Ohio State just turned a coaching shakeup into a financial win. With Brian Hartline’s move to South Florida, Ryan Day replaced one of his key positions with Cortez Hankton, who joined the Bucks as their wide receivers coach. According to reports, OSU was able to benefit by hiring Hankton because his pay demands helped them save millions and maintain top coaching talent.

Brian Hartline held the position of offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Ohio State from 2023 to 2025. His departure as both offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach created a significant void. Cortez Hankton will fill one of those positions: the wide receiver coach role. The former Jaguars WR signed a two-year contract that runs until January 1, 2028, with a base salary of $900,000 in 2026, which rises to $1 million in 2027.

What’s interesting is Brian Hartline used to earn $2 million at Ohio State. Hankton, meanwhile, is going to make half of Hartline’s salary, matching his 2025 season earnings at LSU. This has resulted in Ryan Day and the program saving a million dollars, allowing them funds for investment in other avenues.

It’s not like Hankton won’t be getting any perks at Ohio State. He will get six free tickets to home football games and two tickets to men’s basketball games. The university covers relocation costs up to $20,000 and also gives him a temporary living allowance of up to $2000 per month for six months or until he gets a house in Central Ohio. Regardless, it’s a massive save for OSU.

Apart from the financial benefits, bringing in Hankton also backs up Ryan Day’s team perfectly. He brings four years of experience working at LSU under Brian Kelly as WR coach and pass game coordinator. He also coached at Georgia from 2018 to 2021, Vanderbilt from 2015 to 2017, and Dartmouth from 2012 to 2014, developing top talents like Malik Nabers, who went no. 6 overall in the 2024 NFL draft.

Then there’s Brian Thomas Jr., who was selected 23rd overall in the same draft class. Under Hankton’s guidance, LSU’s passing attack ranked among the top two in the SEC twice, finishing No. 1 in 2023 and No. 2 in 2024.

Now, that record can boost Ohio State’s offense even more. The moment Hartline stepped down, Ryan Day took over the offensive play-calling duties, and the team scored 14 or fewer in losses to ranked teams like Miami and Indiana.

With that, Hankton’s track record with recruiting is also very good, as he helped LSU secure Top 10 high school recruiting classes and the nation’s No. 1 transfer portal class for LSU in 2025 before coming to Ohio State.

Besides Cortez Hankton, Ryan Day also found another candidate for the other key position Brian Hartline held.

Ryan Day brings in an NFL-caliber coach for the OC position

Ryan Day got a perfect replacement for Brian Hartline as he brings in his new offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith. At 43, Smith entered Columbus with extensive NFL experience, having served as OC for the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

What makes him a perfect fit for the system is that his vision aligns perfectly with Ryan Day’s. Smith’s run-first approach aligns with Day’s goal to get a consistent ground game. Even Day emphasizes his hire as a “CEO model” of coaching.

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Ohio State’s rushing attack struggled in the 2025 season, ranking 71st nationally with 154.4 yards per game while combining for just 103 rushing yards in postseason losses against Indiana and Miami, posting season lows of 45 and 58 yards. Smith’s entry gives them a perfect boost.

As his track record in the NFL shows, he has the ability to work with rushing offenses that struggle. With Tennessee, Arthur Smith elevated their rushing attack to the top three league rankings, helping Derrick Henry to post 2,000 yards in 2020. Then, in Atlanta, he took their bottom-three rushing unit to one of the league’s best.

It remains to be seen how the transition for both these new additions to the coaching staff pans out for Cortez Hankton and Arthur Smith. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.