He was hired away from archival Michigan in the winter of 2019 and given the task of helping to rebuild the unit after a disastrous 2018.
With Mattison and Jeff Halfley working to overhaul the scheme, the 2019 Buckeyes looked more like the “Silver Bullets” of the recent past but took a step back in 2020 after the loss of several key players to the NFL.
Mattison spent eight years at Michigan before coming south. He also coached with Day at Florida, where he was the defensive coordinator for Urban Meyer when the Gators thrashed Ohio State in the BCS National Championship Game following the 2006 season.
Day said Mattison’s replacement could be another veteran coach to serve as an overall manager of the unit, which was Mattison’s primary duty along with helping Al Washington with the linebackers, or the current staff could be reorganized with someone else brought in lower on the chain of command.
The decision will be important as the Buckeyes face questions if their scheme can hold up against high-powered passing attacks such as the Alabama unit that shredded it in the National Championship Game earlier this month.
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