Sooners to hire Buckeyes' Alex Grinch as defensive coordinator

The Oklahoma Sooners are hiring Ohio State assistant Alex Grinch to be their defensive coordinator, sources confirmed to ESPN on Friday.

From 2015 to 2017, Grinch was the defensive coordinator at Washington State. He was a semifinalist for the 2017 Broyles Award, given to the nation's top assistant coach.

The Athletic was the first to report the move.

Grinch joined Ohio State last year and was co-defensive coordinator alongside Greg Schiano. He also worked with the Buckeyes' safeties.

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Grinch will be charged with resuscitating an Oklahoma defense that ranked 92nd in defensive efficiency this season. Oklahoma fired defensive coordinator Mike Stoops in October, replacing him with Ruffin McNeill on an interim basis.

The Sooners fell to Alabama 45-34 in the CFP semifinal to become the first team in Oklahoma history to allow 45 or more points five times in a season.