As the Ohio State Buckeyes prepare to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly praised wide receiver coach Brian Hartline for his influence on the program.
Brian Hartline Praised By Chip Kelly in Lead-Up to National Championship Game
Ohio State has an extremely accomplished coaching staff.
Head coach Ryan Day headlines the group, leading the Buckeyes to 69 wins in seven seasons at the helm. Offensive coordinator Kelly spent a combined ten years as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks and UCLA Bruins while also assuming the same role with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles for four seasons.
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Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has held the same position at several colleges. The 2024-25 version of the Buckeyes’ defense is giving up only 12.2 points per game, the best mark in the country.
Co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Hartline has proven his worth to the Ohio State program, developing a deep cast of talented receivers who enjoyed success both in Columbus and at the next level.
Ahead of the national championship game matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Kelly was asked about Hartline.
“I think whatever the word is that’s better than really, really good is what Brian is,” he said. “He’s as good a coach as I’ve been around in all aspects. He can do it all. He can recruit. He can develop players. He can put together a game plan.”
Hartline spent seven seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns, retiring in 2015. He amassed 4,766 yards and 14 touchdowns. That experience in the league surely helped set him up for his future in coaching.
Hartline began as a quality control coach for the Buckeyes before advancing to his current position.
Kelly continued, harping on Hartline’s innate ability to develop receivers.
“But his ability to develop players,” Kelly continued, harping on Hartline’s innate ability to develop receivers. “How he can explain to our players how you can apply to individual drills to the game itself and then watch that manifest itself is really special. But I think Brian is an outstanding football coach. And really fortunate that I got a chance to work with him this year.”
Hartline has worked with several four- and five-star recruits. The names he’s helped develop could fill an NFL Pro Bowl roster. They include Terry McLaurin, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Jameson Williams.
While the job may seem easy, plenty of highly ranked wide receivers fall through the cracks due to lack of development — that doesn’t seem to happen at Ohio State, largely due to the work of Hartline.
Currently, Hartline is coaching true freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith, who, at only 19, carved up opposing defenses in the 2024 season. Fellow receiver Emeka Egbuka is widely expected to be a first-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft come April — add his name to the list of Hartline disciples.
Arguably, no position coach in the country provides more of a positive impact than Hartline, who’s helped put the Buckeyes in a position to win a national title on Monday night.
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