Tim Hinton

Tim Hinton
Executive Director for Football Relations / Special Assistant to the Head Coach
The Ohio State University

Tim Hinton, a high school and collegiate coach for 34 years including four years as Ohio State tight ends coach, is in his fourth year in a senior-level position on the staff: executive director for football relations/special assistant to the head coach.

Hinton’s work at Ohio State has been impressive: he coached Jeff Heuerman into the NFL and Nick Vannett to the Senior Bowl and on his way into the NFL. Now he utilizes his coaching acumen in a position that will accentuate his relationship-building skills yet retain his football knowledge and presence in the offensive staff room.

Hinton completed his 20th collegiate coaching season in 2015. His collegiate resume features positions at Ohio State, Wilmington, Ohio, Cincinnati and Notre Dame, where he coached running backs for two seasons under Brian Kelly prior to being hired at Ohio State by Urban Meyer in 2012.

Hinton coached six seasons at the University of Cincinnati — 2004-09 — including three seasons under former Ohio State assistant and current Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio. Hinton spent his first three seasons as running backs coach. After coaching linebackers for the first year of the Brian Kelly administration, he moved back to running backs for the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

Dantonio pulled Hinton from the high school ranks and back into the college ranks after Hinton’s 11-year run at Harding High School, where he led the school to five state playoff berths and five conference titles and he was the 1995 Ohio Division I co-Coach of the Year. In addition, he developed 13 players who would go on to major college programs.

Hinton was extremely active in the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association during this time, serving as an officer for six years, including vice-president of the organization in 2003.

His head coaching resume includes an additional three years as head coach at Ohio high schools: Zane Trace (1987-88) and Van Wert (1989).

Three seasons at Ohio University, coaching the wide receivers in 1990 and the defensive line in 1991-92, preceded Hinton’s position at Harding and followed his positions at Zane Trace and Van Wert high schools, respectively.

While attending Wilmington College (from which he graduated in 1982 with a degree in industrial education), Hinton was an assistant coach at Amanda-Clearcreek High School for three seasons (1978-80) and then parlayed that experience into a student-assistant position at Wilmington that started in 1981 and concluded in 1984. Wilmington won two conference titles during that time and made two appearances in the NAIA playoffs.

Hinton then enrolled at Ohio State to coach in a graduate assistant capacity for two seasons (1985-86) under Earle Bruce and to work on his master’s degree (educational policy and leadership, 1987). The Buckeyes went to two bowl games and earned a share of the 1986 Big Ten championship.

Hinton and his wife, Bev, have two daughters: Dawn and Drew.

Tim Hinton’s Coaching Experience

Tim Hinton Quick Facts
Hometown: Amanda, Ohio
High School: Amanda-Clearcreek
Alma Mater: Wilmington, 1982
Master’s Degree: Ohio State, 1987
Wife: Bev
Children: Daughters Dawn and Drew