Ohio State’s Ryan Day talks extension, expectations for ’22

When you go 34-4 in your first three seasons as a head coach, chances are you’re going to be rewarded.

That is exactly what happened with Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, who received a two-year contract extension last week. Day’s new contract will run through the 2028 season and put him among the nation’s highest-paid college football coaches. 

Day’s total compensation will increase from $7.6 million to $9.5 million annually, with a base salary of $2 million per year. He joins Alabama’s Nick Saban, USC’s Lincoln Riley, LSU‘s Brian Kelly and Michigan State’s Mel Tucker as the only coaches set to make more than $9 million per year.

The Buckeyes’ head coach made an appearance on 97.1 The Fan in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday to discuss a variety of topics, including his recent extension.

“This is obviously a wonderful place, and like I’ve said before, I want to be here as long as I possibly can,” Day said. “Our family loves Columbus, so we are just very blessed and thankful for making something like this possible.”

Day, who was named the Buckeyes’ head coach following Urban Meyer’s departure after the 2018 season, has led OSU to an impressive 23-1 mark in Big Ten play, which includes a pair of conference titles in 2019 and 2020 and two appearances in the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes have finished ranked in the top six in the AP Polls in each of Day’s three seasons at the helm.

Ohio State is set to enter the 2022 college football season with massive expectations. Despite losing a pair of first-round NFL draft selections in wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, the Buckeyes should still feature an explosive offense this season, led by Heisman hopeful C.J. Stroud.

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“At this time last year, he hadn’t thrown a college pass and then went on to play some really, really good football as the season went on,” Day said of Stroud. “But just because he did it last year doesn’t mean it’s just going to happen this year. … He’s going to have to bring it right from the jump, and there’s a lot that comes with that.”

Stroud and the Buckeyes are set to open the 2022 season against Notre Dame on Sept. 3 at the Horseshoe in what will be one of the most-anticipated games of the college football season.

“At Ohio State, we have to win every game,” Day said. “You can’t all of a sudden put so much into one and then lay an egg the next week.

“But that being said, we’re talking about a top-10 matchup, night game at home. It’s going to be an unbelievable atmosphere, a lot of emotion. We’re going to be all over this .… It’s a very good team, great program, very good coaching staff. Big challenge, so we’re going to work all summer to make sure we’re prepared to play our best football in that game.”