Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline was hospitalized Sunday after being involved in an all-terrain vehicle crash on his property. And according to police reports, alcohol was involved in the incident.
According to Cleveland.com, police were called to the scene in Delaware County (Ohio) around 1:20 a.m. Sunday morning and Hartline admitted that he had been drinking earlier that night.
According to an initial report released by the Delaware County Sherriff’s Office, deputies also reported a strong odor of alcoholic beverage in Hartline’s hospital room when attempting to interview him at Riverside Methodist Hospital. Hartline could not be interviewed because he was unconscious due to the medication he had been administered at the hospital.
Hartline and a friend sustained non-life threatening injuries in the incident, Ohio State said in a statement Sunday. In a message posted on social media, Hartline said he was taken to the hospital for “further evaluation” and was “doing well.” As of Monday afternoon, Hartline remains hospitalized in stable condition.
The other man involved in the incident was identified as Joshua Gaylor. Gaylor told officers that Hartline was driving the vehicle, which rolled over in the accident. According to NBC 4, Hartline’s sister called 911 after the accident and told the dispatcher the two had been drinking.
Hartline entering first season as offensive coordinator
Ohio State held its annual spring game on Saturday, its first with Hartline as offensive coordinator. Hartline, 36, was promoted to offensive coordinator in January after spending the previous five seasons as the program’s wide receivers coach.
Hartline played receiver for the Buckeyes before spending seven seasons in the NFL, mainly with the Miami Dolphins. When his playing career came to a close, he joined the OSU staff as a quality control coach in 2017. From there, he was bumped up to receivers coach on Urban Meyer’s staff and stuck around when Meyer retired and Ryan Day became head coach.
Hartline has helped recruit and develop a slew of NFL receivers during his time at OSU, including Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave and Terry McLaurin. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards in 2021 before missing most of last season with a hamstring injury, should be next in line in the upcoming draft.
In 2023, OSU returns Marvin Harrison Jr. (77 catches, 1,263 yards, 14 TDs) and Emeka Egbuka (74 catches, 1,151 yards, 10 TDs). The Buckeyes lost to Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinals last season. In 2023, OSU opens the year on the road vs. Indiana on Sept. 2.
