After spending the 2023 season as a graduate assistant and assistant linebackers coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes on a part-time basis, school legend James Laurinaitis is getting a big promotion.
According to Eleven Warriors, Laurinaitis is being promoted to the team’s full linebackers coach, taking those responsibilities from defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. He also replaces recently-fired special teams coordinator Parker Fleming as part of the team’s 15-man full-time staff.
Laurinaitis is coming off just his second year in college coaching. Prior to 2023, he had an identical role as graduate assistant at Notre Dame under his former Buckeyes teammate Marcus Freeman.
James Laurinaitis is one of the most decorated players – let alone linebackers – in Ohio State history. From 2005 to 2008, he was a three-time consensus All-American and a three-time First-Team All-Big Ten selection.
Laurinaitis won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy in 2006, the Butkus Award in 2007 and the Lott Trophy in 2008. He was also a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time winner of the Jack Lambert Trophy.
Laurinaitis remains the only player in Big Ten history to be win two Defensive Player of the Year awards from both the coaches and media polls.
After college, Laurinaitis went in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft to the St. Louis Rams. He enjoyed seven straight seasons with over 100 tackles and led the league in solo tackles in 2012.
But after playing just five games for the New Orleans Saints in 2016, he retired in April 2017.