New Beginnings, New Hampshire..
Ryan Day yesterday became the head coach of THE Ohio State University. If you somehow missed all the news because you have no wifi or live under a rock, Urban Meyer got the boot. Most people might think of Ryan Day as a Urban Meyer disciple but he really began under Chip Kelly. Day played for Chip Kelly at the University of New Hampshire from 1998 to 2001. In 2002, he joined Chip and was the tight ends coach under then offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
Moving around
Day would go to Boston College as a graduate assistant for two years in 2003 and 2004. In 2004, they were actually the co-Big East champs. The next two years would be spent at two different schools, 2005 at Florida under Urban Meyer as a Graduate Assistant, and 2006 under Al Golden at Temple, as a wide receivers coach. In 2005, he would meet future Boston College head coach Steve Addazio. Day would go back to Boston College as a wide receivers coach from 2007 to 2011 and in 2012 back to Temple again. Ryan Day make up your mind already buddy, pick one. Addazio was the head coach at Temple from 2011 to 2012, where they would end up taking their talent up north together and coach at Boston College. Day would spend another two years with Addazio as the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at Boston College.
Back with Chip
Day, proving he was a quality assistant coach at the college level, decided to go join his former coach and colleague. He would coach with Chip Kelly in Philadelphia in 2015 as the quarterback coach. Once Chip was fired by the Eagles and then hired as the coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Day would assume quarterback duties once again. San Francisco didn’t last long with all of the issues there, maybe cause of a certain Madden play.
Hello Urban my Old Friend
After a brief stint in the best league in professional sports, Day went back to college, this time with the man that gave him his first shot in the big leagues of college ball, the SEC. Except this time, he would take his talents to the Big Ten. Day would be the co-offensive coordinator in 2017 with former Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson. He was supposed resume the same role this year but…well just look at my guy Jacob Manley’s article on what just happened with Urban Meyer and Ohio State. Day is now the acting head coach and offensive cordinator.
Whats next?
Ryan Day is in a position set up for success. There are plenty of dark clouds surrounding Ohio State right now, but Day is the perfect choice. You have a young coach with proven former head coaches around him in Greg Schiano (Rutgers) and Kevin Wilson (Indiana) . This allows Ryan Day to be the baby face, as they would say in wrestling, as the front man and have Wilson and Schiano do the grunt work behind the scenes. Ohio State is a brand that no coach can tarnish. Penn State had its issues five years ago, scholarship losses and the whole nine yards, and they’re already competing for a playoff spot again. Day, I believe, has a shot to keep this gig and be the future coach of the Buckeyes for years, provided that Urban Meyer doesn’t come back, but time will tell.