As the college football regular season wraps up, a handful of programs that fell short of bowl eligibility have already turned the page to 2026—and for some, that starts with finding a new leader on the sideline.
The latest domino to fall came Monday in the Southeastern Conference when the Kentucky Wildcats officially moved on from longtime head coach Mark Stoops. Almost immediately, names began circulating in Lexington about who might take over one of the league’s most challenging jobs.
Among the early frontrunners, according to On3, is Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline—one of the most highly regarded young assistants in the sport.
The Buckeyes, fresh off securing a spot in the Big Ten title game against No. 2 Indiana this Saturday, remain squarely focused on defending their 2024 national championship in the expanded College Football Playoff. Pulling Hartline away mid-run would be a significant coup for the Wildcats.
Though this is Hartline’s debut season calling plays as Ohio State’s full-time offensive coordinator under Ryan Day, his reputation was built over the previous half-decade as the architect of the nation’s premier wide receiver room. Year after year, he has lured five-star prospects to Columbus and turned them into first-round NFL Draft picks.
Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Jaxon Smith-Njigba all blossomed into All-Americans under his guidance, and the current group—headlined by true freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith and sophomore Carnell Tate—appears poised to continue that pipeline.
Geographically, the jump from Columbus to Lexington is hardly daunting; the two campuses sit less than a three-hour drive apart along I-75 and I-64. Professionally, however, the move would represent a dramatic acceleration for the 38-year-old Hartline: from first-year play-caller at one of college football’s blue-blood programs to first-time head coach inside the pressure cooker of the SEC.
While Ohio State prepares for another deep postseason run, Kentucky’s search is only beginning—but Hartline’s name surfacing this quickly underscores just how highly the sport views his future as a head coach.
It will be interesting to see whether or not Hartline gets a head coaching opportunity this offseason. He’s certainly deserving of one.
Should he get hired away from the Buckeyes, Ryan Day and Ohio State would have to quickly move on bringing in a candidate to replace him. Perhaps a reunion with Chip Kelly could be in the cards.
