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The Ohio State Buckeyes are fresh off winning the program’s ninth national championship and have already turned their attention to defending their title in 2025. In the days following the Buckeyes’ College Football Playoff Championship Game triumph, highly regarded defensive coordinator Jim Knowles jumped from Ohio State to Penn State for the same job, but with a record-breaking salary. The Nittany Lions will reportedly pay Knowles over $3 million per year to lead their defense, and Ryan Day now has big shoes to fill on his Ohio State football coaching staff. Under Knowles, Ohio State led the nation in total defense and defensive scoring in 2024, allowing 254.6 total yards and 12.9 points per game.
With plenty of talent returning, including All-American safety Caleb Downs, and another strong Ohio State football recruiting class on the way, there will be plenty of big-name coaches interested in filling the role of Ohio State defensive coordinator. Who are the early candidates on the Ohio State defensive coordinator hot board, and is Day targeting any under-the-radar coaches to fill the role? If you want to know the top Ohio State defensive coordinator candidates, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at Bucknuts, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Ohio State.
The Bucknuts insiders are providing on-the-ground updates on every development in the Ohio State football program, including insights from Dave Biddle, Patrick Murphy and Steve Helwagon, who all have deep-rooted ties inside the Ohio State community. Get all the inside scoop on the football program, plus VIP intel on Ohio State football, basketball, recruiting and more. Plus get access to the Bucknuts message boards where you can connect with other Ohio State fans and insiders.
They already have an Ohio State defensive coordinator hot board up that features 11 names. See them all and get everything else Bucknuts has to offer right here.
And right now, Bucknuts is offering 30% off annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up.
Ohio State defensive coordinator candidates
One potential candidate the team at Bucknuts has identified on its Ohio State defensive coordinator hot board: Indiana DC Bryant Haines. The Hoosiers were one of the biggest surprises in college football in 2024, climbing into the top-10 of the national rankings for a large portion of the season and making their first trip to the College Football Playoff. One of the biggest reasons for the Hoosiers’ success was the performance of their defense under Haines.
Indiana finished the season just behind Ohio State in total defense, allowing 256.3 total yards per game, which ranked second in the country. The Hoosiers also ranked sixth in the nation in defensive scoring, allowing 15.6 points per game. 2024 was Haines’ first season on the job in Bloomington after spending the previous two seasons in the same role at James Madison.
Haines recently agreed to a new contract with Indiana, but for a program like Ohio State, money tends to not be an issue. Haines played linebacker for Ball State, and served as a Graduate Assistant at Ohio State in 2013. He has been a part of Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti’s staff at multiple schools dating back to 2014. See more Ohio State defensive coordinator candidates at Bucknuts.
How to get insider Ohio State defensive coordinator news
The Bucknuts team has identified several other candidates, including a shocking current NFL defensive coordinator name. You can see them all at Bucknuts.
Who are the top candidates in the Ohio State football defensive coordinator coaching search, and which shocking current NFL defensive coordinator could be in the mix? Go to Bucknuts to see its Ohio State defensive coordinator hot board and more, all from a team of Buckeyes insiders, and find out.
And reminder, Bucknuts is offering 30% off an annual VIP membership, so subscribe now before it’s too late.
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