One name that many thought the Ohio State Buckeyes may target to replace Jim Knowles was Bryant Haines, the defensive coordinator of a well-run Indiana Hoosiers squad.
Matt Zenitz reported that he has finalized a new contract for himself with the Hoosiers. With that, he’ll officially be out of the running for the Buckeyes defensive coordinator position, at least this time around.
Indiana has finalized a new contract with defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, sources tell @CBSSports/@247Sports.
Haines, a Broyles Award finalist, led the way as Indiana ranked No. 2 nationally in total defense this year and was key in IU’s run to 11 wins and a Playoff berth.… pic.twitter.com/nAjKiYLMtv
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 26, 2025
Haines has followed Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti for quite a while and jumped with him from James Madison to Indiana. JMU was a top-ten defense under the tutelage of Haines, and the Hoosiers were elite on that side of the ball this past season as well.
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That’s one key reason why many thought Haines would have made a good fit under head coach Ryan Day in Columbus. However, his plans seem to be made up, and he’s going to be staying put.
Expect Ohio State to look at other names like Luke Fickell, Mike Vrabel or the slew of NFL names that Day has ties to as they start their search for Knowles’ replacement.
