
Top Contenders: Who Could Be Ohio State’s Next Offensive Line Coach?
Ryan Day may be making the rounds on national television to celebrate the Ohio State Buckeyes national championship victory, but back on the home front in Columbus there is work to be done. In the 12 days since hoisting the championship trophy Day has watched his defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and his offensive line coach Justin Frye exit for other opportunities.
Both departures are unfortunate for the program, but for a program like Ohio State the roles will be coveted. Frye’s exit in particular presents an interesting opportunity for the Buckeyes to find a coach that can get the team’s recruiting in the trenches back up to standard, after missing on a number of top high school names in recent years.
Day is bound to have plenty of options at his disposal to fill Frye’s seat. Here are five that make a lot of sense for the Buckeyes.
1) Kevin Wilson, Former Ohio State OC
Wilson’s name should look very familiar considering not so long ago he was the Buckeyes offensive coordinator from 2017-2022. He held the role, mostly, in a shared capacity, first with Ryan Day in 2018 and then with Mike Yurcich. He remained with the program until being offered the Tulsa head coaching job in 2022 and spent the last two seasons there before being fired in November.
Wilson’s obvious ties to Ohio State make him a notable name to potentially fill the vacancy left by Frye. He also has plenty of experience coaching offensive lines throughout his coaching tenure. A reunion with Wilson could be in the cards.
2) Joe Rudolph, OL Coach Notre Dame
Part of the beauty of being Ohio State is that almost nothing is unattainable, whether it be a recruit of a coach. Rudolph is one of the best in the business when it comes to developing offensive lineman. In each of the last two seasons with the Fighting Irish he produced o-line units worthy of being Joe Moore Award semifinalists.
His reputation as one of the best in the business came well before his time at Notre Dame as he oversaw the offensive line units at Virginia Tech in 2022, and Wisconsin from 2015-2021. Rudolph first cut his teeth in the coaching world as a GA with the Buckeyes though, from 2004-2006. A connection that could lead him back to Columbus if Day comes calling.
3) LeCharles Bentley, Former OSU Lineman
The former Ohio State All-American has never held a formal coaching title before, but that hasn’t stopped Buckeyes fans from throwing his name out as a favorite for the job. Bentley currently serves as the NFL’s senior advisor of player performance and development, which has helped him earn a plenty of street cred as a talent developer. Those skills would serve him well if he was to consider getting into coaching and what better place to do that than at his Alma Mater.
4) Eric Wolford, OL Coach Alabama
Again, at Ohio State, swinging big is expected and trying to pluck Wolford away from Alabama would certainly be just that. Wofford has continually produced some of the top offensive lines in the country, particularly his 2021 unit at Kentucky that was a Joe Moore Award finalist. That very next season he joined Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama and stuck around for the coaching transition to Kalen Deboer.
What Wolford is most known for, however, is his recruiting prowess. He’s been regarded as one of the top recruiters in the country over much of his 26-year coaching tenure, which is something the Buckeyes could use after Frye’s recruiting classes seemed to continually fall short. He also has experience working with Day as the two crossed paths in 2016 coaching under current Ohio State OC Chip Kelly when he was the head coach for the the San Francisco 49ers. He’s also an Ohio native, hailing from Youngstown, for what it’s worth.
5) Phil Trautwein, OL Coach Penn State
Penn State stole Knowles from the Buckeyes so why shouldn’t Ohio State return the favor and swipe Trautwein. The former tackle doesn’t have direct ties to the Buckeyes program, but he did work with Day at Boston College as a GA from 2013-2014. He is also a two-time national champions from his playing days at Florida under none other than Urban Meyer. Maybe those connections could help lure him to Columbus.
What makes Trautwein an intriguing candidate for the job is the fact that his units at Penn State have improved year-over-year during his five years with the program. In 2024, the Nittany Lions o-line ranked in 17th in the FBS in rushing yards per game (202.3). He’s also landed several top 100 recruits in the trenches over the last several years, as his reputation continues to grow on the recruiting trail.