted Laurinaitis to linebackers coach earlier this week after a long, drawn-out process.

Laurinaitis is one of the most decorated Ohio State players of all time. He was a three-time consensus All-American (2006-2008), the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year twice and three-time first-team all-Big Ten. He won the Bronco Nagurski Trophy in 2006, the Butkus Award in 2007 and the Lott Trophy in 2008. He played in two national title games and two Fiesta Bowls. He was a second-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Now he’s the 10th assistant on staff.

Tony Johnson: The former Penn State wide receiver is the son of legendary Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson. Tony played wide receiver for Penn State from 2000-03. While on the Nittany Lions, he reeled in 107 passes for 1,702 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Back then, Larry was Penn State’s D-Line coach. He was on staff in State College from 1996-2013 before making the move to Columbus. Tony coached at Olentangy Berkshire Middle School in Galena, Ohio, the last two years, but this will be his first job on a college football staff.

Tim Walton: Along with his duties as the secondary/cornerbacks coach, Tim Walton was promoted to assistant head coach this offseason. He is proving time and time again that he is one of the top assistant coaches in the country, earning the promotion.

Staff positions yet to be filled

Director of player personnel: Both Zach Grant (now at Cincinnati) and Mark Votteler (now at Mississippi State) were on  On3’s 2022 list of rising star personnel and recruiting staffers you need to know, and now they’ve both spent one year at Ohio State. The Buckeyes will need to replace Votteler after his cup of coffee with the program. One name has emerged here, but the Buckeyes are working to make that hire happen.

Defensive graduate assistant: James Laurinaitis is now the linebackers coach, giving Day, Knowles and the Buckeyes staff an opportunity to find a new defensive graduate assistant. It’s not a necessary position to fill, but Ohio State does have some room to operate in adding a new defensive mind to the meeting room if it chooses.