Eric Boggs
Ohio State has made a clear statement heading into the 2026 season: keeping elite coaching in Columbus is worth every dollar. Under head coach Ryan Day, the Buckeyes will spend a program-record $15.3 million on assistant coach salaries this year, a jump of more than $3.5 million from the $11.775 million paid in 2025. The massive increase reflects both new hires and significant raises across the staff, but the centerpiece of the spending spree is the deal required to retain defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
Patricia signed a three-year extension that will pay him $3.75 million in 2026 and increase to $3.85 million in each of the following two seasons. The contract totals $11.45 million and makes him the highest-paid assistant coach in college football. Ohio State’s leadership felt the investment was necessary after Patricia guided one of the most dominant defenses in the country last season.
In his first year leading the Buckeyes’ defense, Patricia helped build a unit that finished No. 1 nationally in both scoring and total defense. Ohio State allowed just 9.3 points per game while limiting opponents to 219 yards per contest and only four yards per play. With that level of production, it’s no surprise NFL teams showed interest in bringing Patricia back to the professional ranks. According to Ohio State leadership, there were moments during the offseason when keeping him in Columbus was “touch-and-go,” making the financial commitment even more significant for the program.
Patricia arrived in Columbus after replacing Jim Knowles, who left for Penn State following Ohio State’s national championship season in 2025. Knowles later landed with the Tennessee Volunteers after a brief stint at Penn State, but Patricia quickly proved he was more than capable of maintaining Ohio State’s defensive dominance.
While Patricia’s contract headlines the financial investment, Ohio State’s staff as a whole received substantial adjustments. Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith was hired as the Buckeyes’ new offensive coordinator following the departure of Brian Hartline, who became head coach at South Florida. Smith signed a two-year contract worth $1.5 million in 2026 and $2 million in 2027 after spending the 2025 season coordinating the offense for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Several returning assistants also received raises and contract extensions. Defensive line coach Larry Johnson will earn $1.6 million in 2026, a $200,000 increase on a one-year deal. Co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Keenan Bailey received one of the largest raises, jumping to $1 million this season after earning $650,000 in 2025. Linebackers coach James Laurinaitis saw his salary climb from $500,000 to $900,000, while quarterbacks coach Billy Fessler will earn $750,000 after a $275,000 increase. Running backs coach Carlos Locklyn will make $700,000, up $50,000 from last season.
Other key members of the staff remain among the highest-paid assistants in the country. Co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Tim Walton will earn $1.8 million in 2026, while defensive passing game coordinator and safeties coach Matt Guerrieri and offensive line coach/run game coordinator Tyler Bowen will each make $1 million after $100,000 raises.
New special teams coordinator Robby Discher will earn $400,000 this season, with a scheduled increase to $450,000 in 2027. Wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton will make $900,000 in 2026 and $1 million in 2027.
The record-breaking assistant salary pool is in addition to the $12.5 million Ohio State will pay Day this season as part of the seven-year contract extension he signed last year. Combined, it reflects a program fully committed to competing at the highest level of college football.
For Ohio State fans, the message is simple: the Buckeyes are determined to keep elite coaching in Columbus. After seeing how valuable Patricia’s defense was last season, the administration wasn’t willing to risk losing him. The price to keep him may be historic, but if the Buckeyes continue to field the nation’s top defense, it could end up being money well spent.
