Coaching Candidate is a mini-series exploring potential head coaches at the FCS and FBS levels. Read more about the contracts and backgrounds of Alex Golesh, Bob Chesney, Ryan Silverfield, Charles Huff, Brent Vigen, Tim Polasek, Dan Mullen, and Jason Eck.
In a first for our Coaching Candidate series, we’re highlighting an assistant coach — Ohio State offensive coordinator and receivers coach Brian Hartline.
He gives off that longtime-assistant vibe you see with guys like Brent Venables or Kirby Smart, coordinators who stay in the mix for years until the perfect opportunity arrives. Yet Hartline hasn’t actually been a “lifelong assistant.” He’s been a full-time staffer only since 2018 — roughly the same amount of time Smart spent at Alabama before Georgia hired him, and just a few years short of Venables’ run at Clemson.
I’m not saying Hartline is leaving, but he’ll absolutely be in play this coaching cycle. And unlike many offensive coordinators and defensive coordinators across the country, he actually has a buyout, which you’ll see below.
Brian Hartline is in his eighth season on Ohio State’s staff, and is currently the program’s offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach — and one of the most valuable assistants in college football. Head coach Ryan Day has praised him as a developer and recruiter operating at “an unprecedented level,” noting that Hartline recruits “as well or better than anyone in the country.” At just 39 years old, Hartline has built a résumé that already rivals some sitting head coaches.
His rise has been absolutely rapid. After a seven-year NFL career with the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns — totaling 344 receptions, 4,766 yards, and 14 touchdowns — Hartline returned to Columbus in 2017 as a graduate assistant. He was named to the AFCA “35 Under 35” Leadership Institute in 2020, earned 247Sports’ “National Recruiter of the Year,” became passing-game coordinator in 2021, and was elevated to offensive coordinator in 2023.
In 2024, he was briefly “demoted” as the Co-OC with Chip Kelly. When Ohio State won the national championship and Chip Kelly departed for the Las Vegas Raiders, Hartline once again took full control of the Buckeyes’ offense.
Brian Hartline Contract
Hartline is on a fixed-term agreement running from February 1, 2025, through January 31, 2028, with a base salary of $2 million. His deal is more heavily incentivized than most coordinator contracts in the country. There’s no cap on how much he can earn — all bonuses stack — but in exchange for that uncapped “commission,” his base salary remains the same each year.
Bonuses
- 8% of base salary for appearing in the Big Ten Championship Game
- 4% for winning it
- 10% for a New Year’s Eve bowl appearance
- 20% for reaching the CFP quarterfinals
- 25% for reaching the CFP semifinals
- 30% for losing the CFP final
- 35% for winning the national title
In theory, if the Buckeyes hit all of these accolades, Hartline essentially doubles his salary to just over $4 million.
Brian Hartline Buyout
If Hartline leaves Ohio State for another assistant coaching role — either at a Division I school or in the NFL — within 12 months of resigning, he owes 30% of his base salary back to Ohio State as liquidated damages.
He does not owe this if he takes a head-coaching position at either level.
The buyout also disappears entirely after December 1, 2027, the final stretch of his current contract.
Wrap Up
Of course, all of this success and money is layered on top of his unparalleled development of wide receiver talent. Hartline has coached Terry McLaurin, Chris Olave, Marvin Harrison Jr., Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Emeka Egbuka, and current stars Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith. Wilson, JSN, Harrison, and Olave were all first-round picks — with Smith likely next. Nearly every receiver under Hartline has become the No. 1 option in their offense, whether in college (via the transfer portal) or in the NFL.
When you combine the elite recruiting, the development pipeline, the NFL pedigree, the youthfulness, and the play-calling experience, the picture becomes clear: Brian Hartline is definitely a name that will pop up in the carousel.
Two things could hold him back.
First, himself — he doesn’t need to leave. He’s in a great spot, paid well, surrounded by elite facilities, and is highly respected. He’s also next in line should Ryan Day ever be swayed by an NFL franchise. Second, another deep playoff run actually works against him as a candidate. It’s tough to navigate a coaching search while you’re in the middle of a potential title push. (Yes, paging Lane Kiffin … twice.)
