Sought-after Ohio State coach linked to West Virginia head coaching job

The West Virginia Mountaineers head coach hunt is heating up, and Ohio State's Brian Hartline has been linked to the vacant job. The Buckeyes co-offensive coordinator is considered a top candidate to replace the sacked Neal Brown as the Mountaineers head coach.

According to On3 Sports, Hartline has been interviewed for the vacant role ahead of the Buckeyes' college football playoffs quarterfinal game against the Tennessee Volunteers.

Who is Brian Hartline?

Brian Hartline is a former professional wide receiver who enjoyed a seven-year career in the NFL. Hartline spent most of his professional football career with the Miami Dolphins before ending with a one-year stint in Cleveland with the Browns.

Following his retirement from the Gridiron, Hartline joined his alma mater, the Ohio State Buckeyes, as a graduate assistant. He has steadily gone up the Buckeyes coaching staff ranks, occupying positions including, but not limited to, offensive quality control assistant, wide receivers coach, and co-offensive coordinator.

Hartline has worked with numerous NFL-caliber talent since 2018, and the Buckeyes maintain their reputation for being a talent factory in collegiate football.

Hartline has earned plaudits for his man management, patience, and wide receiver-leaning approach as an offensive coordinator. It's only natural, as he was a perennial 1,000-yard pass catcher during his professional football career.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are having a superb 2024

Hartline and the Ohio State Buckeyes have yet another superb year in 2024. The program has racked up a 10-2 record and will face the Tennessee Volunteers in the first round of the expanded college football playoffs.

The Buckeyes were utterly dominant on the offensive side of the ball in 2024. They dropped over 30 points against opponents on nine occasions and won all but one of those games.

That's in stark contrast to the West Virginia Mountaineers, who struggled for form in 2024. The Mountaineers ended the regular season with a 6-6 record, and that was the last straw for the program as they parted ways with Neal Brown. The program's next hire will be crucial for the team's quest to be one of the elite in the NIL-oriented college football landscape.