HC Ryan Day (B1G Coach of Year, B1G Champion, National Champion)
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Matt Patricia Becomes College Football’s Highest-Paid Coordinator With $3.75 Million Salary, Arthur Smith to Make $1.5 Million in 2026
Matt Patricia becomes college football’s highest-paid assistant coach with a $3.75 million salary while Arthur Smith will make $1.5 million in his first year at Ohio State.
Matt Patricia Becomes College Football’s Highest-Paid Coordinator With $3.75 Million Salary, Arthur Smith to Make $1.5 Million in 2026
In total, Ohio State will pay its assistant coaches $15.3 million in 2026, its largest assistant coach salary pool ever, after expanding its full-time coaching staff from 10 coaches to 12. That’s an increase of more than $3.5 million from 2025, when Ohio State paid its assistant coaches $11.775 million in salary, not including bonuses.That’s in addition to the $12.5 million Ohio State will pay Day, who’s in the second year of a seven-year contract that he signed with Ohio State last year.
The only full-time assistant from last season who did not return to Ohio State for 2026 was former offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline, who left OSU to become the head coach at South Florida.
The full list of salaries for Ohio State’s assistant coaches for the 2026 season:
OHIO STATE'S 2026 ASSISTANT COACH SALARIES
| COACH | TITLE | 2026 SALARY | 2025 SALARY | CHANGE | CONTRACT END |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MATT PATRICIA | DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR | $3,750,000 | $2,500,000 | +$1,250,000 | 2029 |
| TIM WALTON | ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/CO-DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR/SECONDARY COACH | $1,800,000 | $1,800,000 | $0 | 2028 |
| LARRY JOHNSON | ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH/DEFENSIVE LINE COACH | $1,600,000 | $1,400,000 | +$200,000 | 2027 |
| ARTHUR SMITH | OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR | $1,500,000 | N/A* | N/A | 2028 |
| KEENAN BAILEY | CO-OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR/TIGHT ENDS COACH | $1,000,000 | $650,000 | +$350,000 | 2028 |
| TYLER BOWEN | OFFENSIVE LINE COACH/RUN GAME COORDINATOR | $1,000,000 | $900,000 | +$100,000 | 2028 |
| MATT GUERRIERI | PASSING GAME COORDINATOR/SAFETIES COACH | $1,000,000 | $900,000 | +$100,000 | 2028 |
| CORTEZ HANKTON | WIDE RECEIVERS COACH | $900,000 | $1,000,000* | -$100,000 | 2028 |
| JAMES LAURINAITIS | LINEBACKERS COACH | $900,000 | $500,000 | +$400,000 | 2028 |
| BILLY FESSLER | PASSING GAME COORDINATOR/QUARTERBACKS COACH | $750,000 | $475,000 | +$275,000 | 2028 |
| CARLOS LOCKLYN | RUNNING BACKS COACH | $700,000 | $650,000 | +$50,000 | 2028 |
| ROBBY DISCHER | SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR | $400,000 | $400,000* | $0 | 2028 |
| *Hankton coached at LSU and Discher coached at Illinois in 2025. Arthur Smith was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator in 2025, but his NFL contract was not subject to public record. |
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