USF introduces ‘dream football coach’ Brian Hartline

It took Rob Higgins, the new CEO of athletics at the University of South Florida, just 60 hours to land a “one of one” football coach following Alex Golesh’s departure.

USF formally introduced Brian Hartline as the football program’s seventh head coach Monday with all the pomp and circumstance one would expect with such a widely acclaimed hire. He will spend the week ingratiating himself with the Bulls – despite remaining Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach during the College Football Playoffs.

Hartline, a first-time head coach known for his recruiting prowess and football pedigree, expressed gratitude for a “world-class opportunity.” The feeling was mutual.

“Two months ago, I stood in front of you accepting my dream job,” Higgins said during the introduction. “Little did I know that two months later we’d be accepting our dream football coach.”

Hartline set lofty expectations in his first public comments since USF announced his hire Dec. 3.  “The goal here is a championship mentality in everything we do, with relentless pursuit,” he said.

“I am honored and humbled for this world-class opportunity,” Hartline said. “I’ve always felt like this is a place that caught my eye from afar. When assessing opportunities, USF was always toward the top of the list, frankly.”

The Ohio State alum accumulated nearly 5,000 receiving yards during a seven-season NFL career. He spent six years with the Miami Dolphins and called Florida a “second home.”

Hartline returned to Ohio State as a coach following his retirement in 2016. He quickly gained notoriety for fostering elite wide receivers and was the co-offensive coordinator when the Buckeyes won the 2024 national championship.

In the past three years, five of Hartline’s receivers have gone in the first round of the NFL Draft. He has played for or coached under some of the greatest minds and recruiters in college football, including Ryan Day, Urban Meyer and Jim Tressel.

Hartline was reportedly a candidate for other, arguably higher-profile, college football openings this year. One publication wrote that “Penn State will regret not bringing him to Happy Valley.”

However, the Ohio native stressed his affinity for Florida and its pool of high school talent. “If we were ever going to go anywhere, it would be back to the people in Florida,” Hartline said.

He pledged to build on an “impressive foundation” laid by Golesh, who left for Auburn after three seasons at USF. “We will win at the highest level,” Hartline said.

“We will chase championships.”

Brian Hartline toured the site of USF’s new $340 million on-campus stadium after arriving in Tampa.

Higgins said he was still “pinching myself that this is happening.” He noted that USF “had a plan, we executed the plan and, in 60 hours’ time, we got our guy.”

Higgins, in what may or may not have been jabs at Golesh, credited Hartline’s loyalty to Ohio State. He called it a “unicorn scenario” to hire a coach who “has not jumped around” while learning from “some of the all-time greats of college football.”

“We’re going to do anything and everything we can to work together to build a situation here that there is absolutely no reason to leave,” Higgins continued. “We know we’ve arrived because a candidate like this wants to plant their flag and help lead us in our next chapter.”

Hartline is chasing one more championship at Ohio State before moving to Tampa. Questions regarding his split duties arose when the Buckeyes lost Saturday to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Ohio State has a first-round bye in the playoffs before a quarterfinal game Dec. 31. Higgins believes the national attention that comes with Hartline’s pursuit of another title will benefit both parties.

“Look at it from an intangible side of things, with the number of times people will mention he’s our next head football coach,” Higgins said.

Hartline will wait to fill out his staff before deciding if he will call plays for the Bulls. For now, he looks forward to spending time with his new team.

“I love being in person,” Hartline said. I think if you can look at someone’s eyes, you can kind of tell if they’re full of it or not, and ultimately, that’s where the connection comes from.”

He pledged to oversee a disciplined and accountable program. Hartline said that “every detail will matter,” and “the time is now for USF football.”

He became emotional when thanking his wife, Kara, for being his family’s “rock.” Hartline said the two and their three children are “looking forward to becoming a big part of the Tampa community.”

“I hope you guys embrace us,” Hartline added. “I know you will. You already have.”