Ohio State is investing heavily in its coaching staff for the 2025 season, with assistant coaches set to earn nearly $12 million ($11.775M) combined. As the Buckeyes gear up for a championship run, the program ensures its coaching staff ranks among the highest-paid in college football. This massive investment is expected to push the coaches to bring out the best in their players.
With Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia and Offensive Coordinator Brian Hartline leading the earnings chart, Ohio State is clearly prioritizing top-tier coaching talent. But who else is raking in big money? Here’s a closer look at the numbers.
Matt Patricia, Brian Hartline, and More: Who’s Making the Big Bucks on Ohio State’s 2025 Coaching Staff?
The total figure is not nearly $12M—it’s over $24M. Ohio State is set to invest this amount in its coaching staff for the 2025 season, with head coach Ryan Day’s new eight-year contract, announced in February, paying him $12.5 million.
This $24 million is just the main figure, though. The real total is likely much higher because it doesn’t include Ohio State’s quality control coaches, analysts, or graduate assistants. These roles and the rest of the football staff are also critical to the team’s success and add to the total investment.
Matt Patricia (Defensive Coordinator) – $2.5 million contract through 2028.
Brian Hartline (Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach) – $2 million, a 25% increase from 2024.
Tim Walton (Co-Defensive Coordinator/Secondary Coach) – $1.8 million, also receiving a $400,000 raise.
Larry Johnson (Associate Head Coach/Defensive Line Coach) – $1.4 million, maintaining his 2024 salary.
Just look at the salary jumps—some of them are eye-opening. The percentage increases might not seem huge for the highest-paid coaches because their base pay is already massive. Still, many of their salaries are now close to the $2 million mark after the raises, which is a big deal.
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But what’s even more impressive are the raises for some of the other coaches. Their base salaries may not be near $2 million, but the percentage hikes are amazing. It shows just how serious Ohio State is about rewarding talent.
Other Salary Growth and Contract Extensions
Tyler Bowen (Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator) – $900,000, a 2.9% increase from 2024, with a scheduled raise to $1 million in 2026 and $1.1 million in 2027.
Matt Guerrieri (Passing Game Coordinator/Safeties Coach) – $900,000, a 112% (more than double) increase from his previous $425,000 salary, with a scheduled raise to $1 million in 2026 and $1.1 million in 2027.
Keenan Bailey (Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach) – $650,000, a 62.5% increase from 2024.
James Laurinaitis (Linebackers Coach) – $500,000, a 42.9% increase from 2024.
Billy Fessler (Quarterbacks Coach) – $475,000, a massive 981% jump from his previous $43,900 salary
In this list, everyone except Tyler Bowen has seen a massive jump in their annual salary compared to 2024. Matt Guerrieri is set to earn more than double this season, while Brian Fessler’s salary growth is nearly unimaginable—close to a 1,000% increase.
With this kind of bold investment, the expectations are undoubtedly sky high. The Buckeyes are betting on their top-tier coaching staff to deliver big results.
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