Ryan Day Makes First Hire As OSU Head Coach

(official Ohio State press release)

Mike Yurcich Named Passing Game Coordinator/QB Coach

Directed explosive offenses at Oklahoma State the past six years [Note: pronounced YER-sitch]

 COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State head football coach Ryan Day has named Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich as the Buckeyes passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Yurcich will receive a two-year contract worth 950,000 annually.

Yurcich, who is 43, is officially the second coach hired by Day to be on his Ohio State staff. Wide receiver coach Brian Hartline was promoted to permanent status in December after coaching the 2018 Buckeye receivers to a record-breaking campaign as a group in 2018.

“I am really excited to announce that Mike is joining the Ohio State staff,” said Day on officially Day 1 of his tenure as the 25th head coach in Ohio State’s storied history. “Mike is not only an Ohioan coming home, but he is also an extremely talented coach who has enjoyed success throughout his career. His Oklahoma State offenses have been among the most proficient in college football and I look forward to welcoming and introducing Mike and his family to our staff, players and community.”

Yurcich, who is originally from Euclid, Ohio, has spent 20 years coaching at the collegiate level within a variety of divisions. His Oklahoma State tenure, six seasons between 2013 and 2018, is most impressive and includes two nominations for the Broyles Award as the nation’s outstanding assistant coach.

Oklahoma State experienced one of its great offensive eras under Yurcich, with the program averaging 38.0 points per game and 478.3 yards per game throughout his six-year run. The Cowboys scored 40 or more points 35 times (in 76 games) and put up 50 or more points 15 times.

Oklahoma State produced four of the school’s top 10 seasons in total offense under Yurcich. As a result: the Cowboys were 52-24 during this time with four 10-win seasons and four bowl game victories. Twice the Cowboys appeared in a New Year’s Six game: the 2016 Sugar Bowl and the 2014 Cotton Bowl.

Entering the 2018 bowl season, Oklahoma State’s offense ranked in the top 15 nationally in scoring, total offense, passing offense and first downs. The Cowboys also ranked second in the Big 12 in rushing offense, rushing touchdowns and yards per carry. Leading the way was walk-on quarterback Taylor Cornelius, who Yurcich developed into a top-10 ranked player nationally in passing yards, touchdowns, total offense and points responsible for.

The 2017 Oklahoma State offense was arguably the best in school history, featuring a 4,000-yard passer (Mason Rudolph), two 1,000-yard receivers (James Washington and Marcell Ateman) and a 1,000-yard rusher (Justice Hill). The Cowboy offense led the nation in passing (389.2 yards per game), was second in total offense (568.9) and ranked fourth in scoring (45.0). Rudolph was the winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as college football’s best quarterback and Washington won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s outstanding receiver.

Over Yurcich’s six years at Oklahoma State, the program ranked fifth nationally in passing yards per game (315.9), 11th in touchdown passes (179), seventh in total yards (478.6) and sixth in scoring (38.0).

Yurcich was hired at Oklahoma State after two seasons (2011-12) as offensive coordinator at Shippensburg University. His first Shippensburg team set numerous school records, including points scored, touchdowns and total offense. His second led the NCAA Division II in total offense (529.2) and was second in scoring (46.9) and passing (387.7) during an 11-2 campaign. Quarterback Zach Zulli was one of his most decorated players, winning the 2012 Harlon Hill Trophy as the top player in Division II.

Yurcich coached six seasons at Edinboro University from 2005-10, handling quarterbacks and wide receivers in 2005 and adding offensive coordinator duties to his title for the five seasons between 2006 and 2010.

A four-year stay (1999-2002) at Saint Francis (Ind.) coaching running backs, quarterbacks and ultimately serving as offensive coordinator in 2002 was Yurcich’s introduction into the coaching profession. He then moved on to an offensive graduate assistant position at Indiana University for the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

Yurcich is a 1999 graduate of California University in Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Julie, who is from Youngstown, Ohio and was an All-America cross country runner at Edinboro, have three children: sons Jack and Clay, and a daughter, Maria.