Position on the staff: Associate head coach, defensive line coach

After a long and successful tenure at Penn State, Larry Johnson made the move through the Big Ten to Ohio State in 2014, taking over the defensive line responsibilities. Since joining the Buckeye staff, Johnson has helped produce some of the top defensive linemen in the country; names like Joey Bosa, Sam Hubbard, Tyquan Lewis, Nick Bosa, and others all developed under Johnson’s watch. In 2018, Johnson had a streak of coaching consecutive Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, ending at four. In January, Johnson was promoted to associate head coach but will continue to work with the defensive line in 2019 and be a key member of Day’s first staff.

Position on the staff: Co-defensive coordinator

Greg Mattison has been around football for a long time. The veteran has been a coach for more than 40 years, with experience at both the collegiate and NFL levels. For Buckeye fans, Mattison’s name is likely known for his time at Michigan, where he was the defensive coordinator from 2011–14 and the defensive line coach for the last four years. When Day offered him the chance to help coordinate a defense again, Mattison jumped at it. With the Wolverines, Mattison was part of a staff that put together a top-five defense in each of the last four years. Mattison’s other coaching stops included the Baltimore Ravens (linebackers coach/defensive coordinator), Notre Dame (defensive coordinator/defensive line coach), Florida (co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach), and Texas A&M (defensive line coach), just to name a few.

Position on the staff: Co-defensive coordinator, secondary coach

Jeff Hafley is another member of the staff with both NFL and college experience before coming to Ohio State. Hafley spent the last seven seasons working in the NFL, coaching the secondaries for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Cleveland Browns, and most recently the San Francisco 49ers, where he worked with Day in 2016. Prior to making the move to the NFL, Hafley worked in college as a defensive coach at Albany, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers. While working with the Panthers, Hafley coached Jim Thorpe Award finalist Darrelle Revis in 2006.

Like Mattison, Al Washington comes to Ohio State from Michigan, where he was the linebackers coach for a Wolverine defense that was third in the country in total defense in 2018. There he worked with Devin Bush, who was a consensus All-American, a Butkus Award finalist, and the Big Ten’s Woodson-Nagurski Defensive Player of the Year and Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year. All three of Washington’s Michigan linebackers last year earned All-Big Ten honors. Prior to joining the Wolverines staff, Washington spent one season as the defensive line coach for Luke Fickell at Cincinnati. Before that, Washinton worked at his alma mater, Boston College, coaching running backs from 2013–15 and then becoming special teams coordinator and defensive line coach in 2016. During his time with the Eagles, Washington worked with Day for one season in 2013. Washington’s father, Al Washington Sr., played for the Buckeyes from 1977–80.

Position on the staff: Assistant head coach for offense, running backs coach

Tony Alford is set to enter his fifth season as running backs coach at Ohio State after coming to the Buckeyes from Notre Dame in 2015. In each of his first four seasons with the Scarlet and Gray, Alford has coached a 1,000-yard rusher: Ezekiel Elliott (2015), Mike Weber (2016), and J.K. Dobbins (2017 and 2018). Elliott was also the Big Ten Player of the Year and recipient of the Silver Football in 2015, and Weber was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2016. Before coming to Ohio State, Alford coached running backs at Washington, Louisville, and with the Fighting Irish, as well as other collegiate stops.