Al Washington stays with the Buckeyes.
According to several reports, Washington has turned down an offer to reject Tennessee’s defense coordinator and he will remain in the state of Ohio for the third season as the coach of the Buckeyes.
The Washington decision was first reported by 247Sports. Lettermen Row’s Austin Ward reported on Thursday that an increased and new responsibility as the coordinator of the running game was already in the works’ for Washington, although the state of Ohio has not yet announced a new title for Washington.
Following the retirement of former co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, Washington is now set to coach the entire Ohio State lineout unit in 2021. If he is promoted to the game coordinator, he is second in command of the Ohio State defense coach behind the defense. coordinator Kerry Coombs, though defensive coach Larry Johnson and newly promoted secondary coach Matt Barnes will also be fully involved in the Buckeyes’ defensive game planning.
Washington, now 36, has never been a coordinator in his coaching career before, but was reportedly offered $ 1.5 million – almost three times the $ 515,000 he earned in Ohio in 2020 – to become the defense coordinator in Tennessee. . Eventually, however, Washington decides to stay in the state of Ohio rather than join a Tennessee program that goes through a transition to the coaching staff, after Jeremy Pruitt was fired for committing NCAA offenses.
While Ryan Day said earlier on February 3 that the state of Ohio will not have a co-defense coordinator, he said Washington will take on a bigger role this year after Mattison’s departure.
“Even if going to take on an extra responsibility,” Day said. “I think Al Washington did a very good job with the linebackers.”
Washington’s decision to stay in the state of Ohio is not only essential to maintaining continuity in the linebacker room, but also to recruiting the Buckeyes, as he was one of their players on the route.
In addition to Washington’s status as the only returning coach of Ohio State last season, he has always been one of the Buckeyes’ bait on the yard, making it increasingly important for them to keep him in the herd. Washington is currently named by 247Sports as the no. 1st recruiter among all assistant coaches for the class of 2022.