Ohio State Fires Special Teams Coach Robby Discher
Rob Keys will coordinate Ohio State's special teams for the rest of the 2026 season after Discher's firing.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in People
Ohio State fired special teams coordinator Robby Discher after only nine games, and Ryan Day announced on Tuesday that Rob Keys will lead the unit for the remainder of the 2026 season. Special teams responsibilities were divided among several coaches, with Matt Guerrieri leading the punt team and James Laurinaitis the kickoff team.
Why it matters
Day said Discher was fired because there have been too many detrimental plays, and he called Oregon's 30-yard fake punt, which flipped momentum in a game Ohio State led 14-3 before losing 41-28, embarrassing. The move comes as Ohio State has not had a full-time special teams coordinator in 2024 and 2025.
Discher was fired after nine games, while Keys brings 11 years of head-coaching experience at Findlay and has been on Ohio State's staff since 2022. Whether Ohio State will hire a full-time special teams coordinator for 2027 has not been decided.
The players
Ryan Day
Ohio State's head football coach, who made the decision to fire Discher and has overseen the program's coaching staff changes.
Robby Discher
Former Ohio State special teams coordinator who was dismissed after only nine games in the position.
Rob Keys
Ohio State coaching staff member since 2022 who previously spent 11 years as head coach at Findlay.
The details
Keys, the staff's senior analyst and de facto special teams leader in 2024 and 2025, will coordinate the unit alongside Guerrieri on punts, Laurinaitis on kickoffs and himself on punt returns, while kickoff return duties are split among several coaches.
Timeline
2022: Keys joins Ohio State's coaching staff after 11 years as Findlay head coach.
2024-2025: Ohio State operates without a full-time special teams coordinator.
2026 season: Discher is fired after nine games.
Tuesday, November 10, 2026: Day announces Keys will lead special teams.
Coaching Continuity
The move follows two seasons in which Ohio State operated without a full-time special teams coordinator, with Keys serving as de facto leader in 2024 and 2025. It places the unit under interim leadership through the end of the 2026 season while Day decides on a permanent hire.
Fantasy and betting followers of Ohio State's kicking and punting production should note that Guerrieri and Laurinaitis now direct those units through the end of the 2026 season. Keys' return duties also shift the depth chart for punt returns.
The takeaway
Staff turnover in specialized roles can leave a team's units under divided leadership, so tracking who directs each phase of special teams offers a clearer view of how those units will perform.
What happens next
Ohio State will decide whether to hire a full-time special teams coordinator for the 2027 season.
Further reading
For more on Ohio State's coaching staff moves, see People coverage across the Columbus edition.
