Ohio recently lost their newly appointed offensive line coach to a Big Ten program, but now appear to be filling the role with a coaching veteran approaching four decades of experience.
On3 shares today that first-year head coach John Hauser, who was elevated to head coach after a stint as the interim head coach back in late December, is landing Ron Crook as his new offensive line coach.
A veteran with 36 years of coaching experience at the college level, Crook spent the last several seasons at Virginia Tech as the offensive line coach for Brent Pry at Virginia Tech.
The 2023 season saw the Hokies rank among the top 23 teams in college football in rushing offense at just under 190 yards per game.
He has additional spots in major college football at Cincinnati (2017-21), West Virginia (2013-16), and Stanford (2011-12) with an additional stop at Illinois as an offensive graduate assistant working with the offensive line in 2002.
During his five seasons with with the Bearcats, Crook helped Cincinnati to back-to-back AAC titles, and they became the first Group of FIve team to compete in the College Football Playoff, which served as a spark for their membership into the Big 12. HIs time at Cinci saw them rank among the top 25 in rush offense four times, and finished among the top 25 in yards per carry three times.
In addition to his time in major college football, Crook has Division II, FCS and Ivy League as well with an eight-year stint at Harvard after leaving Illinois.
At Ohio, he replaces Colin Johnson, who had briefly accepted the job to become the Bobcats new offensive line coach in late January before recently deciding to head to East Lansing as assistant offensive line coach for Pat Fitzgerald and Michigan State. Johnson previously held the assistant head coach / offensvie coordinator / running backs job at Butler (FCS - IN) previously and also held the run game coordinator and offensive line job at Ball State previously.
Crook will join an offensive staff led by offensive coordinator / quarterbacks coach Scott Ishpording, pass game coordinator / tight ends coach Kyle Obly, as well as newly hired assistant head coach / running backs coach Lamar Conard who had previously been on staff at Big Ten member Purdue.
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