Ohio State Coach Ryan Day Adds SEC Experienced Tight End Coach

Ohio State Buckeyes coach Ryan Day continues to finalize his coaching staff this fall. Monday, he updated the latest piece of the puzzle as he reportedly hired experienced offensive multi-positional coach Thomas Morton as an assistant to primary tight ends coach Keenan Bailey.

Morton's hiring was first reported by Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, who offered a glimpse into Morton's background before his eventual arrival in Columbus.

"Morton, who’s viewed in the coaching space as an up-and-coming offensive mind, was quarterbacks coach at Samford this past season after previously working at Auburn and Troy," Zenitz wrote.

The wealth of experience Morton brings to the table should certainly influence Day's liking toward him.

Thomas Morton's Coaching Background, Explained

According to his Samford football bio, however, the majority of his experience comes from his years with the Auburn Tigers, as he served as a quality control, tight ends and assistant wideouts coach between Dec. 2022 to May 2023.

With Samford, though, he did a bit of everything but was held responsible for maintaining arguably the most important position on the field. Therefore, experience in the trenches is nothing new.

"Morton was a quality control coach for wide receivers for Auburn from December of 2022 to May of 2023, when he was responsible for pass game drawings and he assisted the wide receivers coach in day to day management of the position room and with his recruitment area," his bio reads. "In November of 2022, he assisted with the tight ends at Auburn. He was also an offensive assistant at Auburn from May of 2022 to October of 2022, while he was a player analyst at Auburn from May of 2021 to May of 2022."

Should Morton's hiring formally go through, it would be his first taste of Big Ten football and his first exposure to the Buckeyes. Morton was a quarterback for Southern Mississippi, though he primarily used much of his eligibility to redshirt before entering the coaching ranks after the onset of the pandemic.

The addition of Morton follows the Buckeyes having snagged former Illinois Fighting Illini assistant Robby Discher, who will serve as a key asset in the tight ends room, while also assisting with the special teams unit that has undergone significant changes since the season concluded following a season-ending Cotton Bowl defeat against the Miami Hurricanes.

The Buckeyes have yet to officially confirm interest in Morton, though other reputable outlets (247Sports, among others) have confirmed the hiring is all but a done deal.