Offensive Coordinator | Wide Receivers Coach Brian Hartline

BRIAN HARTLINE

• On it taking time for highly touted WRs to find a role in the offense: "They have a pretty good head on their shoulders, they understand this is a process."
• Hartline says he's "pinches himself" sometimes when it settles in that he's the wide receivers coach at Ohio State.
• On Marvin Harrison Jr.: "He has a very bright future." Hartline says his dad talk Harrison from a young age, and that it's "very evident." Hartline says "I never hear from their parents, besides, 'Hey coach, how you doing?'"
• On Jayden Ballard and Emeka Egbuka: "The group is awesome and it's so much fun to coach, and I can't emphasize that enough."
• Hartline says there's been a "stark change" in development and execution in his group from Week 1 to Week 9.
• On his recruiting philosophy, Hartline says he "doesn't believe in gadget players": "You definitely want different sizes and kind of prototypes, and who's leaving and who's coming in."
• Hartline says he's never looked at grades for his receivers, so he couldn't say who has the highest grade in his room so far this season.
• On how Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson may feel about not grading out as champions, Hartline says "you should ask them and let me know what they say."
• Hartline says he didn't want to come off the field as a senior, and that he believes in leaving his top guys in the game rather than just playing younger guys for the sake of it. "It's always constant conversation, it's always something we'll be mindful of." Hartline says the Buckeyes are "lightyears ahead" of where they were last year in terms of rotating receivers.
• "From day one, I've always thought very highly of C.J." Hartline says "the more he can play and the more he can see, the better he can become."
• On Julian Fleming: "I'm sure at times it's been pretty hard. With how competitive he is, it's probably pretty difficult." Hartline says Fleming is "feeling better" though. "If it's not been frustrating, you're not very competitive."
• Hartline says Denzel Burke is a "great young man" and a "great Buckeye so far," and discussed the fact that he was the first Buckeye coach to reach out to Burke in the recruiting process.
• Hartline on what makes his wide receivers room different than others: "The details at which we operate are what separate people." Hartline says the Buckeye wideouts "have had some games where you're like, 'Wow.'" Hartline says he would grade the Buckeye WRs as a C+ after the Penn State game, but that they're capable of an A+ standard.
• Hartline says Wilson and Egbuka have helped each other mature and have pushed each other to grow.
• On the No. 1 trait he's looking for when recruiting players: "The type of person you are. If you're not the right fit, it'll be really hard to maximize a player. ...You gotta be a good dude." Hartline says you don't have to be the biggest, fastest, strongest, but that "you gotta be big enough, fast enough, strong enough."
• "Ohio State's my home. ... I would say that I love it here, and that it's a passion here. All I care about is this room, and that's my main focus and my forever focus." Hartline says Ohio State is "the pinnacle of the ladder. ... I don't need the satisfaction of calling plays." Hartline says he has conversations with his wife about how hard it would be for him to tell the players in his room that he's leaving.
• Hartline says Jaxon Smith-Njigba "can do everything I ask him." Says Smith-Njigba is probably the best blocker in the wide receiver room.

 

That was fun!

ROSE BOWL CHAMPS 🌹 #Buckeyes pic.twitter.com/9Q8tgwe0MJ

— Brian Hartline (@brianhartline) January 2, 2022

 

Catching a flight with an @OhioStateFB legend and Super Bowl MVP @ToneTime10 #Buckeyes

Little dude asleep between us. He got tired of all the football talk! pic.twitter.com/PnzhIHNNHC

— Brian Hartline (@brianhartline) January 3, 2022

 

Ohio State's Brian Hartline was named @FootballScoop's Wide Receivers Coach of the Year after leading a unit that caught a combined 267 passes for 3,922 yards and 38 touchdowns this fall: https://t.co/ua8szCclJS

— BuckeyesNow (@BuckeyesNow_FN) January 5, 2022

 

Brian Hartline has been named the 2021 Wide Receivers Coach of the Year by Football Scoop. https://t.co/LeUPMjG7L6

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) January 5, 2022

 

Ohio State is promoting Brian Hartline to passing game coordinator. https://t.co/Gbg2y4BUav

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) January 9, 2022

 

Ryan Day on promoting Brian Hartline: “Brian is a dedicated Ohio State Buckeye. He is the top wide receivers coach in college football and he has continued to develop as an offensive coach to the point where we want him to have more of an impact on our offensive game plan.”

 

the best in the country and now our passing game coordinator 👏 #GoBucks @brianhartline pic.twitter.com/zVhDJKXVJZ

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) January 11, 2022

 

Ryan Day says Brian Hartline and Tony Alford were both approached about jobs at other programs, so Ohio State is giving them increased responsibilities and raises because he wanted to keep them around.