Laurinaitis returning to Columbus as new coach
Former Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis is coming back home.
The university announced on Friday that the former two-time captain and three-time All-American accepted a position on head coach Ryan Day’s staff as a graduate assistant with an emphasis on working with the linebackers. It was the same role he held with Notre Dame last year on former OSU linebacker and current Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman’s staff.
Although Laurinaitis did not release an official statement, he retweeted this that was posted by the school’s official account.
https://twitter.com/OhioStateFB/status/1619088160637730820
Day said he was excited to bring him back to Columbus.
“I am thrilled for our program and especially for our current and future Buckeyes who will benefit so much from having James on staff,” Day said. “James is a terrific young man with wisdom as a Buckeye and experience as an eight-year NFL veteran. He is going to be a very important part of our program going forward.”
Known as the “Little Animal” during his playing days from 2005 - 08, not only due to his tenacious playing style but was an homage to his father, Joe, who was known as “Animal” during his near 45-year pro wrestling career, Laurinaitis not only earned the distinction of being only one of eight Buckeyes in their entire 134-year history to be named a three-time All-American but was anointed the Big Ten’s defensive player of the year twice in 2006 and ‘07.
He also won the Bronko Nagurski Award, handed out to the nation’s best overall defensive player, as a sophomore in 2006 after leading the team in tackles (115), interceptions (5), while piling up 8.5 tackles for-loss and one sack. He followed it up the next season with the Butkus Award, which is given to the nation’s most outstanding linebacker. He once again led the team in tackles (121) with 8.5 for-loss and finished tied-for second with five sacks. He had two interceptions and one recovered fumble. His senior year, he was awarded both the Lott IMPACT trophy and Lowe’s Senior CLASS after, yet again, leading the team in tackles (130), finishing third with seven tackles for-loss and second with four sacks. He snagged two picks that year and had four pass breakups.
After an eight-year career in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams and New Orleans Saints, Laurinaitis returned to Columbus as a co-host with Beau Bishop on WBNS 97.1 The Fan and was also an analyst with the Big Ten Network. However, Freeman came calling last year and was able to lure him to South Bend in an effort to bolster their linebacker play.
“I was thankful for the opportunity that Marcus gave me,” Laurinaitis said during a press conference in August. “He said, ‘I don’t know what we’ll have (available) for you,’ and I said, ‘I don’t care what you have. I just want to be there and have a chance to get my foot in the door.’”
He got his chance and ironically, his first game as a coach was on familiar grounds as the Buckeyes and Irish collided in Ohio Stadium for last year’s season-opener, a game that went to the scarlet and gray, 21-10. Now, he’ll be back to wearing those same colors when the two teams meet again this year in Notre Dame Stadium on Sept. 23.