It's Official: Stan Drayton Hired as Wide Receivers Coach

Per OhioStateBuckeyes.com:

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Stan Drayton, one of the top offensive skill coaches in the nation, is joining the Ohio State football staff as an assistant coach working with the Buckeye wide receivers, Coach Jim Tressel announced today. Drayton will start his duties Feb. 1.

"Stan Drayton first and foremost is a fine person and family man. He is a Buckeye born and bred, and will add a tremendous dimension to our football family," Tressel said. "We are fortunate to gain one of the finest coaches in America to serve our kids, school and community."

Drayton comes to Ohio State from Florida, where he served as the Gators' running backs coach and recruiting coordinator during the 2010 season; he also served as Florida's running backs coach from 2005-07, and held the same position at SEC schools Tennessee (2008) and Mississippi State (2004).

With coaching experience and success at every level, Drayton's resume includes stints as an assistant coach at Syracuse (2009), Bowling Green (2000), Villanova (1996-2000), Penn (1995), Eastern Michigan (1994) and Allegheny (1993). From 2001-03, he served as the offensive quality control and assistant special teams coach for the Green Bay Packers, helping them to three NFC playoff appearances. He is a past nominee for the AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year award, and was recognized by Rivals as one of the nation's top 25 recruiters.

Three times a first-team All-America selection as a running back at Allegheny (Pa.) College, Drayton is Allegheny's all-time leading rusher and scorer and was a part of the 1990 Division III national championship team. He still holds the Division III single-season record for touchdowns scored per game (3.2). Drayton was a two-time All-American in track as well, competing in the 100 and 200 meter dashes. A 1993 graduate with a bachelor's degree in English, Drayton was inducted into the Allegheny College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.

A Cleveland native who is a graduate of John Marshall High School, Drayton and his wife Monique have two daughters, Amari and Anaya.

Drayton's ties to the state of Florida will aid recruiting there in the future, but his lack of experience coaching wideouts is enough to give pause to a final verdict on the hire. Darell Hazell was one of the best wide receivers coaches in the country, and almost any coach would be a downgrade. But with Drayton, Ohio State has hired an experienced coach with a reputation as a great recruiter. He will need no adjustment to big time college football and will bring a different perspective to the staff and players. Wide receiver development is going to be a key next season, especially during the first five games, so Drayton must be technically proficient in teaching skills to the largely young wide receiver corp.  Jim Tressel would not hire him if he was not an excellent teacher along with recruiter, and that's enough evidence to believe this hire is a good one.

It's interesting that Drayton's duties officially begin two days before national signing day. He will need to contact JaJuan Story before then, as no recruit is going to commit to a school without speaking to their position coach first. There's little time for the two to forge a relationship, but Stan Drayton can begin his Buckeye career with a great start if he reels in the big-time wide receiver from Brooksville, Florida.