Things are getting weird down at Ohio State. Despite the recent loss to Michigan, nobody would think that Ryan Day is in any danger of leaving the programs. Not with just four losses since taking over in 2018 and two College Football Playoff appearances. However, rumblings have begun to pick up that there is a possibility the head coach might be eyeing a jump to the NFL in the near future.
Longtime analyst and former college coach Lee Corson declared before the Michigan game that Buckeyes fans better appreciate Day while they can. He believes the head coach is going to make the jump to the pros. While some are skeptical of that, others believe it makes sense. Day has coached in the NFL before. If the right opportunity were to come up, it isn’t totally crazy to think he might go for it.
Especially if it might involve a quarterback he knows and believes in.
It isn’t a secret the Chicago Bears are preparing for life after Matt Nagy. When that happens, their search for a successor will have one main goal driving it. To get the most out of Justin Fields. Considering Day helped turn him into a Heisman contender and eventual 1st round pick? It is easy to think the organization might look to him as a strong possibility. Others in the college football community seem to think so too.
Andy Staples is an insider for The Athletic. On his recent podcast, he discussed the departure of Brian Kelly from Notre Dame to LSU and how crazy the head coach carousel has been thus far. While speculating about potential replacements, Staples dropped a comment about Day that was impossible to ignore.
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This offers proof that the Day rumors aren’t just random thoughts from people. There is genuine smoke out there. A belief that when the Bears job opens up, the Buckeyes coach might be open to taking it.
Ryan Day idea centers on how interested Bears are
His being open to an NFL jump is pretty clear at this point. Still, it comes down to whether he is high on the Bears’ list of potential candidates. It is important to remember the McCaskeys have never hired a head coach from the college ranks since taking over in 1983. All have been either prominent coordinators from other NFL teams or former head coaches. So this would be a significant departure.
Is Ryan Day worth it? Nobody can argue with his success at Ohio State. He has owned the Big Ten for his entire tenure and routinely put together a top 10 offense in the nation every single year. Judging by the regular pipeline of players to the NFL, it is evident he also has a sharp eye for talent as well. The big question is whether he can hold a locker room of professional players. Grown men who might not embrace the typical rah rah stuff college coaches are known for.
That is where you hope Day’s NFL experience helps him.
Spending two years in Philadelphia and San Francisco probably gave him a good education on what to expect. Either way, six games remain before the Bears offer any answers to this question. A lot can change in that period of time.
