Brian Hartline - Football Coach

Brian Hartline during 2025 South Florida Football Brian Hartline press conference on December 8, 2025.

Photo by: Kendall Bulkiewicz / University of South Florida Athletics

Brian Hartline

Title:
Head Football Coach

Years In Coaching: 10th
Years at USF: 1st
Alma Mater: Ohio State, ‘09 – Bachelor’s in communications
Family: Wife: Kara; Sons: Brayden & Kameron; Daughter: Brooklyn
Hometown: Canton, Ohio

NOTABLE:
• First portal class at USF (41 players) contained 13 players that were 4- or 5-star recruits out of high school and was ranked No. 1 among all Group of 6 programs.
• Ohio State went 37-7 in his final three seasons as an offensive coordinator, winning the 2024 CFP National Championship and earning the CFP No. 2 seed in 2025.
• Part of eight Big Ten Championships and the 2024 CFP National Championship at Ohio State.
• Named 247Sports national recruiter of the year in 2020. He has helped the Buckeyes rank among the top six recruiting classes in the nation in each of his last seven seasons.
• Developed six first round NFL Draft picks at wide receiver since 2022.
• A standout receiver for Ohio State from 2005-08 and spent seven seasons in the NFL, six with the Miami Dolphins.
• Played in 104 NFL games with 73 starts and produced 344 career receptions for 4,766 yards and 14 touchdowns.
• Owns the Miami Dolphins single game receiving yards record with 253 yards and a touchdown on 12 catches vs. the Arizona Cardinals in 2012.

Brian Hartline was named the seventh head football coach in University of South Florida history by CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins on Dec. 3, 2025.

Widely considered one of college football’s rising coaching stars and one of the nation’s outstanding recruiters, over nine seasons coaching at Ohio State University, Hartline was an integral part of the Buckeyes’ run of dominance. The Buckeyes won the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship, posted a 37-7 record in his last three seasons and earned the No. 2 seed in the 2025 CFP with an undefeated regular season regular season.

Hartline's talent evaluation and development at the wide receiver position is unmatched. With Carnell Tate's selection at No. 4 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, Hartline has coached and developed a first round wide receiver in five consecutive drafts. It marked the first time in the NFL's modern era that one school had a position (WR) selected in the first round of five consecutive drafts.

Hartline, who served as offensive coordinator or co-offensive coordinator in each of his last three seasons, was nationally recognized for his work as wide receivers coach and helped Ohio State post a 92-13 (.876) 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.

Hartline remained with the Buckeyes through their appearance in the 2025 Big Ten Championship game vs. No. 2 Indiana and the 2025 College Football Playoff. During his time with the Buckeyes, Ohio State made five trips to the College Football Playoff - the most of any school in the country - and twice went in back-to-back season (2019, 2020 and 2024, 2025).

BEFORE SOUTH FLORIDA

OHIO STATE: As offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach in 2025, Hartline led the 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) at the end of the regular season. At the end of the regular season, Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin had posted 3,065 passing yards and 30 touchdowns and Biletnikoff Trophy finalist Jeremiah Smith logged 72 catches for 942 yards and 11 touchdowns. Pro Football Focus had Ohio State as the highest graded offense in the nation at the end of the 2025 regular season.

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 was named 247Sports national recruiter of the year in 2020. He has helped the Buckeyes rank among the top six recruiting classes in the nation in each of his last seven seasons.

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. A year later, 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. In 2026, Carnell Tate's selection at No. 4 overall by the Tennessee Titans gave Hartline six first-round receivers in the last five years. No other coach has developed more than two in that same time frame.

In 2025, Buckeyes’ receiver Jeremiah Smith earned Big Ten Receiver of the Year honor for the second straight year, marking the fourth straight season a Hartline-coached player won the award. Smith was the fastest player in program history to reach 2,000 career receiving yards (24 games), 100 receptions (20 games) and 25 touchdown receptions (25 games).

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.

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. Hartline joined the Ohio State staff in early 2017 as a quality control coach after a terrific playing career in the NFL.

PLAYING CAREER (Ohio State/NFL)
Hartline Playing Career

Hartline was a standout receiver for Ohio State from 2005-08 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 owns the Miami Dolphins single game receiving yards record with 253 yards and a touchdown on 12 catches vs. the Arizona Cardinals in 2012.

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.

PERSONAL
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.

COACHING CAREER
2026            South Florida   Head Coach
2025            Ohio State          Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers
2024            Ohio State          Co-Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers
2023            Ohio State          Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers
2022            Ohio State          Passing Game Coord./Wide Receivers
2019-21 Ohio State   Wide Receivers
2018            Ohio State          Interim Wide Receivers
2017            Ohio State          Quality Control – Wide Receivers

BOWL GAMES/POSTSEASON
2025 – CFP Quarterfinal Round (Cotton Bowl), Ohio State
2024 – CFP Championship (Champions), Ohio State
      2024 – CFP Playoff Semifinals (Cotton Bowl)
      2024 – CFP Playoff Quarterfinal Round (Rose Bowl)
      2024 – CFP Playoff 1st Round
2023 – Cotton Bowl, Ohio State
2022 – Peach Bowl (CFP Semifinals), Ohio State
2021 - Rose Bowl (NY6), Ohio State,
2020 - CFP National Championship Game, Ohio State
      2020 - Sugar Bowl (CFP Semifinals), Ohio State
2019 - Fiesta Bowl (CFP Semifinals), Ohio State
2018 - Rose Bowl (NY6), Ohio State
2017 - Cotton Bowl (NY6), Ohio State

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
“He’s authentic, he’s gritty, he’s a leader, he’s relentless, he’s obsessed, he’s brilliant. And he’s our guy.”

Rob Higgins, CEO of South Florida Athletics

“Obviously, we all know the Ohio State Buckeye wide receiver tree. It is phenomenal. Everybody kind of points to Brian Hartline for being the reason why that has happened. He’s an incredible recruiter, obviously an incredible developer of talent and also somebody that is trusted. He is now the head coach at South Florida. Congratulations to him. Well-earned and well deserved.”

Pat McAfee, ESPN

“What a freaking hire. Congrats”

Dan Orlovsky, ESPN

“Great hire for USF. Great job by Rob Higgins, Derrick Brooks and all else involved.”

Booger McFarland, ESPN

“I love this hire.”

Dave Portnoy, Barstool

“Replacing the former Tennessee OC Golesh, w/the Ohio St OC to keep building at USF is a great move. This job is a GEM, because of the program investment and on campus stadium being built.”

Matt Barrie, ESPN

“Hell of a hire for USF.”

Max Olson, ESPN

“This is what you call a home run hire”

Antwan Staley, NY Daily News

“Hart is somebody who played the position, played at a high level, played in the League. He knows how to relate to everybody. What’s cool about Hart is he doesn’t fake who he is. He’s going to be who he is through everything. He’s really one of the main reasons that I went to Ohio State. He recruits at a very high level and knows what to say, how to say it, but is always honest. That is something that I appreciate him for is his honesty. I think he’s going to do great, and I can’t wait to see him flourish as a head coach. I think he’s going to be amazing.”

CJ Stroud, Houston Texans Quarterback, Ohio State Quarterback (2020-22)

“Brian Hartline is a named praised by every NFL player who went to Ohio State.”

Landry Locker, The Locker Room

“Let me just tell USF fans something about Hartline. He’s one of the smartest football players I’ve ever covered. He always knew how to explain things well to me when I needed answers. His recruiting is top notch and nobody in college football developed wide receivers better than him.”

Omar Kelly, Miami Herald

“A big-time hire for USF to land Hartline, who has been a key part of Ohio State’s success in recent years and one of the nation’s most highly regarded assistant coaches.”

Matt Zenitz, CBS Sports

“Really happy for Brian Hartline. He has earned the opportunity to lead his own program. Have had some very good football convos with him over the years. Much respect.”

Louis Riddick, ESPN

“Selfishly, I wanted Brian to stay here (Ohio State) forever, but it was going to be time at some point, and South Florida makes a lot of sense."

Bobby Carpenter, ESPN

“Well deserved my guy!!!”

Cris Carter, Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver

“The fact that he gets the opportunity to do this, he’s put in a lot of hard work here at Ohio State as a player and now as a coach. As a head coach, it’s gratifying to see one of your assistants get one of these opportunities. I think he’s gonna do great. I think it’s a great opportunity for him. And looking forward to seeing how he does. That’s exciting for him”

Ryan Day, Head Coach Ohio State

“Massive Hire!!! I am ecstatic! Best recruiter in the nation!”

Matt Grothe, USF Quarterback, 2006-09

“Great get for USF. Hartline has developed a great pipeline of receiver talent from Ohio State to the NFL. His playing days in Miami overlapped with Todd Bowles’ time there as well.”