Jaymar Hines enters his first season at Otterbein as the defensive coordinator for the Cardinals in the 2025 season.
Hines came to Westerville from Denison University in Granville, Ohio, where he served as defensive backs coach since 2023. He coached multiple All-NCAC performers in the Denison secondary, and the Big Red ranked in the top 20 nationally in third-down defense in both 2023 and 2024.
In 2023, defensive back Jaylin Epps was named First Team All-NCAC after recording a career-high 15 pass breakups and two interceptions along with 15 total tackles, including 10 solo, under Hines' tutelage. Epps ranked first in the NCAC and tied for second nationally in passes defended (1.70 per game). Fellow Big Red defensive backs Collin Murphy and Roshaune Downie were All-NCAC Third Team selections that year.
Murphy went on to be named to the All-NCAC First Team and D3football.com All-Region 4 First Team in 2024 after intercepting a team-high four passes while adding eight pass breakups, 45 total tackles, a forced fumble and blocked kick. Epps was a Second Team All-NCAC pick in 2024 after tallying a team-high 10 pass breakups, 27 total tackles and a fumble recovery.
Prior to Denison, Hines worked at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, Ohio, as defensive backs coach in 2023 and as a defensive backs intern at fellow OAC member Ohio Northern University in Ada from 2022 to 2023.
Hines played defensive back on the football team and ran sprint events as a member of the track and field team at Ohio Northern, where he graduated with a degree in athletic training in 2021.
A native of Cincinnati, Hines tallied 32 tackles, two interceptions and six pass breakups in 28 career games, including eight starts, for the Polar Bears.
