With current Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator Greg Schiano potentially headed to the NFL, newcomer Alex Grinch’s role on the defense could get a lot more robust. While his duties were never officially announced, Grinch was widely expected to be named co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach under Urban Meyer. The Ohio native, who played his own college ball at Mount Union, agreed to come to Columbus despite multiple offers for jobs in the SEC--a big win for Meyer in luring talented coaches to the Big Ten.
In three seasons at Washington State, Grinch improved the Cougars’ total defense to a top-20 ranking nationally--a vast improvement from where Mike Leach’s squad had been previously.