Ohio State football assistant coach salaries, terms announced

The Ohio State University Department of Athletics released salaries and terms for its 10 full-time assistant football coaches today. The staff will make just under $8 million combined for the coming season after making just over $7.2 million last year, which ranked third nationally in 2019, according to the USA Today database of assistant coach salaries.

Ohio State’s assistant coaching staff features eight of the 10 assistant coaches who led what was considered by many as one of the finest football teams in program history in 2019. The Buckeyes won a third consecutive outright Big Ten championship – a first in Big Ten history – and advanced to the College Football Playoffs for the third time in the six-year history of the format, and for the first time since 2016.

Ohio State won 13 games by an average of over 36 points per game and it ranked in the Top 5 of 12 major NCAA statistical categories, including leading the nation in total defense (259.7 yards per game), fewest passing yards per game allowed (156.0), pass efficiency defense (97.50) and offensive third down percentage (55%).

Ohio State was also No. 4 nationally in total offense (529.9) and was the only program in the nation to rank in the Top 5 in both total offense and total defense.

“I couldn’t have been more impressed with the performance of our coaching staff under the direction of Ryan Day in 2019,” Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation Endowed Athletics Director Gene Smith said. “What they accomplished both on the field and in the way they led and mentored our students-athletes was exemplary. We look forward to much of the same in 2020.”

New defensive coordinator/secondary coach Kerry Coombs has a two-year contract through Jan. 31, 2022, that will pay him $1.4 million annually. Offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Kevin Wilson is next with $1.2 million per year for the next two seasons.

Co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison and Larry Johnson, the nationally acclaimed defensive line coach and assistant head coach, will each make $1.133 million, with Mattison in the second year of a two-year contract and Johnson set to make that amount for the next two seasons.

According to the USA Today database, there were 24 assistant coaches making at least $1 million in salary in 2019 with five schools – Alabama, Clemson, Michigan, South Carolina and Tennessee – having multiple assistants making at least that much.

Ohio State Assistant Coaching Staff Terms, Salaries and Increases

• Tony Alford, Assistant Head Coach for Offense/Running Backs – Term: 2/1/2020 to 1/31/2021 2019 Salary: $600,000; 2020 Salary: $618,000; Increase: $18,000

• Matt Barnes, Special Teams Coordinator/Assistant Secondary – Term: 2/1/2020 to 1/31/2022; 2019 Salary: $350,000; 2020-2021 Salary: $450,000; Increase: $100,000

• Kerry Coombs, Defensive Coordinator – Term: 2/1/2020 to 1/31/2022; 2020-2021 Salary: $1.4 million

• Corey Dennis, Quarterbacks – Term: 2/1/2020 to 1/31/2022; 2020-2021 Salary: $300,000

• Brian Hartline, Wide Receivers – Term: 2/1/2020 to 1/31/2022; 2019 Salary: $360,000; 2020-2021 Salary: $550,000; Increase: $190,000

• Larry Johnson, Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line – Term: 2/1/2020 to 1/31/2022; 2019 Salary: $900,000; 2020-2021 Salary: $1.133 million; Increase: $233,000

• Greg Mattison, Co-Defensive Coordinator: Term: 1/7/19 to 1/31/2021; 2019 Salary: $1.1 million; 2020 Salary: $1.133 million; Increase: $33,000

• Greg Studrawa, Offensive Line – Term: 2/1/2020 to 1/31/2022; 2019 Salary: $600,000; 2020-2021 Salary: $700,000; Increase: $100,000

• Al Washington, Linebackers – Term: 1/9/2019 to 1/31/2021; 2019 Salary: $500,000; 2020 Salary: $515,000; Increase: $15,000

• Kevin Wilson, Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends – Term: 2/1/2020 to 1/31/2022; 2019 Salary: $950,000; 2020-2021 Salary: $1.2 million; Increase:  $250,000