"I'm at the pinnacle of the ladder”: Brian Hartline's throwback clip of unwavering loyalty towards Ohio State resurfaces

Brian Hartline joined the Ohio State coaching staff in 2017 as an offensive quality control assistant. Over the years, he has kept climbing the coaching ladder. During the Buckeyes' 2024 national championship-winning season, he was the wide receivers coach and the co-offensive coordinator behind Chip Kelly.

Kelly left the program after just one season to become the Raiders' offensive coordinator. To fill the void, Ryan Day has promoted Hartline as the team's offensive coordinator for the upcoming season.

Amid this new promotion, an old clip showcasing Hartline's loyalty has resurfaced on social media. During a press conference in November 2021, he was questioned about how difficult it would be for him to leave Ohio State.

"I love it here and its a passion here," Hartline said. "All I care about is this room. And that's my main focus, my forever focus. And outside of that, I think I would be lying if I said I'm thinking outside of that. But I'm also not a person to sit here and tell you that like, 'No, I'm never leaving Ohio State.' I'm not saying I ever will.

"And you say go up the ladder. Go where? I'm at the pinnacle of the ladder. And the ego at this point, it's pretty minimal I think at times. Maybe other people don't think so. But I don't need the satisfaction of you know, calling plays or whatever... But to me, I'm at the pinnacle of the ladder."

The Ohio State Buckeyes are yet to officially announce Hartline's promotion. However, Day confirmed the development during an interview with WBNS-TV.

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Ryan Day heaps praise on Brian Hartline's loyalty to Ohio State

While talking about Brian Hartline being the program's new offensive coordinator, Ryan Day discussed his growth over the years with the program. He talked about the sacrifices he made and how his loyalty and patience were finally going to bear fruit.

"You talk about sacrifice," Day said. "Here is a guy who, he was named coordinator, and I ended up calling the plays that year. But he grew that year. And then we decided to bring in Chip ... But he learned from Chip, and I thought down the stretch, he did some of his best work I've seen him as a coach.

"Some guys would say, 'wait a minute, I'm going somewhere else. He didn't name me coordinator.' Now, he's going to be coordinator. Now, he's going to call plays. That loyalty and patience is going to pay off, and I think he's going to be the best coordinator in the country."

With Hartline by his side, Day will have his eyes set on defending the national championship. Furthermore, he also needs to address the Buckeyes' four-game losing streak to their rivals, the Michigan Wolverines.