Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs speaks with the media in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center Feb. 5. Credit: Griffin Strom | Sports Editor
Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs will become the highest paid Buckeye assistant coach in 2020, while defensive line coach Larry Johnson and offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson will now both make more than $1 million, according to Ohio State salary data.
Coombs, whom head coach Ryan Day hired from the NFL’s Tennessee Titans to replace Jeff Hafley as defensive coordinator, will receive $1.4 million in 2020, which would have been second-most in the Big Ten behind Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown’s $1.5 million salary in 2019.
It’s the second-highest base salary for an assistant coach in Ohio State history, behind former defensive coordinator Greg Schiano’s $1.5 million salary in 2018.
Wilson becomes the second-highest paid Ohio State assistant in 2020 at $1.2 million. He received the highest raise of the Buckeyes’ eight returning assistants with an increase of $250,000 from the previous season.
With a $233,000 raise, Johnson joins co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison at $1.133 million for 2020.
In 2019, Clemson was the only school with three assistants on a salary of at least $1 million. No other program had more than two, according to USA Today’s annual salary database. In 2020, Ohio State will have four.
Offensive line coach Greg Studrawa, wide receivers coach Brian Hartline and special teams coordinator Matt Barnes each received six-figure raises to place them at $700,000, $550,000 and $450,000, respectively.
Running backs coach Tony Alford received an $18,000 raise, bringing his salary to $618,000, and linebackers coach Al Washington went from $500,000 in 2019 to $515,000 in 2020. First-year quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis rounds out the coaching staff at $300,000.
