Livescore
Ohio State is adding a familiar name to the coaching staff. The Buckeyes announced on Friday afternoon that former linebacker James Laurinaitis will return to his alma mater to serve as a graduate assistant for the team who will work with defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to help coach the team’s linebackers.
Laurinaitis spent the last year as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame, working with former Scarlet and Gray teammate Marcus Freeman. He now continues his coaching career back at Ohio State where he will help the Buckeyes continue their defensive development.
“I am thrilled for our program and especially for our current and future Buckeyes who will benefit so much from having James on staff,” head coach Ryan Day said in the release announcing the hiring of Laurinaitis. “James is a terrific young man with wisdom as a Buckeye and experience as an eight-year NFL veteran. He is going to be a very important part of our program going forward.”
Laurinaitis played for the Buckeyes from 2005-08, capturing a handful of honors with the Buckeyes during his career. He was a three-time first-team All-American and a two-time captain during his four-year career with the Scarlet and Gray, a consensus All-American in 2006 and 2008 and a unanimous selection in 2007. His 375 total tackles, the seventh-most in program history, 24.5 tackles for a loss, 13 sacks and nine interceptions from 2005 to 2008 earned Laurinaitis two Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year awards, a Bronko Nagurski Trophy in 2006, a 2007 Butkus Award and the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award as a senior. During his time with the Buckeyes, the Scarlet and Gray played in back-to-back national championship games and won four straight Big Ten Titles. Laurinaitis was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.
Following his impressive college career with the Buckeyes, Laurinaitis became a second-round pick, No. 35 overall, in the 2009 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams, where he remained with the team through the 2015 season. He left as the team’s all-time leading tackler (852 in seven seasons) before joining the New Orleans Saints in 2016. Laurinaitis announced his retirement following one year in New Orleans. In eight seasons in the NFL, he finished with more than 800 tackles, including 32 for loss and 16.5 sacks.
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Following his retirement, Laurinaitis returned to Columbus, Ohio with his family and began a career in broadcast, working locally on 97.1 The Fan, as well as serving as a television analyst on the Big Ten Network before departing those roles to begin his coaching career at Notre Dame.
Laurinaitis graduated from Ohio State in 2009 with a degree in communications. He will now return to the program and will be a respected addition in the Buckeye linebacker room.
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