New Assistant Football Coaches Speak to the Media

Excitement, Pride, and a Sense of Unity Highlight the Introductory Press Conferences for New Buckeye Coaches

Adam Bloom | February 1st, 2022

For the first time since uniting as the 2022 Ohio State Football coaching staff, the new Buckeye assistant coaches were given time to speak to the Media in introductory press conferences. The coaches covered everything from what it means to coach at Ohio State, how they plan on recruiting, and how they will work together as a unit to manage this football team. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from their press availability:

Recruiting:

Tim Walton, Justin Frye, and Perry Eliano all talked about what it was going to be like recruiting players to come play for their new school. Walton, who will be coaching the Corners, discussed the advantages that his past experiences as a college recruiter will bring him. “The thing about recruiting,” says Walton, “some things never change. Before, when I was in college, I recruited Georgia, I had some Ohio areas, I recruited Florida. So, when you go out…some of those same guys are still around, or they know people that you know that're still around.” Offensive Line Coach Justin Frye also discussed what he viewed as his personal advantage in recruiting for Ohio State. Having a background in the region, he said that “the familiarity of the Midwest, just in recruiting, was easier for me, I mean I’d recruited out here on previous stops.”

Walton and new Safeties coach Eliano discussed the allure of the Ohio State brand when it comes to recruiting high schoolers. Eliano discussed how incoming college players want to “be the best,” and to be All-Americans, award winners, national champions, and first-round draft picks. “So, for me,” he claimed, “being able to go into schools with the Block O on your chest, and knowing that…I’ve got an opportunity to win a national championship year in and year out and be the best of the best…is definitely an added advantage.” Walton, a former Buckeye player himself, was asked if the “brand or aura surrounding Ohio State” has changed in recent years, and whether he was making a different pitch to recruits now than what was made to him when he came to play for Ohio State. Walton said that the Ohio State brand is “a level higher” since he was recruited to come to the school. “Since then, they’ve played several national titles.” Walton alluded to the number of Big Ten Championships that Ohio State has won recently, and the number of National Championship games that the Buckeyes have played in and won, when discussing the advantage he has when pitching Ohio State to recruits. Ohio State’s football program is at an “elite level deal at this point,” according to Walton.

Coaching as a Unit:

Both Frye and Eliano discussed why they believe both the offensive and defensive coaching groups will work well together to create a cohesive and productive environment. On the offense, Frye was asked whether it will be a challenge for him, run game coordinator Tony Alford, passing game coordinator Brian Hartline, Offensive Coordinator Kevin Wilson, and Head Coach Ryan Day to all work together to efficiently run the Buckeye offense. “If you let it become a challenge it can be,” said Frye, “but I just walked out of meetings, (and) we’re just doing ball.” He claims that the offensive coaches are all willing to listen to the others’ input, and that Coach Day has brought in “a bunch of really good coaches.” Frye stated that “with these guys here, it’s not going to be (a challenge),” because they are all part of one unit.

Eliano discussed the situation of having two secondary coaches on the Buckeye staff, with him coaching the Safeties and Walton coaching the Corners. He doesn’t believe that there will be an issue with two coaches working together in the secondary, stating that “we all have our specialties…I’m coaching the Safeties, (Walton’s) coaching the corners, but at the same point in time, we’re a secondary.” Eliano said that it’s “extremely important” that both secondary position groups work together. He referred to a professional development seminar that both he and Walton took part in together a few years ago. He said that they “had great chemistry,” so now that they are working on the secondary together, they will be working “side by side.” Eliano does not appear concerned that two coaches splitting the Corners and Safeties will cause any sort of rift. He claims that “we have our position, but at the end of the day we are a secondary.” Eliano added that he is excited to pull from Walton, and believes Walton feels the same.

After a massive revamp of the coaching staff in an aggressive early off-season for Ryan Day, it appears that the new assistants are excited to get to work, and have already bought into the Buckeye program. They have all shown an excitement to be able to recruit players with the prestigious Ohio State brand behind them, which should help maintain the stellar standard of recruiting that Day has set at Ohio State. In addition, with so many new coaches coming in from different programs across the nation, it appears that they are all excited to work together as one cohesive coaching unit. If the coaching staff can maintain a positive working relationship and balance their roles in managing this team as well as they claim they will, Buckeye fans will hopefully see a smooth operation running both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball that should translate to stellar play on the field. As the Buckeyes gear up for a 2022 season in which they hope to return to the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff, as well as avenge their first loss in a decade to that team up North, the new coaching staff appears to be a strength that this team will rely on to get back to achieving their lofty goals.

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