Ryan Day, who is no stranger to the professional game, has coached quarterbacks under Chip Kelly for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015 and the San Francisco 49ers in 2016. Day spent two years as an NFL assistant earlier in his coaching career. As head coach of one of the sport’s top programs, Day has seen the best and worst of college football. He won his first national championship as Ohio State coach earlier this month, less than two months after many fans wanted him fired following the Buckeyes’ fourth straight loss to archrival Michigan. Day did not entertain any openings during the NFL coaching cycle, despite the fervent fans.
“I would never want to say, ‘I would never consider it,’ because you do not know how things can change,” Day said in response to a direct question about whether he would return to the NFL during this week’s episode of The Steam Room podcast with TNT’s Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley. “I was in the NFL for two years and had a great experience there, and it is a great league, but right now the impact we can make on young people is, to me, more impactful in college. And that is why I got into this game, was to do that, and that is what I want to do.”
His current goal is to strengthen his legacy with the Buckeyes. The last Ohio State coach to win several national titles was Woody Hayes, according to Day. His new objective is to become a member of the program legend.
“The last person to win multiple national titles at Ohio State was Woody Hayes,” Day stated. “I have now established that goal for myself. to become Ohio State’s next head coach to win numerous titles. Much more work needs to be done.
With a 70–10 record and now a national championship to his name in his first six years as head coach, Day has an almost unbeatable resume, even though some Buckeye supporters still have concerns about his troubles versus Michigan. Among college football coaches who have coached at least 50 games in their careers, only Knute Rockne, the legendary coach of Notre Dame, has a better record (112-15-5).
