Former Ohio State Buckeyes’ assistant coach is leaving the Big Ten to take a job in the SEC with a first-time head coach
The former Ohio State assistant is taking his first job in the SEC.
The coaching hiring cycle in college football has been one of the wildest in recent memory.
For the Ohio State Buckeyes, their only real hit so far was losing wide receivers coach Brian Hartline to South Florida, where he took his first head-coaching gig. Given how the calendar is set up, the hiring cycle coincides with the College Football Playoff. The latest move in the coaching world just so happens to be a former Buckeyes assistant who is on the move.
Former Ohio State special teams coach heading to Kentucky
Parker Fleming was named the special teams coach for the Buckeyes in 2018 and served in that role for three seasons as an assistant in Columbus. Since then, the former Buckeyes coach has been an offensive staffer with the Oregon Ducks. Now, Fleming is following Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein to the Kentucky Wildcats, where he will lead the special teams and coach inside receivers, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Fleming was originally with the Buckeyes for two seasons, starting in 2012 as a graduate assistant under Urban Meyer. After leaving Ohio State in 2013, Fleming spent two seasons coaching wide receivers at James Madison. After that, it was a short stint at Texas State, where Fleming was a co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. During Fleming’s time with the Buckeyes, Ohio State went 68-7 with three Big Ten titles.
The 37-year-old is taking his first role in the SEC on a first-time head coach’s staff with Stein. It’s hard to win at Kentucky in the SEC, and that’s known. But if Fleming can find some success with the Wildcats, it could lead to a bigger job as he tries to climb the ranks again after his time at Ohio State.
Ohio State Buckeyes News
Expected transfer portal departure not likely to be with the Ohio State Buckeyes for the College Football Playoff
Ohio State’s wide receiver depth has taken a bit of a hit to the transfer portal ahead of facing Miami.
