Coming off an impressive playoff run that culminated in bringing the national title back to the rabid Buckeyes fan base, Ohio State is reportedly set to pay just under $12 million to their new-look staff that includes two new coordinators.
New defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will be the highest paid assistant on staff in Columbus, per Eleven Warriors who shared the new salaries for Ryan Day's entire staff.
Ohio State will have four guys making at least $1 million this year, with at least two more coaches set to join that elite club next fall.
Patricia, the former Patriots defensive coordinator who served as the head coach of the Detroit Lions from 2018-20, is set to make $2.5 million at his first college coaching stop in over two decades since serving as a graduate assistant at Syracuse in 2003.
That marks a $300,000 increase in what the Buckeyes paid Jim Knowles last season prior to his departure to run the defense for James Franklin at Penn State.
Brian Hartline will make $2 million in his promotion to offensive coordinator, which is the same amount that Chip Kelly made as the team's offensive play caller last season. Hartline made $1.6 million last year.
Tim Walton, who has a new title as co-defensive coordinator, is next on the list of highest paid assistant coaches, set to make $1.8 million on a three-year deal after earning $1.4 million last year.
While the rest of the staff received new deals, Eleven Warriors adds that defensive line coach Larry Johnson is the only coach that didn't get a new deal for the 2025 season, and he's the only other assistant set to make more than $1 million this fall with a salary of $1.4 million. His current contract, inked as a two-year deal, is set to expire in 2026.
Offensive line coach and run game coordinator Tyler Bowen will make $900k, while defensive pass game coordinator Matt Guerrieri is set to make the same with both coaches signed to three-year deals set to increase to join the $1 million assistant club in 2026 before an increase to $1.1 million in 2027.
Running backs coach Carlos Locklyn ($650k), linebackers coach James Laurinaitis ($500k), and new quarterbacks coach Billy Fessler ($475k) round out the staff salaries.
All told, the assistant coaching pool is $350,000 more than what the Buckeyes shelled out for their national title staff for the 2024-25 season.
Back in April, sources shared that the Buckeyes were inking general manager Mark Pantoni - considered one of the top evaluators and acquirers of talent in all of college football during his time in personnel - to a contract extension that was expected to compensate him among the top personnel executives in the sport. This report puts his salary at $900k, on par with what USC is paying Chad Bowden after prying him away from Notre Dame, and just under what North Carolina is paying GM Michael Lombardi ($1.5 million).
Pantoni, director of sports performance Mickey Marotti, and associate AD of football administration Quinn Tempel each received new three-year deals after the national title game, the report adds.
See the full salaries below.
| COACH (ROLE) | 2025 SALARY | SALARY INCREASE |
| MATT PATRICIA (DC) | $2.5 million | - |
| BRIAN HARTLINE (OC / WRs) | $2 million | +400k |
| TIM WALTON (Co-DC) | $1.8 million | +400k |
| LARRY JOHSON (DL) | $1.4 million | - |
| TYLER BOWEN (OL / RGC) | $900k | +$25k |
| MATT GUERRIERI (Def PGC) | $900k | +$475k |
| KEENAN BAILEY (Co-OC / TEs) | $650k | +$250k |
| CARLOS LOCKLYN (RBs) | $650k | - |
| JAMES LAURINAITIS (LBs) | $500k | +$150k |
| BILLY FESSLER (QBs) | $475k | +$431k |
| MARK PANTONI (GM) | $900k | +$548,512 |
| MICKEY MAROTTI (director of sports performance) | $1 million | - |
| QUINN TEMPEL (Assc AD) | $450k | - |
* information via Eleven Warriors