Ryan Day is no stranger to losing his coordinators. After their natty win, his OC went to the pros, and his DC joined his conference rivals. Throughout all of this, Brian Hartline stood strong by the head coach’s side and even received a promotion this season. After James Franklin was fired, he was also linked to the PSU job. However, that buzz has sailed, but another program has entered the mix.

With the playoffs about to begin in the next couple of days, Coach Day faces a high risk of losing Hartline to Kentucky. On Dec. 1, the Wildcats fired college football’s longest-tenured head coach, Mark Stoops, owing to back-to-back losing seasons. According to Wildcats’ insider Liam Blutman, the program has a long list of targets. While the Oregon OC Will Stein is at the top of the list, it also includes Brian Hartline, Dan Candle, and Dan Mullen .

It comes as no surprise that Hartline remains a constant on the coaching carousel. Over the years, he has helped develop Ohio State into a national powerhouse and stole the title of WR-U from LSU. Emeka Egbuka, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, and Marvis Harrison Jr., to name a few. In the 2026 draft, Carnell Tate will join the list, and then Jeremiah Smith will explode in the pros. It’s a pipeline that never stops giving.

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“You look at what he’s done with the receivers. He’s developed them, and he’s recruited at a high level,” Coach Ryan Day had stated while promoting him as the offensive coordinator.

Hartline joined his alma mater as a quality control coach, and over the years, he continued to climb up the ladder. From being a wide receivers coach to the passing game coordinator and finally to the offensive coordinator post. If given the chance of securing a head coach job, will he leave? In an interview with Eleven Warriors, he expressed his desire to lead a program as a head coach.

“I’d love to be a head coach and try to do that on a team, not just in one position,” he said. “I want to be able to win a national championship. It would have to be a top program that paints that vision, that it can get done there. It’s that or the NFL.”

In addition to his former OSU head coach, Urban Meyer has encouraged him to take on the HC gig, saying he is now prepared to tackle bigger responsibilities and challenges. He has already expressed his love for Ohio State and developing the wide receiver corps in Columbus. But with fresh opportunities coming forward, will he make that leap?

Will Ryan Day lose Brian Hartline to Kentucky?

So far, it remains unclear. In addition to Kentucky eyeing Hartline, the Wildcats are further interested in Oregon’s OC Will Stein, UNLV head coach Dan Mullen, and Toledo Rockets coach Jason Candle. So, it’s not as if Hartline is the primary target for the Wildcats, the way Lane Kiffin was for the LSU Tigers.

If Ryan Day loses Hartline, it won’t be the first time Ohio State faces a setback on its coaching staff. After last season concluded, Penn State successfully landed defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

Earlier, Barstool analyst Ohio Tate had warned the offensive coordinator to remain cautious while considering his options. Knowles left for Penn State, but his playbook has yet to find success at University Park. Similarly, Chip Kelly left for the NFL but was fired by the Las Vegas Raiders over poor performance. The message was clear: “The grass is not always greener outside Columbus.”