Winning a championship often leads to major changes in both roster and staff, and Ohio State is no exception. After securing a national title with a victory over Notre Dame, the Buckeyes saw offensive coordinator Chip Kelly depart for the NFL, joining the Las Vegas Raiders.
To fill the void, head coach Ryan Day wasted no time in promoting wide receivers coach Brian Hartline to offensive coordinator. Now, in another key move, Day has elevated tight ends coach Keenan Bailey to co-offensive coordinator while keeping his role overseeing the tight end unit. The promotion was first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Bailey has developed a strong group of tight ends at Ohio State, contributing to the Buckeyes’ consistently explosive offense. While not always the stars of the show, players like Gee Scott Jr. and Cade Stover have played vital roles in some of the program’s most dominant seasons.
A Natural Choice for Promotion
Hartline was an obvious pick to take over as offensive coordinator following Kelly’s exit. His ability to recruit and develop top-tier talent—especially at wide receiver—has been a cornerstone of Ohio State’s success. The Buckeyes have regularly boasted one of the deepest and most talented receiver groups in college football, with stars like Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Jeremiah Smith all flourishing under Hartline’s guidance.
However, the big question now is play-calling. With Day unlikely to return to his former role as the team’s primary play-caller, the responsibility will likely fall to either Hartline or Bailey. If one of them can step up in that department, Ohio State’s offense should remain among the nation’s best heading into the next season.
