Three offensive coordinator candidates for Ohio State replace Brian Hartline

The Ohio State Buckeyes should strongly consider these three offensive coordinator candidates in 2026.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day watches from the sideline during the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas for the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against the Miami Hurricanes on Dec. 31, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State's 2025 season didn't wrap up on a high note, as it fell to Miami 24-14 in the Cotton Bowl on Wednesday night.

The Buckeyes will undergo several changes this offseason, with one of the most significant being the shift in their offensive coordinator.

Current offensive coordinator Brian Hartline accepted the head coaching position at the University of South Florida in early December. Now, head coach Ryan Day will need to fill Hartline's role and should do so by pursuing the top names in the sport.

Brian Daboll

The first candidate Day should consider reaching out to is former Giants head coach Brian Daboll. New York parted ways with Daboll in the middle of November, and he currently hasn’t accepted any college football positions. He might be waiting for an NFL opportunity to arise, but if that doesn’t materialize, becoming Ohio State's offensive coordinator would be an excellent fit for him.

Daboll is better known for his time in the NFL, but he served as Alabama's offensive coordinator in 2017. Day isn't shy about hiring coaches with little or no college football coaching experience, as he did when he hired Matt Patricia as the defensive coordinator this season.

Day should think hard about hiring someone like Daboll, who can serve as the offense's CEO and let Day handle game management.

Garrett Riley

Riley is likely not Ohio State's first or even second choice. However, he could bring his offensive vision and style to an offense that has to get more explosive.

Riley served as Clemson's offensive coordinator from 2023 to 2025, but the Tigers fired him after the season. There were a handful of issues at Clemson over the last three seasons that weren't all on Riley, and joining a program with more stability and better players could get Riley back on track.

It's not that Riley hasn't had success as an offensive coordinator; he served as TCU's OC in 2022, when the Horned Frogs reached the national championship game and ultimately lost to Georgia.

Todd Monken

Monken is currently the Ravens' offensive coordinator, but there may be a handful of changes on the horizon in Baltimore if the Ravens fail to make the playoffs this season.

If the Ravens decide to part ways with their entire coaching staff, Monken would be an excellent fit for the Buckeyes.

Before heading to Baltimore, he served as Georgia's offensive coordinator from 2020 to 2023, where he played a key role in helping the Bulldogs win two championships.

Monken could bring his NFL experience to an offense that has a handful of players who will be playing on Sundays in the future.