Ohio State coach Ryan Day reacts to Brian Hartline's departure from Buckeyes

The Ohio State Buckeyes will be going through a transition period of their own next season, as offensive coordinator Brian Hartline will be elevating his career by becoming the new head coach at USF.

Hartline's decision to leave Ohio State for USF was confirmed by multiple sources Wednesday morning, including ESPN's Pete Thamel.

According to The Athletic and Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman, Hartline plans to remain with the Buckeyes for Saturday's Big Ten Championship against the Indians Hoosiers in Indianapolis, along with the team's impending College Football Playoff run.

Coach Ryan Day briefly commented about Hartline's career-changing milestone, holding ill will toward his eventual ex-coordinator. Day also confirmed that Feldman's reporting was accurate.

"I’m really happy for him and his family," Day said. "As a head coach, it’s gratifying to see one of your assistants get these opportunities.”

Ryan Day on South Florida hiring Brian Hartline as head coach: “I’m really happy for him and his family ... As a head coach, it’s gratifying to see one of your assistants get these opportunities.”
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) December 3, 2025

Day said he had Hartline's full support upon being informed of his intentions to move on from Columbus. Hartline has been part of the staff in various capacities since 2017, beginning as the offensive coordinator in 2023 after spending a combined six seasons as a quality control assistant and wide receivers coach under Day's direction.

"[He] handled everything the right way," Day said of Hartline. Day added it all transpired "within the last day," but nothing the Buckeyes couldn't eventually see coming in the wild, transition-heavy game of the college football coaching carousel.

Buckeyes General Manager Mark Pantoni kept it real about how crazy the Buckeyes' search may become as their seeding designation gets determined next Sunday when the final College Football Playoff rankings are revealed.

“Ryan Day’s probably got 50 missed calls right now from every wide receivers coach in the country," Pantoni said.

The focus, though, still remains about beating the Hoosiers Saturday night (8 p.m. ET, Fox).

“It’s no question it’s been too long since we’ve been to Indy, and we want to win this thing," Day told reporters Sunday.

Day added that where things get lost in the shuffle is the prestige of winning a league title, which is the main priority before the postseason begins.

“I think winning your conference is a big deal,” Day said.

But so is seeding, as there are added pros and cons.

"But I also think it matters whether you’re the one [seed] or the three [seed] or the four [seed], because of who you play,” Day said.

Nonetheless, amidst all the transition, the focus returns to a successful National Signing Day and beating an elite Hoosiers team.