Ohio State fired wide receivers coach Zach Smith on Monday, following a series of reports about alleged domestic violence issues in his past.
Smith had served as the receivers coach since Urban Meyer was hired following the 2011 season.
He was a lightning rod for criticism from Buckeye fans at times, as his unit struggled to make plays consistently down the field.
Smith also found himself in the spotlight following several high-profile spats on his Twitter account.
However, Smith was also very popular on the recruiting trail, and had helped the Buckeyes amass some significant talent at the receiver position.
Monday night, after the news about Smith’s termination broke, 5-star 2019 wide receiver commit Garrett Wilson took to Twitter to reaffirm his commitment to the Buckeyes.
“I’m SOLID. Please stop asking #GoBucks” Wilson wrote.
I’m SOLID. Please stop asking #GoBucks
— Garrett Wilson (@GarrettWilson_V) July 23, 2018
OSU is currently recruiting several other players at the position for 2019, including 4-stars Jameson Williams and Marcus Washington, neither of whom have shared their thoughts on the change.
Ohio State said Monday that, “Coaching staff adjustments will be announced at a later date.”
With the start of fall camp less than two weeks away, Urban Meyer doesn’t have a lot of time to shop around for a replacement.
Brian Hartline, who is currently listed as a quality control coach for the Buckeyes, could be at least an interim solution.
Hartline was a four-year contributor as a player at OSU, finishing his college career with 90 catches, 1,429 yards and 12 touchdowns.
He played in the NFL for seven seasons before returning to his alma mater to begin his coaching career.
Hartline has spent the last two years working with the receivers.
His NFL pedigree and personal experience with the Buckeye program could help him step into Smith’s role in recruiting.
One other name to know is Keenan Bailey. is another member of the coaching staff who has worked with the receivers. Bailey is a graduate assistant coach, and is entering his second season with the unit.
Bailey spent 2016 as an offensive intern with the running backs.
He could see some kind of change to his role in the wake of Smith’s dismissal.
Buckeye fans wondering what’s next for the job likely won’t have to wait long for the answer. Urban Meyer will address the media Tuesday morning at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago.
It will be interesting to see how much he has matured since his time at osu. He was VERY opinionated, as a 21 year old that’s highly unusual when it comes to being a subordinate. The coaching, if he’s promoted, I could see him doing well, but since the players are 90% responsible for their own improvement, I hope all the credit doesn’t go to the coach, especially by the smith haters, who will be glad to say, I told you so. lol
Heartline was one of the best at “ OH- . He definitely can help young men practice their trades. I’m concerned about the recruiting and hope he can become a great one for The Ohio State!
Addition by subtraction.
Anybody who saw Hartline play at Ohio State knows that his greatest asset was consistency. If you needed a catch in a clutch situation, Hartline was your man. He would be a great receivers coach.
Hartline will be just fine! He’s perfect for the job, and quite frankly, a coaching change had to be made in this area. It’s sad that it took a situation such as this for him to finally be terminated.