The Ohio State football program was close to having to make a critical decision. Ohio State had just lost their fourth straight game to TTUN. The Buckeyes were coming into the College Football Playoff with no momentum at all. Ryan Day was on the hot seat, and a lot of fans wanted him gone.
Then, Day turned it around during the College Football Playoff run. Ohio State went on one of the best four-game stretches in college football history en route to winning a national championship. Now, they are the kings of college football. Day deserves a lot of credit for keeping the team together.
During the celebration of the national title at the Shoe with 35,000 fans, athletic director Ross Bjork all but confirmed that Day would be getting a contract extension for his efforts. On Thursday, that extension became official, and Day has been rewarded for his accomplishments.
The Ohio State football program hands Ryan Day a massive contract extension
According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, Day has received a contract extension from the Ohio State Buckeyes. Day gets a seven-year deal that keeps him with Ohio State through 2031. He will also get paid $12.5 million per year, which will make him the second-highest paid coach in the sport.
Ryan Day and Ohio State have agreed to a new contract. It's a seven-year contract that will keep Day as coach of the Buckeyes through the 2031 football season It will add three years onto his current agreement and will be valued at $12.5 million in total annual compensation.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 6, 2025
Only Kirby Smart is getting paid more, which makes sense. He won back-to-back national championships. If Day is able to repeat next year, then perhaps he will deserve to be the highest-paid coach. He also needs to start beating Michigan for that to become a true argument.
Day absolutely deserves this extension. What he did at the end of the season was the most remarkable coaching job the Buckeyes have had since Urban Meyer won a national title with a third-string quarterback. He has established himself as one of the best coaches in college football.
Now, the coaching carousel is complete. They have all of their coaches hired, and Day is locked up for the future. Now, the Buckeyes can focus on the upcoming season and start working toward their title defense. Ryan Day will now be at Ohio State as long as he wants.