Keenan Bailey | Co-Offensive Coordinator / Tight Ends Coach

Keenan Bailey

Title:
Co-Offensive Coordinator / Tight Ends Coach

Keenan Bailey, who has steadily risen through the Ohio State football program since first joining the staff in 2016, currently serves as the Buckeyes’ co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach. He earned his first on-field coaching role in 2023 after spending seven years in support-staff positions and was promoted to co-offensive coordinator in 2025.

During his tenure on Ohio State’s staff, the Buckeyes have made six College Football Playoff appearances and won four Big Ten championships. He also played a key role in Ohio State’s 2024 season, when the Buckeyes went 14-2 and won the College Football Playoff national championship — the first of the 12-team era — while averaging 36.3 points per game across four CFP victories and finishing No. 14 nationally in scoring offense (35.7 points per game) and No. 30 in total offense (429.4 yards per game) under offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.

Bailey joined Ohio State after beginning his career at Notre Dame, where he worked as a recruiting analyst from 2014-15. He arrived in Columbus in 2016 as an offensive intern, initially working with the running backs before moving to wide receivers, quarterbacks and other offensive support roles as he built a reputation as one of the program’s most trusted young coaches.

In 2019, Bailey was promoted to offensive quality control coach and later added the title of special assistant to the head coach in 2022. He spent that season working closely with the offensive line before being elevated to tight ends coach ahead of the 2023 season. In that role, Bailey helped develop one of Ohio State’s most productive tight end units, and he continued to grow in influence within the offensive staff.

A native of Pompano Beach, Fla., Bailey graduated from Notre Dame in 2016 with a degree in American studies and later earned a master’s degree from Ohio State in sports management. He is married to the former Paige Johnson, and the couple lives in Columbus.

Ohio State (2016-Present)
Bailey has served in a multitude of roles since his arrival in Columbus over a decade ago. With that, his tenure has included six College Football Playoff appearances, four Big Ten championships, and the historic 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship — the first of the 12-team era.

2016:
- During his first season in Columbus as an offensive intern working with the running backs, Ohio State went 11-1 in the regular season and capped that stretch with a 30-27 victory over No. 3 Michigan in The Game. The Buckeyes also earned wins over three other ranked opponents — No. 14 Oklahoma, No. 8 Wisconsin and No. 9 Nebraska — before earning the No. 3 seed in the College Football Playoff and falling to second-seeded Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal.
- Offensively, Ohio State was led by quarterback J.T. Barrett, who threw for 2,555 yards and 24 touchdowns, and running back Mike Weber, who rushed for 1,096 yards and nine scores while earning second-team All-Big Ten honors. The Buckeyes averaged 39.2 points per game, 245.2 rushing yards per game and 213.9 passing yards per game.
2017:
- Bailey transitioned from tailbacks to wide receivers as an offensive intern in 2017, as Ohio State finished the season 12-2 and won the Big Ten championship before closing the year with a 24-7 win over No. 8 USC in the Cotton Bowl. The Buckeyes won 12 games that season, including key victories over No. 2 Penn State, Michigan and No. 3 Wisconsin in the league title game.
- Offensively, Ohio State was led by quarterback J.T. Barrett and a talented wide receiver group that included Parris Campbell, K.J. Hill, Terry McLaurin, Johnnie Dixon and Binjimen Victor. The Buckeyes averaged 41.9 points per game and remained one of the nation’s most explosive offenses.
2018:
- In his second season as an offensive intern focused on the wide receivers, Ohio State finished 13-1, won the Big Ten championship and closed the year with a 28-23 Rose Bowl victory over No. 9 Washington. In addition to the win over the Huskies, the Buckeyes earned ranked victories over No. 15 TCU, No. 9 Penn State, No. 24 Michigan State, No. 4 Michigan and No. 21 Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game.
- Offensively, Ohio State was led by Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year QB Dwayne Haskins, who threw for 4,831 yards and 50 touchdowns, and a deep skill group that included wide receivers Parris Campbell, K.J. Hill, Terry McLaurin and Johnnie Dixon. The Buckeyes averaged 42.4 points per game and again ranked among the nation’s most explosive offenses.
2019:
- In Ryan Day’s first full season as Ohio State’s head coach, Bailey moved into a quality control role on the offensive staff, working primarily with the quarterbacks. That season, the Buckeyes finished 13-1, won the Big Ten championship and reached the College Football Playoff before falling to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal. Ohio State won each regular-season game by at least 11 points, finished No. 2 in the final CFP rankings and earned ranked wins over No. 25 Michigan State, No. 13 Wisconsin, No. 9 Penn State and No. 10 Michigan, along with a second win over the 10th-ranked Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game.
- Offensively, the Buckeyes were led by Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year QB Justin Fields, who threw for 3,273 yards and 41 touchdowns while adding 10 rushing scores and finishing third in Heisman Trophy voting. Running back J.K. Dobbins became the first Buckeye to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, finishing with 2,003 yards and 21 touchdowns, while Ohio State averaged 42.5 points per game and Fields’ top targets on the outside included K.J. Hill, Chris Olave, Binjimen Victor and Garrett Wilson.
2020:
- Bailey continued in that role during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, when Ohio State finished 7-1, won its fourth consecutive Big Ten championship and advanced to the College Football Playoff national championship game before falling to Alabama. On the way to the title game, the Buckeyes defeated No. 18 Penn State, No. 9 Indiana, No. 15 Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game and No. 2 Clemson in the Sugar Bowl, which served as the CFP semifinal.
- Offensively, Ohio State was led by quarterback Justin Fields, who threw for 2,100 yards and 22 touchdowns and was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year for the second-straight season. Trey Sermon emerged as the team’s top rusher late in the season, while Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson anchored a talented receiving corp.
2021:
- In his final year as an offensive intern, Ohio State finished 11-2 and ranked No. 6 in the final AP poll. The Buckeyes earned ranked wins over No. 20 Penn State and No. 7 Michigan State during the regular season, then closed the year with a thrilling 48-45 win over No. 10 Utah in the Rose Bowl.
- Offensively, Ohio State was led by quarterback C.J. Stroud, who threw for 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns and finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting while earning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the Big Ten with 1,606 receiving yards, and running back TreVeyon Henderson added 1,248 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns as the Buckeyes averaged 45.7 points per game, the highest mark in the country.
2022:
- Bailey moved into a special assistant to the head coach role in 2022 while also serving as an offensive quality control coach, primarily working with the offensive line. Ohio State finished the season 11-2 and ranked No. 4 in the final AP poll after reaching the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes opened the year 11-0, with ranked wins over No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 13 Penn State, before falling to No. 1 Georgia, 42-41, in the CFP semifinals.
- Offensively, Ohio State was led by Heisman finalist C.J. Stroud, who threw for 3,688 yards and 41 touchdowns, and a loaded skill group featuring wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Emeka Egbuka, along with running back TreVeyon Henderson. The Buckeyes averaged 44.2 points per game, which ranked second nationally, and all five starting offensive linemen earned All-Big Ten honors: center Luke Wypler, guards Donovan Jackson and Matthew Jones, and tackles Dawand Jones and Paris Johnson Jr.
2023:
- Bailey transitioned into his first on-field coaching role in 2023, serving as the Buckeyes’ assistant coach for tight ends. Ohio State finished the season 11-2 and ranked No. 7 in the final AP poll after winning its first 11 games of the year. The Buckeyes’ regular season included ranked wins over No. 9 Notre Dame and No. 7 Penn State, and they closed the year with a New Year’s Six appearance in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
- Bailey was part of an offensive staff that helped Ohio State average 30.5 points per game, and tight end Cade Stover emerged as the team’s second-leading receiver with 41 catches for 576 yards and five touchdowns. Stover earned first-team All-Big Ten honors, was named the conference’s Tight End of the Year and was one of three finalists for the John Mackey Award. After his breakout season, he was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans with the 123rd overall pick.
2024:
- Bailey played a key role in Ohio State’s 14-2 season and College Football Playoff national championship run, the first of the 12-team era. The Buckeyes averaged 36.3 points per game across four CFP victories and finished the season ranked No. 14 nationally in scoring offense at 35.7 points per game and No. 30 in total offense at 429.4 yards per game under offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
- Bailey’s tight ends unit was central to that success, with five players appearing in double-digit games and combining for 42 receptions, 448 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
2025:
- Bailey was promoted again as he entered his 10th year on Ohio State’s staff, adding co-offensive coordinator to his title while continuing to work with the Buckeyes’ tight ends. With Bailey, head coach Ryan Day and the rest of the staff leading the way, Ohio State posted a 12-0 regular season and earned a second straight College Football Playoff berth.
- Offensively, Ohio State was led by Heisman finalist redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Sayin, who completed 301 of 391 passes for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns while leading the nation in completion percentage at 77.0. The Buckeyes averaged 33.4 points per game overall, and the tight ends helped provide a more balanced attack as Max Klare caught 43 passes for 448 yards and two touchdowns, while Will Kacmarek added 15 receptions for 168 yards and two scores. Klare earned first-team All-Big Ten honors for his efforts.
- Following the season, Ohio State became the first school this decade to have two tight ends selected in the same NFL Draft, with Klare going 61st overall in the second round to the Rams and Kacmarek going 87th overall in the third round to the Dolphins. They also became the first tight end duo in school history to be drafted in the same class, and Bailey has helped lead Ohio State’s tight end room to become one of just two in the country to have three tight ends selected over the last three drafts (2023-25).

Background
Bailey spent the first two seasons of his coaching career at his alma mater, Notre Dame, where he worked as a recruiting analyst for the Irish football program from 2014-15. He graduated from Notre Dame in 2016 with a degree in American studies and also served as a student assistant during his undergraduate years.

Family
A native of Pompano Beach, Fla., Bailey is married to the former Paige Johnson.

FBS Postseason History

Season	School	Bowl Game	Opponent	Result
2025	Ohio State	Cotton Bowl	Miami	L, 24-14
2024	Ohio State	CFP Playoff National Championship	Notre Dame	W, 34-23
2024	Ohio State	Cotton Bowl	Texas	W, 28-14
2024	Ohio State	Rose Bowl	Oregon	W, 41-21
2024	Ohio State	CFP Playoff First Round	Tennessee	W, 42-17
2023	Ohio State	Cotton Bowl	Missouri	L, 14-3
2022	Ohio State	Peach Bowl	Georgia	L, 42-41
2021	Ohio State	Rose Bowl	Utah	W, 48-45
2020	Ohio State	CFP Playoff National Championship	Alabama	L, 52-24
2020	Ohio State	Sugar Bowl	Clemson	W, 49-28
2020	Ohio State	Big Ten Championship Game	Northwestern	W, 22-10
2019	Ohio State	Fiesta Bowl	Clemson	L, 29-23
2019	Ohio State	Big Ten Championship Game	Wisconsin	W, 21-13
2018	Ohio State	Rose Bowl	Washington	W, 23-13
2018	Ohio State	Big Ten Championship Game	Northwestern	W, 45-24
2017	Ohio State	Cotton Bowl	USC	W, 24-7
2017	Ohio State	Big Ten Championship Game	Wisconsin	W, 27-21
2016	Ohio State	Fiesta Bowl	Clemson	L, 31-0
2015	Notre Dame	Fiesta Bowl	Ohio State	L, 44-28
2014	Notre Dame	Music City Bowl	LSU	W, 31-28

Coaching History

Seasons	School/Team	Title/Position Coached
2025-Present	Ohio State	Co-Offensive Coordinator / Tight Ends Coach
2023-24	Ohio State	Tight Ends
2022	Ohio State	Special Assistant to the Head Coach / Quality Control / OL
2019-21	Ohio State	Quality Control Coach / Quarterbacks
2017-18	Ohio State	Offensive Intern / Wide Receivers
2016	Ohio State	Offensive Intern / Running Backs
2014-15	Notre Dame	Recruiting Analyst