I know there was talk about James Laurinaitis joining the staff last year, but Jim Knowles needed as many of his guys as possible to make the transition to his defense happen quicker. He talked early on that he knew he didn’t have the four years to build a great defense like he had at Oklahoma State. Sometimes that means a former Buckeye has to begin his career somewhere else.
I think people sometimes forget Brian Hartline’s humble origins as a scout team wide receiver for a month and then an intern for a year before becoming a graduate assistant in 2018.
I wonder where Brian Hartline would be right now if the receivers coaching position had never opened in 2018. Does Hartline go from OSU graduate assistant in 2018 to Cincinnati WR coach in 2019? It’s not a crazy thought because Joker Phillips left UC after the 2018 season for the same job at Maryland. There was definitely a vacancy. Or does Ryan Day make the switch as he’s putting his first full staff together?
I know that Brian Hartline’s recruiting prowess was on full display in bringing James Laurinaitis to Ohio State. Not that it necessarily took a lot of convincing, but guys who went 4-0 against Michigan don’t necessarily cotton to what’s going on right now. Especially when Michigan is as confident as they are now.
I think the opportunity to take part in stopping Michigan’s current winning streak is a pitch that is hard for the old guard to turn down. Laurinaitis was thrust into the game in 2005 as a true freshman when Bobby Carpenter was injured early on. He did what he could to make sure he wasn’t the reason the Buckeyes lost. Now he gets to do it all over again. And it’s real. Former players view what has happened the last two years as unacceptable. Rather than bitch about it on social media, however, James Laurinaitis is putting his boots in the mud to help fix it.
I wonder who the next former Buckeye to join Ryan Day’s staff will be. I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s JT Barrett, who is currently with the Detroit Lions.
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