Kevin Wilson to remain Ohio State OC during college football playoff
Kevin Wilson will remain as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator through the College Football Playoff.
Wilson, who was hired as the head coach at Tulsa on Monday, said at an introductory news conference that he wanted to finish out the season with the Buckeyes and consulted with the athletic directors at both schools, as well as coach Ryan Day.
“I’m standing here because of the success of our team,” Wilson said, “and I think it’s my obligation to finish up with that team and give that team a chance to chase a national championship.”
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The Buckeyes, who slid into the playoff last weekend following a loss by Southern California in the Pac-12 championship game, are preparing for a semifinal against Georgia on Dec. 31.
But Wilson hasn’t circled New Year’s Eve as the end date of his tenure.
“I’ll be working through the opportunity to hopefully play two games,” he said. “Two great opportunities.”
If the Buckeyes upset the top-seeded Bulldogs, they will advance to the championship game, held on Jan. 9 in Inglewood, California, and be pitted against the winner of Michigan and Texas Christian.
The dual role held by Wilson is common in the playoff era with the coaching carousel season overlapping with the postseason. Assistants hired by other schools as head coaches have largely remained on staff with their playoff-bound teams, juggling responsibilities between both jobs.
The most recent example at Ohio State was Jeff Hafley in 2019. While hired as the head coach at Boston College in December, he stayed on as the defensive co-coordinator ahead of the semifinal against Clemson.
Luke Fickell and Tom Herman also pulled double duty with the Buckeyes during playoff runs in 2016 and 2014.
In addition to game-planning for Georgia’s vaunted defense, Wilson will be out recruiting for Tulsa and meeting with the Golden Hurricane’s current players, among other functions.
Wilson has been the offensive coordinator at Ohio State for six seasons, first added to former coach Urban Meyer’s staff in 2017 before remaining in the same capacity under Day.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman.
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