Jim Knowles now is rival Penn State's defensive coordinator, and a former Penn State quarterback is expected to formally assume the quarterbacks coaching role at Ohio State.
Welcome to the wild world of college football, 2025 edition.
After uncorking a dominant tour de force through the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff en route to the program's first national championship since 2014, Ohio State is revamping its coaching staff under Ryan Day.
Gone is former NFL and Power Conference head coach Chip Kelly, Day's former college coach and architect of the Buckeyes' explosive 2024 offense. He's back in the NFL, set to call plays for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Former Penn State quarterback Billy Fessler, on staff at OSU the past year as an offensive analyst, is projected to be the Buckeyes' next quarterbacks coach. He previously served on Kelly's UCLA staff and also logged time as Akron's offensive coordinator.
Knowles exited less than a week after the Buckeyes title-win against Notre Dame to become the sport's highest-paid defensive coordinator for James Franklin at Penn State, even as he had two years and a hefty buyout around $1.2 million left on his OSU pact.
While Pitt defensive coordinator Randy Bates had been linked to the top Buckeyes defensive post, sources at both programs this week indicated to FootballScoop that his exit from the Panthers to OSU was not expected. Matt Guerrieri, a Knowles disciple and widely viewed as one of the rising, can't-miss defensive coordinators in college football, already has co-defensive coordinator experience at the Power Conference level at both Duke and Indiana.
He's widely viewed to be elevated into at least a co-defensive coordinator role for the Buckeyes.
Offensively, Day made a significant move Wednesday to replace departed line coach Justin Frye, who had been courted by multiple NFL teams including the Chicago Bears but signed with the Arizona Cardinals. There, he will tutor former OSU star Paris Johnson -- whom Frye coached at OSU in Johnson's final season, 2022.
Several sources tell FootballScoop that Day is finalizing the addition of Tyler Bowen to the Buckeyes staff. He's been the offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator at Virginia Tech and also owns NFL experience.
It's the first imminent piece of the offensive puzzle for Day, also a former Ohio State offensive coordinator.
Several sources this week have told FootballScoop that Day is expected to elevate Brian Hartline from co-offensive coordinator into the chief role. A former FootballScoop Wide Receiver Coach of the Year selection and multi-time finalist, Hartline has been on staff at his alma mater the past eight seasons.
He was the team's sole offensive coordinator in 2023, and is expected to take on primary play-calling duties as the Buckeyes seek to defend their CFP crown in 2025.
Additionally, Fessler's expected ascension into the full-time assistant coaching role along with the impending addition of Bowen gives Ohio State a trio of top offensive assistants -- Hartline, Fessler, Bowen -- all with coordinator experience.
The Buckeyes are scheduled to open their 2025 season at home Aug. 30 against Texas, the second time in three games the two iconic college football programs will meet.
Ohio State ended Texas's CFP run last month in the Cotton Bowl.