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How much will South Florida pay former Ohio State OC Brian Hartline?
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- How much will South Florida pay former Ohio State OC Brian Hartline?
Former Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline saw a hefty pay raise when he took his first head-coaching job in December.
Hartline, who was hired by South Florida after nine seasons rising up as an assistant on the Buckeyes ' staff, is set to earn $3.5 million in guaranteed compensation in 2026, according to a copy of his contract obtained by The Dispatch through a public records request.
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His annual pay package includes $500,000 in base salary and $3 million in supplemental income. He was also eligible to earn $50,000 as a recruitment bonus within 30 days of his hiring on Dec. 3, along with other benefits and performance incentives.
It stands to make the 39-year-old Hartline one of the highest-paid coaches outside the Power Four conferences. According to USA TODAY Sports' salary database , only Liberty's Jamey Chadwell was to have made more among Group of Six coaches last year.
Dublin Scioto graduate Alex Golesh, who previously at the helm of USF before leaving for Auburn at the end of the regular season, received $2.5 million in compensation in 2025.
Former Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline's pay package at USF includes $500,000 in base salary and $3 million in supplemental income.
South Florida was also to pay Hartline $150,000 for his work last month, a span of four weeks in which he pulled double duty between two schools. He began hiring his coaching staff and working on roster retention for USF while he remained with Ohio State for the College Football Playoff .
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The Buckeyes' season ended with a loss to Miami in the quarterfinals on Dec. 31, marking the end of Hartline's near decade-long tenure on staff.
Hartline, who took over as the primary coordinator in addition to wide receivers coach in his last year with the Buckeyes, was owed a base salary of $2 million in 2025.
His compensation at Ohio State last season also included bonus pay of $560,000, an amount worth 28% of his base salary following the Buckeyes' appearance in the Big Ten championship game and quarterfinal round of the playoff.
Hartline had continued to remain eligible for the postseason incentives with Ohio State after taking the job at USF.
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Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow along on Bluesky , Instagram and X for more.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Brian Hartline salary details as South Florida head football coach
