COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Ohio State announced Thursday that Mickey Marotti, a member of new Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer's staff at Florida, would be hired to be assistant athletic director for football sports performance.

Marotti will be in charge of the Buckeyes' strength and conditioning.

Marotti and Meyer, who became Ohio State's head coach on Nov. 28, met when both were graduate assistants at Ohio State in 1987. They also were on the same staff at Notre Dame when Meyer was an assistant there, and Marotti was one of Meyer's first hires in early 2005 at Florida.

Marotti is known for having players haul rocks, flip tires and work out at midnight.