Bill Davis coached three years with the Philadelphia Eagles. He will be a defensive assistant starting in 2017. Credit: Courtesy of the Philadelphia Eagles

Bill Davis coached three years with the Philadelphia Eagles. He will be a defensive assistant starting in 2017. Credit: Courtesy of the Philadelphia Eagles

Ohio State announced long-time NFL assistant Bill Davis as its linebackers coach. Davis was announced as a defensive assistant on Dec. 21 following the announcement of Luke Fickell being hired as head coach of the University of Cincinnati football team.

Davis previously coached for the Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers as defensive coordinator. He spent the 2016 season as a defensive analyst with the Buckeyes.

In addition to his five seasons as an NFL defensive coordinator, Davis, 51, has coached linebackers for eight of his 24 seasons in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Arizona and the Cleveland Browns.

He was a member of the 2008 Cardinals staff that lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII.

Davis grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, and was a four-year letter-winner at the University of Cincinnati from 1985-88. He played with OSU coach Urban Meyer at Cincinnati and was even his best man in Meyer’s wedding.

Editor’s Note 1/10: This article has been updated with Ohio State’s announcement of Bill Davis as linebackers coach.