[Buckskin86]

http://ohiostate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=266925

Ohio State may have lost a recruiting battle with Rutgers over New Jersey offensive lineman Jeremy Zuttah, but the Buckeyes may even the score soon with the Scarlet Knights.

According to reports circulating around the OSU campus, head coach Jim Tressel is interested in adding Rutgers assistant head coach Darrell Hazell to the Ohio State staff.

Hazell just completed his third season as wide receivers coach for the Knights and his first as assistant head coach under Rutgers head man Greg Schiano.

Hazell is a native of Cinnaminson, N.J., but does have Ohio ties.

He is a 1986 graduate of Muskingum College, where he was a three-year all-conference selection. He also earned All-American honors as a senior.

Hazell began his coaching career at Oberlin College in 1986 and spent two seasons there. He left for a year to coach running backs and wide receivers at Eastern Illinois, then returned to Oberlin in 1989 to become offensive coordinator. He also served part of the ‘89 campaign as Oberlin’s interim head coach.

Following three years there, he spent three seasons as running backs coach at the University of Pennsylvania. During his tenure there, the Quakers went 26-3 (including two undefeated seasons) and won a pair of Ivy League championships.

He left Penn to become wide receivers coach at Western Michigan, then spent two years at the U.S. Military Academy, coaching Army's tight ends and receivers.

From 1999-2000, he was running backs coach at West Virginia, helping to develop running back Avon Cobourne into one of the top rushers in the country. In 1999, Cobourne led the Big East in rushing with 1,139 yards.

Should Hazell be formally hired, Tressel would still need one more coach to fill out his staff. There has been speculation that he might be looking for an Ohio high school coach to fill that final vacancy.