Ohio State liked what Ryan Day did during Urban Meyer’s suspension so much that they are considering making him their head coach-in-waiting, according to a report.
The Athletic’s Ari Wasserman reported on Saturday that Ohio State has had talks with Day about making him the head coach-in-waiting. Such an arrangement would make Day the successor to Meyer.
The Buckeyes made efforts over the last year to retain Day. They signed him to a three-year deal worth over $1 million per season in order to keep him from heading elsewhere.
Day, 39, joined Ohio State last year as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He became the acting head coach this year after Meyer was suspended over his handling of the Zach Smith situation.
Wasserman reports that Ohio State named Day the acting head coach during Meyer’s suspension intentionally to give him his first head coaching experience. They wanted to see how the young coach would handle the test after spending much of his coaching career as an offensive position coach.
Ohio State went 3-0 and looked great on the field, which seemingly made the administration feel good about his abilities.
Though these talks may be ongoing, Wasserman cautioned that they are not an indication of an imminent departure from the program by Meyer. However, at least one prominent college football figure has predicted this will be Meyer’s last at Ohio State.
