Ohio State Buckeyes Pluck New Coach from Big Ten Foe

The Ohio State Buckeyes have pilfered a Big Ten opponent to add a new coach to their staff.

Sep 2, 2023; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes helmets sit on the sideline prior to the NCAA football game at Indiana University Memorial Stadium. Ohio State won 23-3. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Ohio State Buckeyes have certainly seen their coaching staff sapped this offseason, with both offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles departing for other opportunities.

Ohio State has pivoted by promoting Brian Hartline as the new play caller and by hiring Matt Patricia to replace Knowles, but the Buckeyes still have some holes in other areas.

Well, they patched one on Saturday, hiring former UCLA Bruins defensive line and outside linebackers coach Tony Washington Jr. as their new assistant defensive line coach, via Eleven Warriors.

Washington spent one season at UCLA in 2024. He initially jumped to the coaching ranks back in 2019, when he worked as a graduate assistant for Nebraska and held the position for two years.

He then moved on to Oregon, where he worked as director of player development in 2021 before being promoted to assistant defensive line coach the following season. Washington then spent one more year with the Ducks in 2023, holding a job as outside linebackers coach.

Washington played his collegiate football as a linebacker at Oregon from 2010 through 2014 and went undrafted, but he spent time with the Houston Texans and the Tennessee Titans on the NFL level between 2015 and 2018.

Ohio State is certainly losing a whole lot of players alongside its defensive line this offseason, as Tyleik Williams, Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau and Ty Hamiton are all making the jump to the NFL.

We'll see if Washington can help maintain the Buckeyes' typical level of excellence as he helps head defensive line coach Larry Johnson in 2025.

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