Ohio State’s new offensive coordinator replaces what Ryan Day missed most last season: Buckeye Take

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State coach Ryan Day missed something last season, and I’m not talking about a first-round quarterback or a few crucial decisions at Michigan.

Day did not hire new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien merely to assume Corey Dennis’ spot on the staff and his duties as quarterbacks coach. O’Brien also did not represent the only option available if Day simply wanted a chief play-caller. He could have hired a clone of himself from 2017 — an up-and-coming schematic talent and mentor of passers.

O’Brien instead corrects one of the most underrated absences from the 2023 season. With his executive experience and stature, he can fill the void left after former offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson and his decades of coaching wisdom departed to become Tulsa’s head coach.

A little over a year ago, when Wilson left, Day replaced him on staff in two ways. He promoted Keenan Bailey from senior advisor to tight ends coach — a move all but promised to the now 27-year-old. He also added the offensive coordinator title to receivers coach Brian Hartline. Also not yet 40, Hartline is even younger in coaching terms, having only joined the profession in 2017 following his NFL career.

The 31-year-old Dennis also had spent his entire coaching career at OSU, from intern to graduate assistant to quality control to position coach. On top of all of that, the 44-year-old Day continues to build his own base of knowledge, having been promoted in 2019 from no previous head coaching experience.

Day has not hid the fact that yielding play-calling duties and more offensive oversight takes him out of his comfort zone. A coach with O’Brien’s bona fides — he coached Tom Brady and some explosive offenses in New England, won four division titles in five years with the Texans, and helped Bryce Young win the Heisman Trophy — provides insurance against any inclination to backslide Day might encounter.

Wilson spent 19 years as an offensive coordinator before his stint as Indiana’s head coach. He helped bring the power spread offense to the Power 5. Having led his own program, his eyes, ears and mind were invaluable to a first-time head coach.

Day remains a relatively young head coach — as well as a sophisticated offensive mind. He also does not have much margin for error with this decision, or others. With three straight losses to Michigan pushing the Buckeyes into a crucial offseason, Day decided the program needed experience over experimentation.

Day had to promote Hartline when he did, because the latter’s performance as position coach demanded the title bump. He also wants to grow in the profession one day, lead his own program. However, it never seemed likely Day would turn over play-calling and oversight of the offense to someone learning the nuances on the job.

O’Brien, 54, needs no tutorial to get up to speed. Beyond his years as a head coach, he spent eight seasons as a Power 5 or NFL offensive coordinator. He can bring a presence to the offensive meeting room each week, and to the headset on Saturday afternoons.

Wilson’s impact on the staff was often overlooked because, while he carried the coordinator title, he did not call the plays. However, his voice carried considerable weight in assembling the game plan each week and when talking through crucial in-game scenarios.

He meant a lot to those offenses that led the nation in yards per play in 2021 and ‘22. O’Brien will mean even more to the next one, because Day is giving him a larger piece of it.