Welcome to the Skull Session.
JSN continues to impress in Seattle.
Damn, @jaxon_smith1
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) June 6, 2024
Back at it again with the one-handed catch! pic.twitter.com/cN23eHokKa
Have a good Friday.
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY... MONEY! The premier names in Ohio State athletics were well-compensated in 2023.
According to a report from Sheridan Hendrix of The Columbus Dispatch, Ryan Day, Chris Holtmann, Gene Smith, Jim Knowles and Brian Hartline claimed five of the top 10 spots on a list of the top 25 earners at Ohio State in 2023. The list also included several names from the Wexner Medical Center and Ohio State's academic administration.
| RANK | NAME | TITLE | DEPARTMENT | REGULAR PAY | GROSS PAY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RYAN DAY | FOOTBALL HEAD COACH | ATHLETICS | 2,000,000 | 9,173,463 |
| 2 | CHRIS HOLTMANN | MEN'S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH | ATHLETICS | 1,000,000 | 3,235,733 |
| 3 | GENE SMITH | ATHLETIC DIRECTOR | ATHLETICS | 1,676,222 | 2,788,222 |
| 4 | JOHN WARNER | WEXNER MEDICAL CENTER CEO, EXECUTIVE VP | HEALTH SYSTEM | 2,433,750 | 2,744,853 |
| 5 | JIM KNOWLES | FOOTBALL DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR | ATHLETICS | 1,952,250 | 2,363,200 |
| 6 | VISHNU SRINIVASAN | VP AND CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER IN INVESTMENTS | UNIVERSITY | 780,225 | 2,165,963 |
| 7 | VINCENT TAMMARO | WEXNER MEDICAL CENTER CFO, VP OF HEALTH SCIENCES | HEALTH SYSTEM | 1,373,600 | 1,760,880 |
| 8 | BRIAN HARTLINE | FOOTBALL CO-OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR, WIDE RECEIVERS COACH | ATHLETICS | 1,545,833 | 1,754,908 |
| 9 | JAY ANDERSON | WEXNER MEDICAL CENTER COO | HEALTH SYSTEM | 1,121,245 | 1,631,676 |
| 10 | RUSSELL LONSER | PROFESSOR, CHAIR OF NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY | UNIVERSITY | 1,140,688 | 1,387,077 |
As Ohio State's top earner in 2023, Day received over $9 million in compensation last year. In addition to his base pay of $2 million, the football head coach earned $6.9 million in allowance, supplemental pay and incentives, and $250,000 in bonuses, according to Hendrix's data as of Dec. 31, 2023.
Holtmann was Ohio State's second-highest earner last year, receiving over $3.2 million from a $1 million annual salary and $2.2 million in other earnings. Smith fired the seventh-year head coach in February and activated Holtmann's $12.8 million buyout. According to Hendrix, the database does not include the buyout, and Ohio State expects the number to reduce after Holtmann accepted a head coaching position at DePaul in March.
Smith ranked No. 3 behind Day and Holtmann, collecting $2.7 million in total compensation in 2023. Dr. John J. Warner, Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center CEO and executive VP, was the school's top earner not associated with athletics, earning $2.7 million last year. Knowles rounded out the top five, receiving $2.3 million as one of the top-paid assistants in college football.
Hartline completed athletics representation in the top 10, ranking No. 8 with $1.75 million in total compensation. The co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach ranked behind Vishnu Srinivasan ($2.16 million), Ohio State's VP and chief investment officer in the office of investment, and Vincent Tammaro ($1.76 million), the Wexner Medical Center CFO.
But wait... there's more!
According to Hendrix, defensive line coach Larry Johnson was juuussst a bit outside the top 10 earners at Ohio State, coming in at No. 11 with $1.41 million in total compensation. Then came Kevin McGuff at No. 17 ($1.18 million), Justin Frye at No. 18 ($1.16 million) and Tim Walton at No. 20 ($1.13 million).
Both of Ohio States coordinators will make at least $2 million in 2024 while Brian Hartline will make $1.6 million and Larry Johnson and Tim Walton will each make $1.4 million. https://t.co/LAtvdYhY95 pic.twitter.com/zm7028pH5t
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) April 13, 2024
Also of note, former Ohio State president Kristina M. Johnson ranked No. 15 on the list, earning $1.25 million from $925,810 in allowance, supplemental pay and incentives and a $325,793 annual salary. Not bad for someone who worked from January to May in 2023.
OK... there's no more.
The pocket-watching is complete.
THE JUNE OLYMPICS. Ohio State football has been in the lab with strength coach Mick Marotti this offseason.
Clocked in. pic.twitter.com/cKitbE4feg
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) June 4, 2024
While those workouts never look fun – to me, at least – games of table tennis, corn hole, pool and four square do. The Buckeyes have combined their workouts with those games (and more) this week in what the program has called the "June Olympics."
Following three of Ohio State's workouts to kick off June, Buckeye athletes have faced off with their coaches in games around the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. The competitions have included Hero Kanu vs. Justin Frye in table tennis, Lathan Ransom + Josh Fryar vs. Antonio “AT” Turner + Zach Higgins in corn hole, Joe McGuire vs. OG Walt in pool and Devin Brown + Lincoln Kienholz vs. Brian Hartline + Devin Jordan in four square.
The players are 4-0.
June Olympics are HERE
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) June 3, 2024
Players take the 1-0 lead over the Staff with Ping Pong win by @HeroKanu pic.twitter.com/26hKGAf5xn
June Olympics day
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) June 5, 2024
The players get out to a 2-0 run to start with a Corn Hole win by @L8thanRansom & @joshfryar2 pic.twitter.com/nP7430SUDG
3 events, 3 Ws for the players early on in the June Olympics pic.twitter.com/04EPiLnuiO
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) June 6, 2024
And just like that, the players take a HUGE 4-0 lead
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) June 7, 2024
A hard fought battle from @brianhartline & @CoachJordan82 but @dbrownqb33 & @LincolnKienholz come out on top pic.twitter.com/Zd3zz071cJ
I wonder where Ohio State will go next with the games. Air hockey? Badminton? Darts? Foosball? Kan-Jam? Spikeball?
The possibilities are endless.
“HELL OF A CAREER, COREY.” On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Chargers released center Corey Linsley ahead of the lineman’s expected retirement.
Linsley has played 10 seasons in the NFL and spent the last three as a team captain for the Chargers. On Sept. 30, 2023, the 6-foot-3, 300-pound offensive lineman was placed on the IR for a non-emergent, heart-related issue. On Feb. 19, he agreed to a contract restructure that lowered his base salary of $11.5 million to $1.2 million with the expectation he would retire this offseason.
hell of a career, corey
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) June 5, 2024
https://t.co/teJ4kR7r0M pic.twitter.com/c59vpfR0Ed
A first-team All-Pro in 2020, Pro Bowler in 2021 and second-team All-Pro in 2022, Linsley shined as a member of the Chargers. In a statement released on Wednesday, team president John Spanos thanked the former Ohio State standout for his services over the past three years.
"Corey is everything you hope for and more in an NFL player," Spanos said. "The consummate professional, his mentorship of younger players, work ethic, integrity, leadership, competitive drive and sense of humor all played a role in earning him the 'C' on his jersey throughout the entirety of his time with us. And as good of a football player as he is, Corey's an even better person.
“To that end, at a time when he and his wife, Anna, were growing their family from two children to four while with the Chargers, they still made it a priority to serve the community as passionate advocates for CASA – work that earned Corey not one, but two Walter Payton Man of the Year nominations during his career.
"While he has taken his last snap in the NFL, Corey's story is far from being written. We cannot wait to see what the next chapter has in store for the Linsleys, and we wish Corey, Anna, Seamus, Killian, Quinn and Ruth all the best moving forward."
Yeah, that about covers it. I don't need to add much more.
Cheers to a great career, Corey. The Eleven Warriors community wishes you the best in whatever comes next.
OLYMPIC VILLAGE. Remember when the Philadelphia Eagles added Georgia Bulldogs to their roster like Thanos collected Infinity Stones? It would seem the Professional Women's Hockey League's Minnesota franchise has adopted the same approach with its collection – and potential additions – of Ohio State Buckeyes.
After former Ohio State captains and 2022 NCAA Frozen Four champions Liz Schepers, Sophie Jaques and Clair DeGeorge helped Minnesota win the inaugural PWHL championship in 2024, Hailey Salvian of The Athletic believes Minnesota could target former Buckeye forward Hannah Bilka with the No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft.
.@thepwhlofficial Walter Cup Champions
— Ohio State Women's Hockey (@OhioStateWHKY) May 30, 2024
Congrats Clair, @_sophiejaques + @LizSchepers on the 'ship! #GoBucks | #ProBucks pic.twitter.com/4kyLx1bmVJ
From The Athletic's PWHL mock draft:
3. Minnesota: Hannah Bilka, LW, Ohio State University–WCHA
What do the reigning Walter Cup champions need at No. 3? They have top-end forward talent, depth that contributed when it mattered most, one of the best defensive defenders in the game and a young star offensive defender in Sophie Jaques.
The idea of a Claire Thompson-Jaques pair is scary. Amanda Kessel, a University of Minnesota legend, is also an option. Bilka also makes a lot of sense here. She is really creative and slippery with the puck and has game-breaking speed. Bilka would have familiarity with Walter Cup MVP Taylor Heise, as they’ve been linemates on Team USA, and would fit coach Ken Klee’s puck-possession system well.
But, according to Salvian, Minnesota wouldn't stop there.
Salvian mocked former Ohio State defenseman Cayla Barnes to Ottawa at No. 8, forward Jenn Gardiner to Ottawa at No. 14, defenseman Hadley Hartmetz to Boston at No. 22, defenseman Stephanie Markowski to Toronto at No. 24 and center Gabby Rosenthal to New York at No. 25. Then, at No. 33 overall, Minnesota would return to THE Ohio State well for a second time, selecting former defenseman Lauren Bernard.
If that outcome occurs – and that if is massive, I know – Minnesota would have almost one-quarter of its roster devoted to former Buckeyes. And, honestly, that would be a tremendous plan. You should absolutely draft skaters who Nadine Muzerall, the best coach in America, led to three Frozen Four finals and two national championships in the past three years.
Is Minnesota about to run it back?
SONG OF THE DAY. “Escapade” - Janet Jackson.
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