After two years in the NFL, Kerry Coombs is returning to Columbus.

Ohio State confirmed on Monday afternoon that Coombs would be back on the Buckeyes staff for the 2020 season. He was previously in Columbus from 2012-17 on Urban Meyer’s staff as a defensive assistant. He spent the last two season with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.

The official announcement from Ohio State comes one day after the Titans fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Tennessee was one win away from playing in Super Bowl LIV.

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“Kerry Coombs is the coach I was really hoping we could hire and bring back to Ohio State,”head coach Ryan Day said. “He is an excellent coach and he has had two outstanding seasons in the NFL on Mike Vrabel’s staff with the Tennessee Titans.

“I’ve spent a season on staff with Kerry and I really like his coaching and knowledge of the game, but I also like that he knows Ohio State and he knows how to recruit to Ohio State. He’s recruited some of the players currently on the team and he coached a handful of Buckeye defensive backs who went on to become first-round NFL draft picks.”

Coombs started out as the cornerbacks coach in the 2012 season at Ohio State, his first season with the program. He then added special teams coordinator to his title the following year.

In 2017, Coombs was the assistant defensive coordinator, cornerbacks coach and special teams coordinator for the Buckeyes. He returns to Columbus after spending two years as the secondary coach with the Titans.

Coombs will come in to replace Jeff Hafley, who was the co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach for Ohio State in 2019. He was offered and took the head coaching job at Boston College following his lone season with the Buckeyes.