After a disappointing College Football Playoff exit for the Ohio State Buckeyes, it’s impossible to ignore the speculation surrounding Ryan Day’s future. Coaches with his success rarely stay out of demand for long, especially when postseason expectations fall short of championship standards.
Leaving for another college job feels unlikely at this stage. Day is deeply entrenched at Ohio State, both in terms of stability and ambition. His vision in Columbus hasn’t narrowed. If anything, it has sharpened. But the NFL has a way of pulling even the most secure college coaches back into the conversation, particularly those with offensive pedigrees and playoff experience.
Day has acknowledged that reality before. He hasn’t chased it, and he hasn’t closed the door on it either.
“I would never wanna say, ‘I would never consider it,’ because you don’t know how things can change,” Day said last year on The Steam Room podcast with Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley.
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That openness reflects experience, not restlessness. Day spent two seasons in the NFL earlier in his career and remembers the league fondly. Still, when he speaks about where he believes his work carries the most impact, his answer remains grounded in college football.
“I was in the NFL for two years and had a great experience there, and it’s a great league,” Day added. “But right now the impact we can make on young people is, to me, more impactful in college.”
The timing is never perfect. Still, Day may have the perfect temperament to handle the intensity of the New York media market. With the Giants job currently open and the Jets likely to open again, the NFL landscape could force a quicker decision than Day once anticipated. Openings in major markets don’t always cycle back around.
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There’s also a different pull closer to home. Cleveland’s anticipated opening could offer something uniquely appealing, the chance to bring a championship to a fan base that already knows him well through his Ohio State roots. For a coach who speaks often about purpose and legacy, that opportunity would resonate differently than a typical NFL opening.
For now, Day’s ambitions remain tied to Columbus.
“Woody Hayes is the last one to win multiple national championships at Ohio State,” Day said. “That’s something I’ve now set for myself. To be the next head coach to win multiple championships at Ohio State. There’s still a lot more to be done.”
The appeal of a more seasoned Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith returning for another season in Columbus may ultimately win out. But as Ohio State licks its wounds, it’s fair to assume all of these scenarios will be racing through Ryan Day’s mind.
NFL speculation will continue as long as franchises search for leaders with proven systems and championship expectations. Day understands that reality. Right now, though, the pull of unfinished business appears stronger than the lure of the next job.
And that may be the most telling part of all.
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