Ohio State Football: Ryan Day is biggest bargain of any Big Ten coach
By Alex Austin
Comparing the coaches for three of the biggest programs in the Big Ten shows Ohio State football coach Ryan Day is a bargain.
Ohio State football coach Ryan Day recently earned a contract extension to stay at the helm for years to come. His new contract will start paying him $5.375 million for 2020 and the salary rises from there.
Ohio State fans in general are very happy to know that they can keep their head coach around to continue building not just on the field but also on the recruiting trail.
Ryan Day is 16-1 as a head coach with a Big Ten title, playoff berth, and a Big Ten Coach of the Year award to his name.
Even with this excitement, it is easy to look at $5 million and ask if that is worth it for a head coach. Looking at the two coaches who are paid more in the Big Ten shows that this is really a bargain deal.
Jim Harbaugh is the highest paid coach in the Big Ten making a whopping $7.5 million. This seems like a huge number for a man who has not won any big games at Michigan.
Harbaugh is 47-18 overall at Michigan with a 32-12 record in Big Ten play. This goes along with no wins over their biggest rival, no Big Ten championships, no playoff appearances, and a 1-4 record in bowl games as head coach of the Wolverines. That is a lot of money for little results.
James Franklin is the other Big Ten coach making more than Ryan Day as he makes just over $7 million a year.
He has been a little more successful than Jim Harbaugh in the fact that he has won the Big Ten once since his arrival at Penn State. That same year he also beat Ohio State (their biggest rivals) and he has kept most games against the Buckeyes very close throughout his tenure.
Franklin is 56-23 overall with a 34-18 record in Big Ten play since his arrival. He also has a .500 record in bowl games, going 3-3 while leading the Nittany Lions.
Next. Buckeyes clearly in on top RB recruit. dark
Overall, Ryan Day has the same amount of Big Ten titles as these two men combined, and did better on the recruiting trail last year than both. This is a great contract that pays the man for the potential he offers Ohio State.