Source: Buckeyes hire Alabama staffer Sam Petitto

COLUMBUS — For the third time in as many years, Ohio State has hired a new director of player personnel.

Two years ago, the Buckeyes hired Zach Grant, who is a rising star in the industry. He moved on to be the general manager at Cincinnati following one year at Ohio State. The Buckeyes replaced him with Marc Votteler, the former Marshall general manager who was hired to Ohio State. He left for Mississippi State after one year.

The Buckeyes have been searching for Votteler’s replacement to work under General Manager/Associate Athletic Director for Player Personnel Mark Pantoni for the last month-and-a-half, but sources indicate to Lettermen Row’s Alex Gleitman that Ohio State has found its man, hiring Salm Petitto from Alabama for the position.

Petitto, who served as the Crimson Tide’s Director of Personnel Operations for the last eight years under Nick Saban, is starting his term with Ohio State on Monday, one source told Lettermen Row.

Petitto was the Director of Personnel Operations for Alabama, where he had been for eight years, helping the Crimson Tide routinely land top-ranked and top-two-ranked recruiting classes under head coach Nick Saban.

Prior to his time in Tuscaloosa, Petitto was the Director of Player Personnel at Georgia for two years. Before Georgia he spent time at North Carolina, Grambling State, Alabama (defensive intern), and Southeastern Louisiana after getting his start as a high school coach in Louisiana in the late 1990s. 

Petitto is a Amite, Louisiana, native. He was a key cog in Alabama landing fellow Amite native DeVota Smith out of Louisiana when he was recruited. Smith went on to win the Heisman Trophy as a wide receiver.

But landing Smith isn’t Petitto’s only victory on the trail. He was pivotal in helping to land many top recruits and classes while in Tuscaloosa, inclusive of playing a role in Alabama landing recent transfer and current Ohio State safety, Caleb Downs.

Other notable 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.

Brandon Jordan: Jordan served as a pass-rush specialist for the Seattle Seahawks last season and served in the same role during the 2022 season at Michigan State.

The move to add a pass-rush specialist comes after the Buckeyes already filled their 10th assistant coaching role last week, promoting legendary linebacker James Laurinaitis to the linebackers coaching role. Ohio State toyed with the idea of adding a second defensive line coach alongside Larry Johnson this offseason before it ultimately promoted Laurinaitis.

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.