The coach carousel has begun turning, and if fans were ready for how fast it would move, they had better continue to hold on tight. Since the conclusion of the regular season, there have already been 12 head coaches hired, five of them came on the Sunday after the season concluded.
Five major programs filled their vacancies on Sunday, including Ole Miss, LSU, Florida, Auburn, and Arkansas. There were also a few more firings on Sunday, which included Kentucky and Michigan State. Kentucky didn't waste any time figuring out who they wanted as candidates for the position.
Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline was on the short list for the Wildcats, as Kentucky was hoping to bring in an offense-minded coach. While Hartline should make a great head coach somewhere, Buckeyes fans don't want to see him go anywhere soon, or at least before the Early Signing Period, and it seems like they should be in the clear there.
Brian Hartline should still be with the Buckeyes for Early Signing Period
Kentucky ended up going with Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein, even though Hartline was a top candidate as well. Now, this doesn't mean that Hartline still won't take a head coaching position this offseason, as one big program, Penn State, is still looking to fill their opening.
The big upside to Hartline not being hired anywhere just yet is that he will still be around for the Early Signing Period. This is crucial for Ohio State, as Hartline is a big reason some of the biggest offensive recruits Ohio State will have signing tomorrow picked the Buckeyes because of what Hartline has done this season.
Hartline has been key in Ohio State's offensive recruiting along with head coach Ryan Day, so if Hartline were to leave before the signing period, it could cause some key recruits to flip at the last minute.
So, Ohio State dodged a bullet just before the signing period, but they aren't out of the woods yet, as some programs are still looking for a replacement for their head coaches.