Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline has been officially announced as the new head coach at South Florida. Hartline is an Ohio-native who played for the Buckeyes and has been on the staff there since 2017 following a seven-year NFL career.
“Brian Hartline was our clear-cut first choice to lead our football program into the most exciting era in program history, and I am so fired up to have him leading the Bulls,” USF AD Rob Higgins said. “A relentless recruiter, outstanding developer of talent and a gritty competitor, he comes from a championship background and is obsessed with instilling championship excellence in his players and teams. He is ready to lead our program to the next level. He knows the state of Florida, having spent six seasons of his professional playing career in Miami, and has successfully recruited the state and the Bay area for a long time. We are so excited to welcome Brian, his wife Kara and their children Brayden, Kameron and Brooklyn to the Bulls family.”
Hartline, 39, has been the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator for the last three seasons, a run that includes a national championship this past January and a top-ranked undefeated 2025 team that will face #2 Indiana this weekend in the Big Ten Championship game. While his entire coaching career has been at his alma mater, this move marks a return to the Sunshine State for Hartline, who spent the majority of his playing career as a WR with the Miami Dolphins (2009-14).
“I’m honored and excited to join the University of South Florida as its new head football coach,” Coach Hartline said. “Becoming a first-time head coach at a place like USF is a dream come true for me and my family. I look forward to leading the team to new heights, both on and off the field. Bulls Nation, we’re going to need your support and commitment to help us get to where we all want to be: never-ending championship excellence, building something that lasts, and serving our university, our community, and our fan base with integrity and passion. I can’t wait to get to work with our team and the entire USF community. Go Bulls!”
The Bulls went 9-3 this season under third-year head coach Alex Golesh, who departed the program last month to take over at Auburn. The team will be led by interim head coach Kevin Patrick later this month when they play in their bowl game. Golesh was actually a student assistant at Ohio State in 2005 when Hartline first arrived, though the latter red-shirted that season.