Al Washington turns down Tennessee to stay at Ohio State at a crucial time for Buckeyes linebackers – cleveland.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football’s coaching staff will remain intact after linebackers coach Al Washington turned down Tennessee’s offer to become defensive coordinator.

As first reported by Vols247 and confirmed to cleveland.com by an OSU source, Washington rebuffed what was believed to be a lucrative offer to join Josh Heupel’s new Volunteers staff.

Ohio State has not yet announced the financial boost and potential title change necessary to convince Washington, a Columbus native, to stay. Washington was scheduled to earn a $515,000 base salary in 2021 per terms of the updated contract he signed after the 2019 season. Tennessee was reportedly offering to more than double that salary.

Besides money, Tennessee could offer Washington something Ohio State could not — full coordinator duties. However, Washington also would have left one of college football’s most successful and stable programs to join one slogging through decade of erratic performance and recently tarnished by scandal.

Washington, 36, is considered a rising coaching prospect. He should, in the near future, receive better offers than the one dangled by Tennessee. For now, though, Ohio State keeps one of its most well-respected and dynamic coaches on staff at a crucial juncture for the linebacker room.

Washington was the only linebackers coach on OSU’s staff after the retirement of co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison. Day promoted Matt Barnes to secondary coach (from special teams coordinator and assistant secondary coach) and promoted Parker Fleming to special teams coordinator (from quality control coach for special teams).

While that protected the continuity and promotion from within ideals that Day values, it also left the Buckeyes with one fewer true defensive coach. Fleming had previous college assistant experience before his QC role, but it was on offense.

Multi-year starters Tuf Borland, Baron Browning and Pete Werner, and valuable reserve Justin Hilliard, all benefited from Washington’s tutelage. All completed their careers this past season.

The linebacker room turns over to a class of rising seniors who have waited their turn. Dallas Gant, Teradja Mitchell and K’Vaughn Pope will compete with redshirt freshman Kourt Williams, sophomores Craig Young and Kody Simon and others in a completely revamped starting corps.

Yet Washington’s impact also extended into the future. Ohio State has three linebacker commits ranked in the top 55 of the 2022 class. That includes Dasan McCullough, whose father, Deland, is returning to Indiana as associate head coach and running backs coach.

Keeping Washington helps Ohio State win in 2021, but the ramifications of Tuesday’s decision could be felt for years.

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