“The stability of the offense, the stability of Brian, the stability of myself involved with all of those guys, that keeps this thing moving.” – Ohio State Head Coach Ryan Day.(Press Pros Feature Photos)
Ryan Day created the Ohio State offensive system, and a year after handing the reins to the experienced Chip Kelly, he’s happy to turn the operation over to Brian Hartline.
Columbus, OH – Brian Hartline’s Ohio State resume reads like a we-have-to-hire-this-guy memo from upper management to middle management.
P.S. Give him whatever he wants.
No holes exist in Hartline’s resume. No need to redact any failures. He played great football for the Buckeyes and in the NFL. He recruits and coaches up wide receivers better than anyone ever has in the Horseshoe. In his seven years as wide receivers coach, Hartline is peerless.
Veteran columnist Jeff Gilbert writes Ohio State football and OHSAA sports for Press Pros Magazine.com.
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His protégés enter the NFL as high draft picks and excel. His prize recruits, namely Jeremiah Smith, are the envy of the nation. And more future stars and NFL players are coming.
So why mess with a good thing and appoint Hartline to be offensive coordinator and give him play-calling authority?
The offense isn’t changing, and that minimizes the risk. Ryan Day’s system, tendencies and terminology have been ingrained since 2017 when Hartline joined the staff as a quality control assistant before becoming receivers coach the next year. Hartline is Day’s longest tenured offensive position coach.
“The stability of the offense, the stability of Brian, the stability of myself involved with all of those guys, that keeps this thing moving,” Day said.
Day wants stability however he can get it because turnover is high at the coordinator level across college football. Maybe Hartline is a coach Day can keep in that role longer than most.
When an employee excels as Hartline has, he deserves a raise and promotion. Day would agree. But no way did Day, the CEO, default to that thought when Chip Kelly departed for the NFL. Day, knowing down seasons are not permitted at Ohio State, would not put his own job at risk and make Hartline his OC and play caller without absolute confidence he’s the right man for the job.
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Day has made suspect hires, most notably bringing Kerry Coombs back as defensive coordinator. After a few games, Coombs was demoted because the defense was dysfunctional. No, you don’t hire your old friends or newer friends just because they deserve a shot.
If you doubt Hartline is the right man for the job, you can be sure Day is sure Hartline will excel in his new role. Of course, as Day says about players, practice isn’t enough to completely sell you. You must see them do it in games before you really know.
For Day, and the fan base, the same will be true for Hartline.
What does he call on third-and-11 at a crucial moment? Will he throw it long to Smith or will he play it as safely as he can?
Hartline as a player at OSU…went on to a successful career in the NFL.
What’s the call on fourth-and-goal at the 2 when Day says score a touchdown?
What about when he has a comfortable lead? Will he stay aggressive or try too hard to kill the clock and give the ball right back to the opponent?
Everyone will get an idea in the season opener when Texas comes to town on August 30. No warmups for that one. Hartline must correct his mistakes the following two weeks against Grambling and Ohio before the Big Ten tests his acumen.
Developing a strong working relationship – a strong personal one as well – with the quarterbacks and their coach Billy Fessler is Hartline’s top priority. Day and Chip Kelly are masters coaching quarterbacks to play at a high level. Last year they transformed Will Howard from a running quarterback into a passer who made big play after big play in the playoffs.
“If you’re not learning, you’re not growing, then you’re wasting your time – so try not to waste a day of that,” Hartline said. “We’re surrounded by a lot of elite individuals.”
Hartline is doing in practice what Kelly began doing last year when headset communication with the quarterback became a part of the college game. Hartline’s goal is clarity and for every coach talking to the quarterback during practices, meetings and games to have the same messages.
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Hartline says his ability to remain receivers coach and run the offense, with the help of co-coordinator and tight ends coach Keenan Baily, relies on organizing his day and everything about his tasks.
“If you stay well organized, it doesn’t detract from where you’re trying to be when you’re supposed to be there,” he said. “On the field, I’m trying to watch a lot of things. I’m not saying I’m a pro at it yet, but I can feel myself when I’m getting pulled one way or the other. As long as I can keep self-assessing myself, our goals and what my goals are can be accomplished.”
During Monday’s news conference, Day continued to express confidence in Hartline’s knowledge of the offense, his ability to call plays, and his self-discipline to manage an entire offense while also coaching the receivers.
“I did it before – coach the receivers and called plays,” Day said. “One of the things that we talked about, Brian and I, was just having enough interaction with the quarterbacks so that he’s on the same page because I think that’s important. But it’s a team effort. We’re all involved with this. Every week that goes by, he’ll get a better feel for it and how that goes.”
And, as Day sees it, the continuity of the offense will help Hartline manage his new responsibilities of play calling and communicating well with the quarterbacks.
“We’re all talking the same language, and that’s good for quarterbacks to know the rules are the rules, the wide receivers to know the rules are the rules, and if you just stick to the rules, things are going to go good,” Day said.
Gray areas, as Day said, do not exist in the offense. They know what plays fit certain skill sets at all the skill positions. That simplifies Hartline’s job.
“We all know exactly what it should look like,” Day said. “And we all know the coaching points along the way.”
Ryan Day didn’t throw Brian Hartline into the deep end and say, “Yell if you need anything.” As the CEO he will be beside Hartline. Not as a micro manager. But as a boss confident he hired the right guy to carry out his vision.
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