Brian Hartline was instrumental in building Ohio State’s WR pipeline to the NFL. For about a decade, he recruited elite prospects and turned them into offensive weapons ready-made for the pros. While doing so, he ascended the ranks at his alma mater, climbing from an off-field analyst to the program’s offensive coordinator.

But just like any other assistant who sees such a rise, Hartline was linked to several vacancies across college football, especially last year. After Alex Golesh left for Auburn, USF identified the former OSU OC as the guy who could take the program forward. But deciding to leave Columbus wasn’t easy for Hartline. Ohio State is the only program he has known both as a player and a coach. In that moment of doubt, his wife, Kara Conrad, helped him with the final push.

“I guess the moment was when it was about midnight,” Hartline told Maria Trivelpiece of the American Conference on June 25. “My wife looked at me, and she was like, “No, let’s do this.” She gave me that look, and she fired me up. I’m like, “Yeah, let’s go.’ She said, ‘Let’s do this.”

“But obviously, it was a very thought-out process. Kara, my wife, is from Columbus. My in-laws, my kids’ grandparents, are there. Just to uproot our family for any kind of personal endeavor was never my thought process. So, it was definitely a family move,” Hartline added.

Hartline finally accepted the USF offer on December 3 last year. The Bulls gave him a six-year, $21 million contract, a jump from the $2 million he was making as a member of Ryan Day’s coaching staff.

Kara and Brian Hartline were college sweethearts who met as students at Ohio State. Their relationship acted as a steady foundation throughout the latter’s evolution from an NFL player to a championship-winning coach. The two tied the knot in 2016, and while Brian focused on football, Kara became a labor and delivery nurse.

Hartline has often credited Kara as the foundation keeping their family steady amidst the chaotic lifestyle of major college football. They have three kids together: Brayden, Kameron, and Brooklyn, whom they raised far away on a farm. Now, with the new chapter unfolding in Tampa, Kara has taken the role of making the family comfortable while Hartline takes over the program.

Brian Hartline’s new chapter

Brian Hartline has been working to assemble an experienced staff since he arrived in Tampa. He even got a piece of Ohio State to Tampa by hiring former Buckeye wide receiver KJ Hill as an offensive analyst. The elite experience he gained at Ohio State is proving valuable as Hartline builds a strong roster, using the transfer portal and Florida high schools. He bagged 41 transfer players from the portal.

Hartline also hired his brother, Mike Hartline, to coach the quarterback room. After Byrum Brown transferred out from the Bulls, the first task for the new HC was to find the new starting signal caller. The competition is now between Michael Van Buren and Luke Croman to get the starting post. B

Brian Hartline will make his head coaching debut in just a few months. He has already set ambitious goals for his first season with South Florida. At the top of that list is winning the program’s first-ever American Athletic Conference (AAC) championship.