Ohio State, led by Ryan Day, is reportedly bringing on two new hires to strengthen its decision-making process.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day finally reached the milestone of winning the national championship on January 20. However, following that victory, the Buckeyes saw significant changes in their coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles departed to join the Penn State Nittany Lions, while offensive coordinator Chip Kelly accepted a similar position with the Las Vegas Raiders.
According to On3’s Pete Nakos, the Buckeyes have recruited offensive line coaches Charlie Dickey and Marcus Johnson to assist new offensive line coach Tyler Bowen for the upcoming season.
Marcus Johnson brings experience from his previous roles at Duke, Mississippi State, Missouri, and most recently Purdue. Meanwhile, Charlie Dickey has served as an offensive line coach at Northern Arizona, Arizona, Washington, Utah, Kansas State, and Oklahoma State.
Before joining Ohio State, Bowen worked as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Virginia Tech Hokies, taking over as the offensive line coach to replace Justin Frye, who has accepted the same role with the Arizona Cardinals.
On Wednesday’s episode of “Triple Option,” national championship-winning coach Ryan Day outlined the extensive coaching staff changes impacting the Buckeyes and detailed his plans to address the departures.
At the eight-minute mark, Day referenced Belichick’s comment about “champagne problems,” noting that winning comes with its own set of challenges. He explained that because their season ended much later than most teams’, many staff members had already moved on, resulting in the loss of a few critical weeks for recruiting. He pointed out that while the Tennessee game was played on December 21, their season didn’t conclude until January 20—a full month later, which made a significant difference.
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Ohio State coach Ryan Day finally reached the milestone of winning the national championship on January 20. However, following this triumph, the Buckeyes have undergone significant staff turnover. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has departed for the Penn State Nittany Lions, and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has accepted a similar role with the Las Vegas Raiders.
On3’s Pete Nakos reports that Ohio State has brought on offensive line coaches Charlie Dickey and Marcus Johnson to support incoming offensive line coach Tyler Bowen for the next season. Johnson comes with coaching experience from Duke, Mississippi State, Missouri, and most recently Purdue, while Dickey has held similar roles at Northern Arizona, Arizona, Washington, Utah, Kansas State, and Oklahoma State. Prior to joining Ohio State, Bowen served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Virginia Tech Hokies, stepping in to replace Justin Frye, who moved on to the Arizona Cardinals.
During Wednesday’s episode of “Triple Option,” Day shed light on the extensive staff changes and outlined his strategy to manage these departures. At the eight-minute mark, he recalled Belichick’s comment about “champagne problems,” explaining that winning a championship comes with its own challenges. “Because our season ended much later than most—consider that the Tennessee game was on December 21 and we finished on January 20—we lost several crucial weeks of recruiting,” Day explained, emphasizing how this delay has had a significant impact.
Day further underscored the necessity of maintaining consistency throughout the organization despite these changes. “Once the celebrations die down, challenges arise and new opportunities will come along,” he said. “We are determined to keep a consistent core across all three phases. The Ohio State defense remains the Ohio State defense, and the offense is the same, too. We’re committed to hiring people who embody that continuity, as these decisions ultimately define our future success—not only for the offense and defense, but also for our special teams.”
Even after the national championship victory in January, Day now faces mounting pressure to repeat his success next season, all while navigating high turnover among both players and staff in Columbia.
