The Ohio State football team made several staff changes this offseason. Some were made by Ryan Day because he wanted to. Others, like Tony Alford leaving for Michigan, caught him by surprise. No matter what the situation was, Day has done his best to replace the old coaches with new ones who can help the program.
So far, the new coaches have stepped up and made a big impact. James Lauriniaitis has already bagged a recruit. Chip Kelly has done the same thing and helped beef up the running game. Matt Guererri has done wonders on the recruiting trail for the safeties too. Even Carlos Locklyn, the new running backs coach, has already made some recruiting waves.
The new Ohio State football coaches are all pulling their weight
Every one of the new coaches for the Buckeyes knows what is at stake this season. They are all in on a national championship run. Day could be coaching his final season if he isn’t able to at least beat Michigan and win the Big Ten title. That’s why he’s assembled the coaching staff he has. He thinks these are the best group of coaches to help him achieve those goals.
Ultimately, how each of these coaches develops their players over the course of the season will determine that. Can Lauriniaitis get the best out of an inexperienced linebacker group? Is Locklyn going to be able to fix the short-yardage running woes? Can Kelly use Will Howard’s mobility to help open up the offense?
All of these questions are going to be critical in Ohio State’s race to win it all. The good news is that all of the coaches have hit the ground running and are ready to help the Buckeyes win big. Locklyn may have been the last to get to Columbus, but he has already shown that he will work as hard as the other new guys to win.
Ohio State is one of the best places to work in the country. None of these guys are taking that for granted. Even though some of them are newer to their jobs, expect them to learn quickly.
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