Ohio State Officially Adds Tim Walton, Perry Eliano To Defensive Coaching Staff

Walton will be the secondary and cornerbacks coach, while Eliano will be in charge of the safeties.

Author:
Andrew Lind
Jan 14, 2022 3:47 PM EST

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day officially announced the hiring of Jacksonville Jaguars secondary/cornerbacks coach Tim Walton and Cincinnati cornerbacks coach Perry Eliano on Friday afternoon.

Walton – who played for the Buckeyes from 1990-93 and was named a team captain during his senior season – will be the program’s new secondary/cornerbacks coach. The 50-year-old spent the last three seasons in Jacksonville, including this past year under former head coach Urban Meyer.

“We’re very excited to welcome Tim and his family back to Ohio State,” Day said in a statement.. “As a former Buckeye captain, he comes here with a deep appreciation for how special this place is. And, his experience at both the collegiate and NFL levels make him someone who is uniquely qualified to develop the back end of our defense.”

Eliano, meanwhile, was responsible for one of the nation’s best pass defenses this past season, as the Bearcats finished this No. 1 in passing efficiency (100.5), No. 2 in passing yards allowed (168.3), No. 3 in interceptions (18) and No. 4 in opponent completion percentage. The 43-year-old will be Ohio State’s new safeties coach.

“Perry’s work the last two years at Cincinnati speaks for itself,” Day said. “He has developed great players and has been a huge part of the Bearcats’ success. He has 15 years of collegiate experience coaching either safeties or cornerbacks and that was the kind of experience we were looking for. I look forward to welcoming Perry and his family to Ohio State University.”

The arrival of both Walton and Eliano signal the end of Kerry Coombs’ time in Columbus, while linebackers coach Al Washington’s services were no longer needed once Ohio State hired new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. With that, the staff is once again at 10 on-field assistants.

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