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Football
Meyer Announces Hiring of Bill Sheridan as Defensive Assistant
By Brandon Castel

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Urban Meyer has officially finalized his first coaching staff at Ohio State—for real this time.

Nearly two weeks after cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson left to become co-defensive coordinator at Arkansas, Meyer has found his replacement. Ohio State announced Monday that Bill Sheridan, a 31-year coaching veteran who has Midwest ties, will round-out Meyer’s 2012 coaching staff.

“Bill Sheridan is a perfect fit for our program,” Ohio State’s first-year head coach said.  

“His experiences in the NFL are huge. He has Midwest roots and, most importantly, he wants to be an Ohio State Buckeye. I am really impressed with him and I think he is going to be a terrific addition to our defensive staff as a coach, teacher and as a recruiter.”

Sheridan is a native of Detroit, Mich. who attended Grand Valley State University. He was the linebackers coach for the Miami Dolphins the past two seasons, and while he is expected to coach the defensive backs in some capacity at Ohio State, his exact position has yet to be determined.

He spent the last seven seasons as an assistant in the NFL, during which time he won a Super Bowl ring in 2007 with the New York Giants. He also served as the Giants’ defensive coordinator in 2009, but Sheridan is excited to return to the college game, especially with an opportunity to coach at Ohio State under Urban Meyer.

“I can’t remember the last time I was more excited to take a job, and for obvious reasons,” Sheridan said.

“Ohio State has a historic, winning tradition, and I am very excited to be a part of that. And with the tremendous success Urban Meyer has had at each of his schools, I am honored to be a part of his staff.”

Sheridan got his start as an assistant coach at Shrine High School in Royal Oak, Mich., but his first collegiate job was as graduate assistant under Bo Schembechler at the University of Michigan.

He also coached at Cincinnati, Army, Michigan State and Notre Dame before returning to Ann Arbor in 2002 to coach the linebackers for Lloyd Carr. He also coached the Wolverines’ defensive line from 2003-04 before taking a job with the Giants in 2005.

“The NFL provides an invaluable experience,” Sheridan said.

“It is a competitive league from a talent level and strategically. But it is coaching just the same. You are still teaching football in the classroom and then you take it to the field and you teach it there.”

Sheridan actually coached the safeties under current Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison when the two were at Notre Dame together in 2001. Mattison was the defensive coordinator in South Bend, and he would eventually help Meyer win his first National Championship at Florida.

He was also Michigan’s recruiting coordinator from 2002-03, and he was a part of two Big Ten co-championship teams in 2003 and 2004.

He also has ties to Ohio State’s assistant athletic director for football sports performance, Mickey Marotti, from their days at Cincinnati, along with co-offensive coordinator Ed Warriner, whom he worked with at Army for six seasons.

The Buckeyes currently have Mike Vrabel assigned to coach the defensive line and Luke Fickell the linebackers. Fickell will also serve as the defensive coordinator, while co-defensive coordinator Everett Withers will help with the secondary.

Wherever they put Sheridan, he will have plenty of experience. He was linebackers coach his first nine years as a fulltime assistant: two years at Maine (1987-88), three years at Cincinnati (1989-91) and four years at Army (1992-95). He coached the Army defensive backs during the 1996-97 seasons. 

“I have a refreshed perspective coming back from the NFL and getting into college coaching again,” Sheridan said.

“I am really interested to study the offenses people are running in the Big Ten. The running quarterbacks are distinctly different than what you see in the NFL. It is stimulating if you enjoy the schematic part of the game, and I do.”

Sheridan and his wife, Jaycine, have three sons in the sport of football: Joe coaches high school football in Michigan; Nick just finished a graduate assistantship at Western Kentucky University and is now its quarterbacks coach; and Mark will be a junior safety for Albion (Mich.) College this season. The couple’s only daughter, Natalie, will be a high school senior this fall and plays volleyball.

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