OSU reportedly hiring key Penn State assistant
1/14/2014COLUMBUS — Ohio State is on the brink of a major coup as it finalizes a contract with longtime Penn State defensive line coach Larry Johnson Sr., according to a report by Sports Illustrated late Monday night.
Known as one of the nation's top recruiters, Johnson spent the past 19 seasons as a Penn State assistant and was reportedly offered a position by new Nittany Lions coach James Franklin. But he declined and now looks bound for Columbus, where he would fill the void left by Mike Vrabel's recent departure for the NFL. Vrabel will be the linebackers coach for the Houston Texans.
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Johnson coached six first-round NFL draft picks at Penn State — including Jared Odrick, Jimmy Kennedy, Tamba Hali, and Courtney Brown — and was considered the school's top salesman. He made particular inroads into Washington D.C., and Maryland, where he was a high school coach before joining the late Joe Paterno's staff in 1996. In 2006, Rivals.com named Johnson the national recruiter of the year.
Johnson, 61, is the father of former Penn State and NFL star running back Larry Johnson.