Former Ohio State coach finds new home in Toledo ahead of 2024 college football season

After two seasons as the Buckeyes' safeties coach, Perry Eliano’s contract was not renewed, leading to his departure from Ohio State. After a long wait for his next position, it has been confirmed that Eliano will stay in Ohio, taking on the role of the cornerbacks coach at Toledo.

Eliano, who had been brought in from Cincinnati with high expectations on account of his successful development of players like Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, did not meet the standards set by Ohio State's head coach, Ryan Day.

This move follows his previous roles at Bowling Green, Cincinnati, and Ohio State, marking his journey through Ohio’s football programs.

At Toledo, Eliano will be stepping into a significant role after the departure of Corey Parker, who left a notable legacy before moving on to Illinois. As Eliano transitions to the Mid-American Conference school, the Texas native will aim to build on the success of his predecessor.

Ohio State brought in Matt Guerrieri as the new safeties coach to replace Perry Eliano. Guerrieri will be reunited with defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who was his colleague at Duke for six whole seasons.

Prior to joining Ohio State, Guerrieri served as the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Indiana in 2023.

Ohio State HC Ryan Day emphasizes depth and talent in the quarterback room

Ohio State football coach Ryan Day is uncertain about his starting quarterback for the upcoming season.

“We’re excited about the guys we have. I don’t think it’s been any mystery that we plan on running the quarterback more this year, so having depth is going to be critical,” Day said.

While speaking at a fundraiser for Ohio State’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Day spoke about the abundance of talent in the quarterback room, with five scholarship players still on the roster after the spring transfer portal window.

Last year, the roster included Kyle McCord, Devin Brown, Tristan Gebbia, and Lincoln Kienholz. New additions include senior transfer Will Howard from Kansas State, and true freshmen Julian Sayin and Air Noland, with Brown and Kienholz staying put.

McCord has since transferred to Syracuse, and Gebbia, who was initially brought in as a grad transfer from Oregon State, has graduated. Despite the inexperience of the freshmen, Day emphasized the importance of quarterback depth, especially with their plan of running the quarterback more this season, which could increase injury risks.

“It’s not going to be the No. 1 thing we do, but we want to make sure we have that depth in our room. I think we’ve done that at a high level, and we’re excited about the entire room.”

Satisfied with the talent and depth of his quarterbacks, Day is prepared for a season where having multiple capable signal-callers might be crucial.