Well, at least Ryan Day got a few days to enjoy his victory lap. Less than a week after Day's Ohio State Buckeyes capped off a spectacular run through the College Football Playoff with a national championship, the program finds itself looking for a new defensive coordinator. And to make matters worse, previous DC Jim Knowles — who revitalized a defense that finished No. 1 in yards and points allowed this season — is headed to rival Penn State, jumping at a record $3 million annual salary and a chance to head back to his home state.
Losing Knowles is undoubtedly a big blow to the Buckeyes; he's been dynamite at the Power 4 level for over a decade now, from Duke to Oklahoma State to Ohio State, and while it took him a little longer than expected to implement his scheme in Columbus, the results were spectacular when he finally did. And while Day bought himself a big pile of good will with this year's natty run, all it will take is a fifth straight loss to Michigan to bring the lunatic fringe out again in full force.
So where might Day look for his biggest hire of the offseason? Here are a few candidates to keep an eye on.
5. Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell
A long shot? Maybe, but hey: It wouldn't be the first time Day managed to poach a head coach on the hot seat for a coordinator job in Columbus. Fickell might not be as disgruntled at Wisconsin as Chip Kelly was at UCLA, but the vibes are not great in Madison right now, and with several big losses in the transfer portal, 2025 might not be much better.
If Fickell is already reading the writing on the wall, maybe he'll jump at the chance to come back to his alma mater, for whom he served as co-defensive coordinator for more than a decade. Things haven't worked out as planned in Wisconsin, but his defenses at Cincinnati were sensational, and this would be a feel-good move at the very least.
4. Pittsburgh DC Randy Bates
Speaking of Ohio State alumni: Bates is one as well, and he's quietly developed into one of the better defensive coaches in the country between 11 years as linebackers coach at Northwestern — where he developed multiple All-Americans — and the last seven years as DC under Pat Narduzzi at Pitt. He's an Ohio guy who knows how to scout the Midwest, and he also has a track record of consistently developing talent beyond the recruiting rankings. It may not be the flashiest hire, but there's plenty of reason to believe that Bates would do a perfectly fine job with the players Ohio State has on hand.
3. Iowa State DC Jon Heacock
Heacock didn't graduate from Ohio State, but he did grow up in the state and spend some two decades coaching at Youngstown State, Kent State and Toledo, so he checks that box all the same. But the real appeal here is what Heacock has done in his most recent stop: His 3-3-5 defenses at Iowa State have revolutionized how teams guard against spread option attacks, and have been a crucial part of Matt Campbell's success in Ames.
Heacock is 64 and has never really recruited at the level Ohio State will demand of him. But he shows no signs of slowing down schematically, and his preference for three-safety looks will mesh well with what Knowles was already doing in Columbus.
2. Ohio State safeties coach Matt Guerrieri
Guerrieri represents the continuity option. He's a Knowles guy through and through, initially coming with him to Ohio State as a senior analyst back in 2022. After a year apart at Indiana in 2023, Knowles missed him so much that he convinced Day to bring him back to Columbus, where he spent this past season as safeties coach.
There's no word yet on whether Guerrieri is planning on following Knowles to Happy Valley. But you'd have to imagine that, if Ohio State dangled a promotion in front of him, he'd jump at the chance to finally helm a defense of his own (and coach Caleb Downs for another year). Guerrieri is just 35, and has never called plays at the college level, so experience would be a concern. But he knows this system inside and out, and he seems ready for his shot.
1. Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines
Haynes just reworked his contract at Indiana, but this is Ohio State we're talking about: money is very rarely an object. And Haines might be the single most desirable candidate out there, building a dominant unit under Curt Cignetti at James Madison and then pulling off a spectacular one-year turnaround at Indiana this season.
Prior to coming to Bloomington, Haines spent most of his career in the mid-Atlantic. But he also has some Midwest experience, including a stint as a graduate assistant at Ohio State under Urban Meyer back in 2013. If the Buckeyes throw enough cash his way, he may be willing to jump, and his resume is pretty spotless so far.