Ohio State Offensive Coordinator Widely Considered One of the Nation's Top Recruiters and Developers of Talent

TAMPA, FLA., DEC. 3, 2025 – University of South Florida CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins has announced the selection of Brian Hartline, widely considered one of college football's rising coaching stars and one of the nation's outstanding recruiters, as the seventh head coach of South Florida Football.

Hartline has been an integral part of Ohio State University's run of dominance which has seen the Buckeyes win the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship, post a 37-4 record the last three seasons and stand as the No. 1-ranked team in the latest CFP rankings. Hartline, who is in his third season coordinating the Buckeyes' offense, has been nationally recognized for his work as wide receivers coach and helped Ohio State post a 92-11 (89%) record in his eight seasons as a member of the full-time coaching staff while being part of eight Big Ten Championship teams as a coach and player. A former standout receiver for Ohio State, he spent seven seasons playing in the NFL, including six with the Miami Dolphins, before returning to his alma mater to coach.

"Brian Hartline was our clear-cut first choice to lead our football program into the most exciting era in program history, and I am so fired up to have him leading the Bulls," Higgins said. "A relentless recruiter, outstanding developer of talent and a gritty competitor, he comes from a championship background and is obsessed with instilling championship excellence in his players and teams. He is ready to lead our program to the next level. He knows the state of Florida, having spent six seasons of his professional playing career in Miami, and has successfully recruited the state and the Bay area for a long time. We are so excited to welcome Brian, his wife Kara and their children Brayden, Kameron and Brooklyn to the Bulls family."

Hartline will coach the Buckeyes in Saturday's Big Ten Championship game against Indiana (8 p.m./FOX) before being introduced to Bulls Nation and media. Details on the event, which will be open to the public, will be forthcoming.

As offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach, Hartline has led the 2025 Ohio State offense to rank No. 13 in the nation in scoring (37.0 ppg), No. 24 in total offense (438.5 ypg) and No. 24 in passing (267.0 ypg) with Heisman Trophy candidate Julian Sayin posting 3,065 passing yards and 30 touchdowns and Biletnikoff Trophy finalist Jeremiah Smith posting 55 catches for 725 yards and nine touchdowns. Serving as co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach in 2024, Hartline led the Buckeye offense to rank No. 14 nationally in scoring (35.7 ppg) and No. 3 in pass efficiency (171.55) with quarterback Will Howard ranking No. 6 in passing yards (4,010) and No. 4 in passing touchdowns (35) and Smith standing No. 4 in receiving yards (1,315) and No. 2 in receiving touchdowns (15) nationally.

A major part of Ohio State's recruiting success, Hartline has helped the Buckeyes' current 2026 signing class rank No. 5 in the nation according to 247Sports. Ohio State has ranked among the top five recruiting classes in the nation in each of the last seven seasons.

"Coach Brian Hartline is a proven winner who has experienced success at the highest levels of college football," said USF Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford. "He shares our vision for winning championships, developing student-athletes and providing them with a world-class experience and positioning our university on the national stage.  We could not be more excited to bring Brian and his family to Tampa Bay and for him to lead the next chapter of USF Football.  Our best days are ahead!"

"We are thrilled to welcome Coach Brian Hartline and his family to the University of South Florida," said USF President Rhea Law. "His championship-level experience aligns perfectly with our commitment to excellence with our football program.  We look forward to building on our momentum and reaching even greater success under Coach Hartline's leadership."

Hartline was twice named the top wide receivers coach in college football, earning the honor from On3 in 2022 and from FootballScoop in 2021. In 2019, he was recognized by the American Football Coaches Association as one of its AFCA 35 Under 35 honorees, a prestigious program that develops "premier, future leaders" in the coaching profession.
 
In Hartline's nine seasons on the Ohio State staff, including serving the 2017 season as a quality control coach, he successfully recruited and mentored some of the best wide receivers in the nation. Included among them are 2023 Biletnikoff Award winner and Heisman Trophy finalist Marvin Harrison Jr. who became the first two-time All-American receiver in Ohio State's storied history, twice earning unanimous honors (2022 and 2023). Harrison Jr. was named the 2023 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, a two-time wide receiver of the year in the Big Ten Conference, and set the school record with 15 100-yard receiving games.

Harrison was selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft with the fourth overall pick. Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka was selected in the first round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2025 NFL Draft after posting 1,011 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns for the Buckeyes in 2024.

Wide receivers Chris Olave (2021), Garrett Wilson (2021) and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (second-team in 2021) were all named All-Americans under Hartline's watch. Olave set the Ohio State career record with 35 touchdown receptions. Remarkably in 2021, Smith-Njigba, Wilson and Olave all finished in the Ohio State single season top 10 rankings for receptions and yards. Olave, Wilson, Smith-Njigba and Jameson Williams, who spent two seasons with Ohio State before transferring for one season at Alabama, were all first-round NFL Draft picks.
 
K.J. Hill, who broke the school record for career receptions with 201, and teammates Parris Campbell and Terry McLaurin were also coached by Hartline and then selected in the NFL Draft.

"I'm honored and excited to join the University of South Florida as its new head football coach," Hartline said. "Becoming a first-time head coach at a place like USF is a dream come true for me and my family. I look forward to leading the team to new heights, both on and off the field. Bulls Nation, we're going to need your support and commitment to help us get to where we all want to be: never-ending championship excellence, building something that lasts, and serving our university, our community, and our fan base with integrity and passion. I can't wait to get to work with our team and the entire USF community. Go Bulls!"
 
Hartline has been a rising star among college coaches since becoming a full-time staff member in 2018 after one season as an offensive analyst. He was a standout receiver for Ohio State from 2005-08, graduated in 2009 and spent seven seasons in the National Football League, six of them with the Miami Dolphins and one as a Cleveland Brown. He played in 104 NFL games with 73 starts and produced 344 career receptions for 4,766 yards and 14 touchdowns.
 
Hartline joined the Ohio State staff in early 2017 as a quality control coach after a terrific playing career in the NFL. Hartline ranks high statistically among former Buckeye receivers who played in the NFL: standing fifth in yards, per catch average (13.9) and games started; sixth in games played and receptions; and seventh in touchdowns.
 
He played for Ohio State from 2005-08 and was part of four Big Ten championship teams – meaning he has been part of eight Big Ten titles as a player and coach, including a record four consecutive outright Big Ten championships in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. He also played an integral role in Ohio State reaching consecutive BCS National Championship games in 2006 and 2007.  In 2007, he caught a career-best 52 passes for 694 yards and six touchdowns. Hartline's career numbers include 90 catches, 1,429 yards and 12 touchdowns.
 
Hartline, from North Canton, Ohio, graduated from Ohio State in spring 2009 with his degree in communications. He and his wife, Kara, have three young children: sons Brayden and Kameron, and a daughter, Brooklyn.

Up Next
The Bulls will learn their bowl destination in the coming week as they look to post just the third 10-win season in program history and post a third straight bowl game victory. Coca-Cola Bowl Season selections will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 7.
 
Tickets:
Fans interested in tickets for the 2026 USF football season can call 1-800-GoBulls or visiting this LINK.
 
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and completed its 28th season in 2024 with its second-straight bowl victory in the Hawai'i Bowl. The Bulls earned a third straight bowl appearance in 2025 and the program's first College Football Playoff ranking. USF completed construction on a new $22-million Indoor Performance Facility in 2023 and a $349-million on-campus stadium and football operations center broke ground in the fall of 2024 and is slated for completion by 2027. The Bulls have posted 18 winning seasons, earned 16 All-America selections (including two consensus selections, the last coming in 2021), as well as 35 first-team all-conference honorees. USF has had 30 players selected in the NFL Draft and the Bulls have made 12 bowl game appearances (going 8-4), posting a program-record six straight appearances from 2005-2010 and making four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18. USF posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016, while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. USF spent a program-record 20 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 campaigns and reached as high as No. 2 in the Associated Press rankings during the 2007 season..