Former Buckeyes legend lands his first head coaching gig in pro football

One of the Ohio State Buckeyes' best wide receivers is going to be returning to the sidelines in the state of Ohio soon enough.

Former Buckeyes wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. was a star in college, playing three seasons in which he scored 18 offensive touchdowns and eight special-teams touchdowns. Ginn was named a First-Team All-American three straight seasons from 2004 through 2006 and enjoyed a 14-year NFL career, last playing in 2020.

After a successful playing career, Ginn brings his football knowledge to the United Football League as the head coach of the Columbus Aviators. This will be Ginn's first coaching gig of his career and takes over a brand-new team.

COLUMBUS, HE’S LANDED 🛬

Ohio State Buckeyes legend @tedginnjr_19 has been named Head Coach of the Aviators! pic.twitter.com/SLcsl23UQS
— Columbus Aviators (@UFLAviators) December 17, 2025

The UFL has been around since 2024, when it was formed as a merger between the XFL and USFL. They had played two seasons before relocating three teams, with one of them moving to Columbus.

New UFL co-owner Mike Repole has pushed for the league to have more local ties with the teams in their markets. Ginn has obvious ties with Columbus through his time with the Buckeyes as a wide receiver. Those ties also include Ginn being born in Cleveland and going to high school at Glenville, also in Cleveland.

Part of having local ties is finding talent that played at major colleges like Ohio State and Ohio. That's a significant advantage for Ginn, who has lived in Ohio his whole life and has those connections with the Buckeyes.

This is going to be huge for any current or former Ohio State players looking to reboot their football careers or keep them going. The Aviators will open that door for local talent to come in and show they deserve a shot at the NFL.

Members of the Columbus will also be more likely to attend Aviators games if they know the players on the field. Some from Ohio State have already benefited from playing in spring football leagues like the UFL, such as former Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones, who was the starting quarterback for the D.C. Defenders in 2020 with the XFL.

Ginn has an excellent opportunity to find great local talent to help his new football team while also getting his first shot at the head coach role. If he can prove his worth in the UFL and make the Aviators successful, Ginn might have a shot at coaching in college or the NFL in the near future.