“Our family loves Columbus, so we are just very blessed and thankful for so many that have made something like this possible.”
The Ohio State board of trustees last week approved a two-year contract extension for Day that runs through the 2028 season.
He is set to make $9.5 million per year, tying him with Michigan State’s Mel Tucker as the highest-paid coach in the Big Ten, while trying to get the Buckeyes back to the top of the conference.
Day’s teams are 34-4 overall in three seasons, including 23-1 against Big Ten foes, with two Big Ten titles and two CFP appearances.
The Buckeyes were 11-2 last season and won the Rose Bowl, but they saw their eight-game winning streak over Michigan snapped. They also failed to win the Big Ten for the first time since 2016.
Late last year, a report from CBS Sports identified Day as a candidate to be the new coach of the Chicago Bears, where former Day protege Justin Fields is the quarterback.
He said there was “nothing to it” when that report was published, but Day’s two years as an NFL assistant and success developing quarterbacks and the passing game at Ohio State has made him a frequent subject of speculation he could jump to the pros at some point.
Additionally, some believe more college coaches will be tempted to retire or go to the NFL as change envelopes the NCAA.
Those include players being able to transfer and play right away, and the introduction last year of the ability to profit off their name, image and likeness.
Of course, NFL coaches don’t have to recruit, and they get more time off compared to their colleagues in college, who typically find recruiting to be a 365-day-per-year activity.
“I think right now the hardest part is just with the NIL situation we’re still trying to figure out what this is gonna look like moving forward,” said Day, who has called for more clear rules to be established, particularly pertaining to recruiting.
“A lot of our time and energy has been focused recently in this area, and when the rules aren’t easily enforced, or there’s misunderstanding of the rules and what’s appropriate and what isn’t, what’s legal and what isn’t, it creates a lot of hard feelings — especially when you’re dealing with a very competitive environment like college football at the highest level.”
He identified that as the biggest difference between coaching in the NFL and college at this time.
“And you’re trying to figure out what it’s gonna look like moving forward, but I will say that a lot of my time and energy and thought process the last few months is circled around this and what this looks like for Ohio State,” he said.
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