Ohio State Defensive Coordinator Kerry Coombs will not return to Columbus next season. Ryan Day is entering into a pivotal moment and offseason in his young Ohio State career. Day is overhauling his defensive staff after the units below average production over the last two seasons.

When Day rehired Coombs following a brief stint in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans, there was an excitement because of his football prowess and Scarlet and Gray blood.

Coombs is a native son of Ohio, a former high school coach in Cincinnati, and was beloved as an assistant and “juice man” during both stints in Columbus. However, it appears the role of defensive coordinator was too much and ultimately pushed Day beyond his breaking point. Coombs is an excellent cornerbacks and secondary coach who has produced a handful of first round NFL Draft picks.

His recruiting presence, especially in the Cincinnati area, is elite. Coombs is one of the legendary position coaches in Buckeye lore. The staff was given a pass last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting most of the season, but Coombs was stripped of his play calling duties in September in favor of Matt Barnes. Both coaches were ultimately replaced by Jim Knowles and Perry Eliano, respectively.

Coombs handled the transition as a true professional and embraced the selfless culture of the program. Eliano will join the Buckeye staff as the Safeties coach as Coombs positional replacement. Jim Knowles took over Defensive Coordinator duties effective January 2, 2022. More changes to the defensive staff are expected as well.

This is a developing story. Stay tuned for the latest breaking news updates surrounding the Ohio State football program.