Ryan Day reveals if Brian Hartline will call plays as Ohio State offensive coordinator

After Chip Kelly’s departure for the NFL, Ryan Day is keeping things in-house for his next offensive coordinator. Brian Hartline will take the role – and Day said he will call plays, as well.

Ohio State hasn’t officially announced Hartline’s promotion, but Day confirmed the plans for him to succeed Kelly as OC during an interview with WBNS-TV. The architect of the Buckeyes’ wide receiver room, Hartline co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach from 2023-24, but never called plays.

“You talk about sacrifice,” Day said. “Here’s a guy who, he was named coordinator, and I ended up calling the plays that year. But he grew that year. And then, we decided to bring in Chip, and he had to take a step back. But he learned from Chip, and I thought down the stretch, he did some of his best work I’ve seen him as a coach. Some of the passing install, the route concepts, the coaching that was done right there was a high, high level. Certainly, Keenan [Bailey] helped him a lot, Billy [Fessler] helped him a lot and I was much involved with it. But you could just see him growing as the season went on. His understanding of protections.

“Some guys would say, wait a minute, ‘I’m going somewhere else. He didn’t name me the coordinator.’ Now, he’s going to be the coordinator. Now, he’s going to call plays. That loyalty and that patience is going to pay off, and I think he’s going to be the best coordinator in the country.”