🏈 Robby Discher fired by Ohio State; $500K+ severance possible

Ohio State has fired special teams coordinator Robby Discher after nine games, a source confirmed to The Columbus Dispatch in a report carried by Yahoo Sports. The move was reported Monday, Nov 9. Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports posted it on X with a 11:35 AM stamp, citing sources.

"Ryan Day has begun making changes to the Ohio State staff."

Matt Zenitz, CBS Sports, on X, Nov 9, 2026

Who says what

The firing itself comes from sources. Zenitz cited sources telling CBS Sports. The Dispatch cited a source who confirmed it. Saturday Tradition, relaying Zenitz, wrote that Discher is "reportedly" out. No on-record statement from Ohio State appears in the reports read.

The scoreboard framing comes from the outlets. Saturday Tradition says the decision follows Ohio State's 41-28 loss to Oregon in Week 10. It puts the Buckeyes at 6-3 after back-to-back losses and calls them out of the College Football Playoff picture.

The play on the record

Saturday Tradition says Ohio State led 14-3 when its defense forced an Oregon punt. The Ducks ran a fake instead. A 30-yard pass kept the drive alive and led to Oregon's first touchdown, per the outlet.

The Dispatch's account says the Buckeyes were "caught flat-footed" in the second quarter, just before halftime. It says Oregon scored 35 of its 38 unanswered points after the conversion. The outlet also lists three penalties and a 44-yard punt return in the 30-18 loss at USC the week before.

The contract

The Dispatch reports it obtained Discher's contract through a public records request. He signed a two-year deal through next season and was due $450,000 in 2027, the paper says. It adds that he could be owed more than $500,000 in severance under that contract.

Any payments would be subject to mitigation, per the Dispatch. That would let Ohio State offset what it owes if Discher is hired elsewhere. The final figure is not on record in the reports read.

The response

No public response from Discher or Ohio State was found in the reports read. The Dispatch does report that Day said last month he had not seen improvement from the special teams through five games. Ohio State ranked No. 102 of 138 FBS teams in ESPN's special teams efficiency metric through Week 10, per the same report.

What happens next

Saturday Tradition says Ohio State hosts Northwestern next, also 6-3. No source names a replacement coordinator. None says whether other staff changes are coming beyond Zenitz's line that Day has "begun" making them.

Backstory

Discher was hired in February after three years as Illinois' special teams coordinator, the Dispatch says. It adds that his Illinois units ranked as high as No. 16 in 2024. He was at Tulane in 2022, when the Green Wave went 12-2 and beat USC in the Cotton Bowl.

Per the Dispatch, it was the first time since 2023 that Day's staff had a dedicated special teams coordinator. Ohio State paid Parker Fleming more than $500,000 in severance after firing him following the 2023 season. The paper calls Discher's exit Day's first midseason firing since he succeeded Urban Meyer in 2019.

As of Nov 9, 11:34 AM ET, the firing is reported by CBS Sports' Zenitz and confirmed to the Dispatch by a source, with no on-record Ohio State statement found. The contract terms come from the Dispatch's records request. The severance amount, any offset, a successor and the reason for the timing remain unconfirmed.