Buckeyes add former Nebraska defensive assistant Mike Dawson as analyst
COLUMBUS — Ohio State has added another talented former assistant coach to its deep bench of staff members.
The Buckeyes have added former Nebraska defensive line and outside linebackers coach Mike Dawson, according to HuskerOnline’s Sean Callahan.
Dawson most recently worked with edge rushers last season. Dawson and Ohio State coach Ryan Day have a long history together, both stemming from the Chip Kelly coaching tree.
Dawson is a former defensive assistant at New Hampshire under Chip Kelly — when Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day was the quarterback for the Wildcats.
Following Day’s playing career, Day and Dawson coached together at New Hampshire. Ryan Day was the Wildcats tight ends coach, and Dawson was the linebackers coach before Day became a graduate assistant at Boston College.
Dawson was the defensive coordinator for New Hampshire for the 2004 and 2005 seasons before becoming the linebackers coach at Akron for three seasons. He also coaches special teams at Boston College and was a defensive quality control coach for the Philadelphia Eagles — under head coach Chip Kelly. He also served as the Eagles assistant defensive line coach from 2014 to 2015.
Dawson followed another Chip Kelly disciple, Scott Frost, to Central Florida and then to Nebraska.
Dawson had an earlier stint at Nebraska, coaching in 2018 as the Cornhuskers defensive line coach before becoming the outside linebackers coach job with the New York Giants in 2019. After that year in the NFL, he returned to Nebraska to coach the outside linebackers for two seasons before becoming the defensive line and edge rushing coach in 2022.
Ohio State already had one analyst who had experience working with Ryan Day in the past. The Buckeyes welcomed Todd Fitch back to the program for a second season as an analyst on the offensive side of the ball. Fitch worked with Day at Boston College in 2013 and 2014. Fitch served as the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator while Day served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
This is a news story. Lettermen Row will have more information when it becomes available.
