Will Urban Meyer return to coaching? Ex-Ohio State leader addresses speculation, endorses Buckeyes assistant

Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer has no interest in returning to the sideline despite a dozen FBS openings already on the college football coaching market, including programs like LSU, Penn State, and Florida, where he won national championships in 2006 and 2008.

"I don't have a desire," Meyer said via WSYX.

Meyer, who won a third national championship with the Buckeyes in 2014, has remained largely out of the public coaching conversation since being fired from the Jacksonville Jaguars in December 2021. His comments Thursday make clear he does not plan to return, even as his name frequently surfaces in speculation for major job openings.

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This coaching cycle is one of the busiest in recent memory. Eight openings have already emerged in the Power Four midway through the season, with more across the Group of Six. By comparison, only five Power Four jobs opened last year, when 30 total head-coaching positions changed hands. 

The pool of proven national championship-caliber coaches is thin. With several marquee programs seeking leadership, athletic directors may have to think outside the box. CBS Sports analyst Chris Hummer noted that some schools could turn to unproven Group of Six coaches or high-profile coordinators in search of the next breakthrough leader.

Meyer endorses Brian Hartline

Amid that landscape of limited options, Meyer singled out one rising coach he thinks is ready for a bigger role: longtime Ohio State assistant Brian Hartline. Hartline has long been one of Ohio State's top recruiters while serving as receivers coach and is now in his first season as the offensive coordinator and primary play caller. He previously interviewed for the West Virginia job last year and has been steadily building his résumé at Ohio State.

"I'm a big Brian Hartline fan, always have been," Meyer said. "Just needs the experience. I'm glad he stayed here. He had a chance to leave and he learned from us and learned from coach [Ryan] Day. So I think he's ready."

Hartline's expanded role as play caller in 2025 has placed him in the spotlight, directing an offense led by Heisman Trophy-contending quarterback Julian Sayin and arguably the best receiving corps in college football. Under his guidance, the Buckeyes are No. 1 in the FBS in offensive success rate (59.0%), per TruMedia, and No. 21 in scoring offense (36.4 points per game).

Meyer's public backing only adds to the growing attention on him as a potential future head coach.

Hartline, a former NFL wide receiver with seven seasons of playing experience with the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns, returned to his alma mater in 2017 while Meyer was still Ohio State's coach. He started as a quality control assistant and has steadily risen up the ranks in Columbus in the years since.

With Day's future secure following a national championship run last season and the Buckeyes currently ranked No. 1 in their quest for a repeat, Hartline's only clear path for advancement would be to take a job elsewhere -- a move he has yet to make in his coaching career.