Ohio State Football: A heartfelt farewell to Kerry Coombs

I don’t do this very often. Most of the time when a coach leaves, I don’t have any sort of attachment to them as a person. Whoever helps the Ohio State football program win the most games is all that concerns me. Kerry Coombs was a bit different though.

I have been critical of Coombs’ performance on the field as a DC and as a recruiter lately. Clearly, it was time for him to go. He didn’t have the ability to do the job that Ryan Day wanted him to. That doesn’t take anything away from how good of a secondary coach he was and how good of a man he is.

Coombs’ recruited and developed several first-round defensive backs. He developed several fantastic cornerbacks. He coached and recruited the likes of Marshonn Lattimore, Denzel Ward, Jeff Okudah, and more recently Denzel Burke. All three of those guys went in the first round of the NFL Draft, and Burke looks likely to follow.

Coombs also loved the Ohio State football program. He was born and raised in the state of Ohio and coached in the state until his brief stint with the Titans. He eats, breathes, sleeps, and lives football in this state. That’s part of the reason he was such a great recruiter.

Looking past football, Coombs is an even better man. After he got replaced by Matt Barnes as the primary defensive coordinator this season, Coombs had some great quotes about persevering in life and never giving up. He was showing that no matter what happens, you keep going.

I love Kerry Coombs the man. He’s someone I would love to associate myself with. I’d love to have my kids grow up and be a defensive back coached by him. To see him leave Ohio State is bittersweet because he loved it here so much. It was just time to go.

I hope that Coombs finds success wherever he ends up next. Perhaps he coaches with Luke Fickell at Cincinnati. Wherever he goes, I’ll be rooting for him. As will countless other Buckeye fans.