Buckeyes’ Hartline named head coach at USF

Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline has been named the new head coach at South Florida, the school announced Wednesday.

Hartline has agreed to a six-year deal, and the expectation is that Hartline will remain with the Buckeyes for the remainder of the postseason, sources told ESPN.

“Becoming a first-time head coach at a place like USF is a dream come true for me and my family. I look forward to leading the team to new heights, both on and off the field,” Hartline said in a statement.

Hartline, who has been picky about jobs throughout his career, replaces Alex Golesh, who took the head coaching job at Auburn. South Florida is set to move into a new on-campus stadium in 2027, a key investment piece to unlock a program that has long percolated with more promise than results.

Hartline, 38, is a former star receiver at Ohio State. After a seven-year career in the NFL with Miami and Cleveland, Hartline embarked on his coaching career, eventually working his way up to the role of offensive coordinator and playcaller this season for the top-ranked Buckeyes.

Known for being one of the country’s top recruiters of wide receivers, Hartline has developed five first-round picks at wide receiver for the Buckeyes since 2022, making the school a destination for the country’s top talent at that position. This season, Hartline and Ohio State boast what’s regarded as the country’s top crop of wide receivers this season, including Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate.

The wide receivers that Hartline has tutored during his time at Ohio State include the five first-round picks from OSU — Marvin Harrison Jr., Chris Olave, Emeka Egbuka, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Garrett Wilson. All were picked in the top 20. He also recruited and developed Jameson Williams, who left Ohio State for Alabama before becoming a first-round pick. Other notables include Terry McLaurin, Parris Campbell and KJ Hill Jr.

“Brian Hartline was our clear-cut first choice to lead our football program into the most exciting era in program history, and I am so fired up to have him leading the Bulls,” USF CEO of athletics Rob Higgins said in a statement. “A relentless recruiter, outstanding developer of talent and a gritty competitor, he comes from a championship background and is obsessed with instilling championship excellence in his players and teams. He is ready to lead our program to the next level. He knows the state of Florida, having spent six seasons of his professional playing career in Miami, and has successfully recruited the state and the [Tampa] Bay area for a long time.”

In his first year calling plays, Hartline has helped OSU play exemplary complementary football. The Buckeyes have the country’s best defense, and the offense is ranked in the top 25 as the No. 1 team in the country gets set to take on No. 2 Indiana in the Big Ten title game Saturday in Indianapolis.

OSU has brought along quarterback Julian Sayin to become one of the front-runners for the Heisman Trophy in his first year as a starter, as he has completed 78.9% of his passes for 30 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

This is the first notable hire for USF athletic director Rob Higgins, who was brought on in September and presented an aggressive vision for the future of USF football.