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Guerrieri, Haines, and More: Five Candidates for Defensive Coordinator at Ohio State

With Jim Knowles gone, Ohio State is eyeing these five candidates to lead its defense.

Avatar photoMike Huesmann
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By: Mike Huesmann

Fresh off a national title, the Buckeyes will be looking for a new defensive coordinator. Jim Knowles has left for conference rival Penn State and Ryan Day has his first hurdle of the offseason to deal with. Knowles spent three successful years at OSU after coming over from Mike Gundy’s staff at Oklahoma State. Here are five coaches who could replace him.

Matt Guerrieri

Ohio State, Safeties Coach

Guerrieri just finished his first season with Ohio State as safeties coach. Prior to 2024 he spent a season at Indiana as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach, a year with Ryan Day as an analyst in 2022, and before that nearly a decade with David Cutcliffe at Duke working his way up from graduate assistant to co-defensive coordinator. He’s the consistency candidate who’s probably earned this promotion if Day doesn’t want to rock the boat.

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Jonathan Patke

Duke, Defensive Coordinator

Patke was brought in to Duke from Texas State and he and Manny Diaz immediately had a tough defense that was blitz heavy and left DB’s on an island. He has a lot to offer, coached in Florida and Texas, two hotbeds for recruiting. The longtime Miami assistant was defensive coordinator at Texas State in 2023, he had followed Kinne from Incarnate Word. His aggressive style defense, success in Florida, and intangibles make him a guy to look at here.

Bryant Haines

Indiana, Defensive Coordinator

Haines followed Cignetti from James Madison and those guys haven’t put a foot wrong in a long time. He coached elite defenses at JMU, being a Broyles Award semifinalist in 2023 for the nation’s top assistant coach. The Hoosiers had a magical season and playoff appearance. Haines, a Ball State alumnus, knows the Midwest well and has been an elite defensive coordinator for multiple years.

Jon Heacock

Iowa State, Defensive Coordinator

Heacock is a veteran of college football and fits the profile for this job. He coached under Jim Tressel at Youngstown State before succeeding him as head coach. He has had Big Ten stops at Michigan, Indiana, and Purdue. He has been Matt Campbell’s top lieutenant since 2014 and their Toledo days. Would he leave that long relationship for a better shot at a title and bigger payday?

John Hauser

Ohio, Defensive Coordinator

Hauser led a top ten defense for the Bobcats in 2024 and was elite in the MAC. A Columbus native he has coached at Miami (OH) and Ohio since 2014, giving him plenty of familiarity with recruiting in the state. I think Day goes with someone who has more P4 experience but if Ohio roots and success as a defensive play caller are his driving factors, then Hauser could make sense. 

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