Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has had to overhaul his staff this offseason following their national championship victory in January. This process involved coaches leaving the program, new coaches joining, and others receiving promotions or new titles.
Day will retain a key member of his staff. Ohio State’s general manager of player personnel, Mark Pantoni, has agreed to a new contract. This multi-year deal will make Pantoni one of the highest-paid general managers in college football. This was first reported by Pete Nakos of On3.
Over his 15-year career, Pantoni has become one of the most respected behind-the-scenes figures in the industry. He has established himself as a pivotal player in college football recruiting and has contributed to the building of four national championship teams (two at Florida and two at Ohio State), including the Buckeyes’ most recent title in 2024.
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Pantoni’s career in football operations began with the Gators, where he spent five years in various roles within the recruiting department. Notably, he served as the director of football administration from March 2011 through the end of that regular season. During his tenure, Pantoni played a significant role in organizing Florida’s renowned “Friday Night Lights” summer camp, an innovative event held under the lights at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium that featured music and highlight videos, attracting top high school talent.
In December 2011, Pantoni came to Ohio State as part of Urban Meyer’s inaugural staff, assuming the role of director of player personnel. His responsibilities included overseeing all aspects of the football program’s recruiting operations, such as film evaluations, on-campus visits, social media strategies, travel coordination, and roster management. Under his guidance, the Buckeyes have consistently secured top recruiting classes, with the 2017 class achieving the highest per-player average in 247Sports Composite rankings history. This has included 12 top-five classes according to the 247Sports rankings.
In his current role, Pantoni continues to spearhead the Scarlet and Gray’s recruiting efforts. His strategic vision and meticulous attention to detail have been crucial in preserving Ohio State’s prominence in the highly competitive realm of college football recruiting.
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Pantoni’s contributions have earned him widespread recognition. In 2014, he was named the FootballScoop Director of Player Personnel of the Year, an accolade that honors the nation’s most exceptional recruiting personnel, after being a finalist the previous year. The Athletic also recognized him as the top recruiting personnel individual in the country in December 2021.
