Hiring the right head coach can completely change the trajectory of a program, but those wearing the headset don’t often get enough credit for the hires they make as support personnel around them. Luring and enticing the right mind on the offensive or defensive end can pay immediate dividends. Urban Meyer was one of the best head coaches in our generation, but he also had an eye for coaching talent.
ESPN believes so too. Adam Rittenberg compiled a list of the ten best assistant coach hires over the past decade, and there were two mentions of — stay with me — three guys Myer brought to Ohio State.
One of those is the polarizing, current Texas head coach Tom Herman. Say what you will about the man, but he put a stamp on a Buckeye offense that was absolutely horrendous before his arrival. Also, as a package deal, Rittenberg singles (or doubles) out Ryan Day and Kevin Wilson.
Here’s what he has to say about both timely and extremely instrumental hires, and where he ranks them among those ten.