Columbus -- Ohio State's coaching continuity was reaching an epic level -- for the past four seasons, the only coaching change had been quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels moving to an administrative role for health reasons and Nick Siciliano being promoted from within. This season, seven of the nine assistants had been on staff at least six seasons. That finally...
Columbus -- Ohio State's coaching continuity was reaching an epic level -- for the past four seasons, the only coaching change had been quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels moving to an administrative role for health reasons and Nick Siciliano being promoted from within. This season, seven of the nine assistants had been on staff at least six seasons.
That finally changed Monday with the announcement of OSU receivers coach Darrell Hazell as the head coach at Kent State. Hazell will remain with the Buckeyes through the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4. OSU athletic director Gene Smith said he had spoken briefly about the open position with head coach Jim Tressel, and he doesn't anticipate Tressel moving too quickly to fill the role.
"I think Jim will take his time and be deliberate," Smith said. "He does have some people in mind he wants to talk to, and I expect there will be some others."
Tressel has plenty of assistants with either direct connections to him or to Ohio State -- coordinators Jim Bollman and Jim Heacock, co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell, Siciliano, tight ends coach John Peterson and running backs coach Dick Tressel -- and the others at least have Midwest roots. Cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson, safeties coach Paul Haynes and Hazell all played college football in Ohio.
Hazell is the first coach to leave the staff for another job since Tim Beckman, now the Toledo head coach, departed after the 2006 season to be the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State. The most recent assistant hired away as a head coach was defensive coordinator Mark Snyder, who left after 2004 for Marshall. Previous defensive coordinator Mark Dantonio left for Cincinnati after 2003. And now it's Hazell's turn.
"Darrell and I had two talks about this since I've been here," Smith said. "Early on, he aspired to be a head coach, and I'm not surprised at all that he landed this one. . . . He's honest and forthright and never reactionary. He has a calm presence about him that makes it easy for people to relate to. I always felt comfortable that if Darrell has to work a room full of people, he'll do great."
Hazell was the assistant head coach at Ohio State in addition to coaching the receivers, making $257,000 in base salary plus a one-month bonus of more than $21,000 for a Big Ten title and another one-month bonus for reaching a bowl game. He'll have a base salary of $300,000 at Kent State. Hazell seemed to be both respected and liked by his players, and six of his receivers were drafted by the NFL in his six drafts since joining the staff, including three in the first round. He was part of the offensive game-planning, though Tressel made the final decisions.
"He has certainly been a difference-maker at Ohio State," Tressel said in a statement. "The Golden Flashes are starting a golden era led by Darrell Hazell. His Buckeye family wishes him every success."