The Ohio State football team had some issues early in Ryan Day's head coaching tenure, finding the right defensive coordinator. Day was having some problems making the right hire. That came to a head when the Buckeyes had Kerry Coombs as the defensive coordinator.
Despite him being a great man and a solid recruiter, the defense was not playing well under his leadership. In 2021, Coombs was demoted, and Matt Barnes took over the defensive play-calling. It didn't make things much better, as Ohio State still had a horrible defensive team.
At the end of the season, both Coombs and Barnes moved on. Coombs is now at Michigan, while Barnes spent time with Memphis and Mississippi State after his time with the Ohio State Buckeyes was finished. Now Barnes has found his way back to the Big Ten.
Former Ohio State DC gets a coaching job at Maryland
Barnes has left the Bulldogs in order to take a job at Maryland. He is back in the Big Ten, as is now the new special teams coordinator for the Terps. He is back in the Big Ten after five years away. Both Coombs and Barnes are now special teams coordinators for different Big Ten teams.
Ohio State clearly made the right move to part ways with Barnes. Firing him allowed them to hire Jim Knowles, who turned Ohio State into a championship-winning defense in 2024. Now, the Buckeyes have Matt Patricia for the second straight season leading the defense.
Barnes will make his return to the Shoe on October 10 when the Terps travel to Columbus. Both Barnes and Maryland will have their work cut out for them against Ohio State. The Buckeyes are expecting to win that game, as they are one of the favorites to win it all in 2026.