Ohio
3 thoughts on Ohio State hiring Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator
Ohio State is set to bring in Arthur Smith as its next offensive coordinator, replacing Brian Hartline, who was recently named the head coach at South Florida.
Here are three thoughts on Smith’s imminent hire:
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day values NFL experience
The hire follows a familiar pattern, as Smith is the latest coordinator to bring an NFL background to Ohio State.
Six of the eight offensive and defensive play-callers hired by Day over his tenure have spent previous years in the NFL.
Smith’s career arc most closely mirrors Matt Patricia, the Buckeyes’ current defensive coordinator. Both were rising stars during the 2010s and landed head-coaching jobs at the peak of their ascents before washing out and returning to roles as coordinators.
After Smith was fired by the Atlanta Falcons at the end of 2023, he spent two seasons as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator, helping them to twice reach the playoffs.
The approach worked well with Patricia, who elevated the Ohio State defense with NFL-style concepts that ranged from multiple fronts to coverage disguises as he replaced Jim Knowles last offseason. The Buckeyes finished 2025 with the best defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision, allowing the fewest points per game since Alabama 2011.
It figured to be worth repeating on the other side of the ball, especially after Day had relied on a first-time play-caller last year in Hartline, who had been the Buckeyes’ wide receivers coach before the promotion.
The experience of the 43-year-old Smith also allows Day to continue in a CEO-style role after remaining the primary play-caller for the offense in his first five seasons at the helm of the program. Day began delegating play-calling in 2024, though he briefly returned to the role for the College Football Playoff in December.
Arthur Smith adds a complementary strength
Smith’s best year as an offensive coordinator was with the Tennessee Titans in 2020.
The Titans were one of the highest-scoring offenses in league with an average of 30.7 points per game that ranked fourth out of 32 teams. They leaned on star running back Derrick Henry, who became only the eighth running back to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.
The Titans also finished drives during Smith’s two years as coordinator, ranking first in 2019 and second in 2020 for their red-zone touchdown percentage. They reached the end zone on three out of every four trips inside opponents’ 20-yard line.
If the success translates to Ohio State, it would pair well with the vertical passing that has long been the defining strength of Day’s offenses.
There were only five FBS quarterbacks in 2025 who completed more deep balls, as defined by Pro Football Focus as passes traveling at least 20 yards, than redshirt freshman Julian Sayin.
But the Buckeyes experienced a drop-off with both their running game, which went from 5 yards per carry in 2024 to 4.6 yards in 2025, and red-zone efficiency, where their touchdown percentage of 75.81% fell to 66.67%.
Smith should help in both areas, potential improvement that would enhance an offense that remains stacked with talent due to the return of Sayin and star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
The absence of Chip Kelly, the former offensive coordinator who elevated the Buckeyes’ running game during their national championship season, was noticeable last fall.
The hope for the Buckeyes is that Smith can help them to rediscover the balance.
Scheme is the priority at Ohio State
Two assistants will replace Hartline.
Day made the first hire earlier in January with Cortez Hankton as receivers coach before finding Smith.
The addition of Smith will leave Ohio State with a staff of 11 primary on-field assistant coaches, one more than in recent seasons.
The expansion is the result of the NCAA’s removal of limit on staff sizes, a rule change introduced in 2024 allowing schools to hire an unlimited number of assistants to coach during practices and games.
The only restriction that remains in effect involves recruiting. FBS teams can send only 10 assistants off campus to recruit in addition to their head coach.
The current setup suggests Smith would not be out recruiting. It would be a rare arrangement for a coordinator, but not unprecedented, as Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has other assistants on the road in place of offensive coordinator Chad Morris and defensive coordinator Tom Allen.
As Ohio State moves in a similar direction, it would leave Smith largely focused on game planning and play-calling for their offense without having to travel for recruiting.
Smith would also be Day’s first offensive coordinator without being assigned to a position group.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow along on Bluesky, Instagram and X for more.
Real estate transfers in Licking County, Ohio, range from $55,000 to $697,500
The following are property transfers recorded in Licking County from June 15-19, 2026.
First name indicates the seller; second name represents the buyer
Bowling Green Township
- No address listed – South St.; Gohl Investments LLC; Jude Properties LLC; 6/16/2026; $55,000
Eden Township
- 12967 Pleasant Valley Road; Troyer, Bryan L; Phillips, Charles and Susan; 6/15/2026; $170,000
Granville
- 319 Summit St.; Dunham, Timothy and Jill; Lenfest, Cody and Pagett, Victoria Rose; 6/16/2026; $585,000
Harrison Township
- 6582 Outville Road SW; AJ Pataskala LLC; Bemiller, Paige O and Gillam, Hunter; 6/16/2026; $286,000
Johnstown
- 51 Kasson St.; Jones, Dana; Dyer, Steven R and Melissa C; 6/15/2026; $169,900
Madison Township
- 20 Fairfield Drive NE; Ullom, Gary and Barbara A; KP Homes LLC; 6/15/2026; $190,000
Newark
- 1781 Ashford Lane; Scott, Mark W; Bergeron, Kyle M and Jacqueline M; 6/15/2026; $697,500
- 1687 Emerald Court; Roelle, Courtney R (Trustee); Haren, Patrick and Kayla L; 6/15/2026; $410,000
- 889 Dietrich Court; Fahner, Adam and Hannah; Bales, Preston T; 6/16/2026; $315,000
- 67 N. 31st St.; Morgan, Randy; Piper, Marian Richele; 6/15/2026; $275,000
- 195 Jefferson Road; Meister, Rachel; Flippin’ Out Renovations LLC; 6/17/2026; $150,000
- 63 W. Harrison St.; Linn, Carolyn M; Bloise, David Jr; 6/16/2026; $65,000
A family in Ohio has been indicted for murder after the body of a 20-year-old man was found in a burnt vehicle.
Sarah Haning, Randy Haning and Beverly Haning have been charged in the death of 20-year-old Ethan Vernon, Meigs County Prosecuting Attorney James K. Stanley said on Thursday. On Wednesday, a grand jury indicted the three members on charges that include murder, arson and gross abuse of a corpse.
Vernon was found dead in his burnt truck on Dec. 12, 2025, along Hemlock Grove Road in Bedford Township in Meigs County. Stanley said in the news release that the 20-year-old man was last seen on Dec. 11, 2025.
The prosecuting attorney said the indictment was handed down after an “extensive investigation.” Twenty-four-year-old Sarah Haning was indicted on 49 counts, 65-year-old Randy Haning on 11 counts and 63-year-old Beverly Haning on nine counts. All three family members are from Athens. The relationship between the victim and the three suspects was not immediately released. Vernon’s cause of death was also not immediately released.
In a Facebook post, Meigs County Sheriff Scott Fitch said the three suspects were arrested on Wednesday after law enforcement served a search warrant at a home on Pleasanton Road in Athens County.
“This investigation has been a lengthy and complex effort, and today’s arrests are the result of countless hours of work by our detectives,” Fitch said in the post on Facebook. “While these arrests mark a significant milestone, the investigation remains active, and we will continue to pursue every available lead to ensure justice is served for Ethan Vernon and his family.”
Anyone with any information on the case can call the sheriff’s tip line at 740-992-4682.
“Additional information will be released as it becomes available and as the investigation permits,” Fitch added.
A West Price Hill man is accused of punching an Ohio assistant attorney general after asking her for money, according to arrest documents and officials.
Jermaine Johnson, 50, is charged with misdemeanor assault after Cincinnati police say he punched Kathleen Fischer in the face July 1, according to court records.
Fischer was injured in the attack but was not hospitalized, arrest documents show.
Fischer is a senior assistant attorney general in the consumer protection section of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. She spent more than a decade as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office before taking on her new role in 2025.
Fischer is also the daughter of Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat Fischer, who hails from Fort Thomas.
Arrest documents list Fischer as the victim of the attack. An attorney general’s office spokesman and Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman also confirmed Fischer was the victim of the attack.
Fischer told police she was walking on Sycamore Street outside the prosecutor’s office around 4:30 p.m. when she ran into Johnson, arrest documents show. Johnson asked Fischer for money and as she continued to walk away, he punched her in the face, documents state.
A Cincinnati police officer then found Johnson two blocks away shortly after.
Johnson gave police a “conflicting statement” but told officers he may have accidentally hit her.
Johnson is also charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, court records show. Police say they found a glass pipe on Johnson while he was being arrested.
Johnson is expected to be arraigned in Hamilton County Municipal Court at 12:30 p.m., according to court records. He remains in custody at the Hamilton County Justice Center.
This report will be updated.
Enquirer reporter Matthew Cupelli contributed.
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