The final piece of Urban Meyer’s coaching staff has been filled.

Bill Sheridan, a veteran college and NFL assistant, has been hired as the Buckeyes’ defensive backs coach, an OSU source confirmed.

Sheridan replaces Taver Johnson, who left to become assistant head coach/linebackers coach at Arkansas.

Sheridan’s hiring was first reported by The Lantern student newspaper.

Most of Sheridan’s experience has been with coaching linebackers. That was his job for the Miami Dolphins the past two years. He also served in that capacity for the New York Giants from 2005 to ’08. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2009 but was fired after the Giants had a disappointing season.

Sheridan, who turns 53 today, is a Detroit native who played linebacker for Grand Valley State. He was a graduate assistant at Michigan before coaching at Maine, Cincinnati, Army and Michigan State, mainly as linebackers coach.

Sheridan coached safeties and special teams for Notre Dame in 2001 before returning to Michigan, where he coached linebackers for one season and defensive linemen for two. He also was recruiting coordinator for the Wolverines, who had top-10 recruiting classes in 2002 and ’03.

Sheridan’s son, Nick, played quarterback for Michigan under former coach Rich Rodriguez.

Bill Sheridan will be in charge of an OSU secondary that returns almost all of its key players, including both starting cornerbacks and safeties. The unit has ample ability but was hampered by missed tackles and dropped interceptions at times.

brabinowitz@dispatch.com