Ryan Day’s Impressive Audition Officially Over

Urban Meyer is officially back in charge of the Ohio State football program. Meyer’s three-game suspension ended Sunday morning, putting the sixth-winningest coach in OSU history back on the sidelines.

That means the end of the head coaching career of the Buckeyes’ 23rd-winningest coach in history, Ryan Day. At least for now.

Day finished his three-game cameo with a perfect 3-0 record. That ties him with the first coach in OSU history, Alexander Lilley, who went 3-5 between 1890-1891.

After the TCU game ended, and his time as acting head coach officially came to an end, Day was quick to credit Meyer for the team’s early success.

“We’re just so excited to get Coach back next week,” Day said. “The culture that he’s built here is amazing and the foundation that he’s built here. And that’s what got us through these first three games and through preseason. The players that have been recruited here and coaches that are here have kept this thing going.”

But Meyer should be pretty excited for the job that Day did as well.

The 2018 Ohio State team is extraordinarily talented, but the scandal surrounding Zach Smith and Meyer’s subsequent suspension, easily could have derailed their season.

Under Day, that didn’t happen. The Buckeyes were focused, started fast, and comfortably won all three of their games.

Like many head coaches, Day was quick to credit assistants for his success, especially two coordinators on the staff who have head coaching experience in their backgrounds.

“I got so much help from these players and from the coaching staff, Kevin Wilson and Greg Schiano,” Day said. “What Greg Schiano has done for me in the last month is something I’ll never forget. He is the classiest person I’ve ever been around in the coaching profession. The way he’s handled himself, helping me along the way, counseling me on day-to-day stuff.”

Even with that help, Day clearly felt some pressure to make sure the Buckeyes’ College Football Playoff hopes were still in good shape when he turned the keys back over to Meyer.

“I do feel a little bit of relief right now after that game and, you know, the past few weeks,” Day said after the TCU game.

“Our goal was to get 3-0 so that when Coach got back, he had a team that was 3-0. That goal is accomplished, but we have a lot ahead of us.”

In the short term, Day can now shift his goals full-time to his normal role as the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. But his month-and-a-half audition as the head of the program, Day clearly showed he was ready for a head coaching position.

He was personable with the media – meaning that he would likely do well glad-handing boosters and performing other necessary off-field head coaching functions. And Day never seemed overwhelmed despite juggling multiple roles on the sidelines.

Against TCU, the Buckeyes fell behind by eight points in the second half, but never seemed to panic.

“We talked about how everything is not going to go perfect,” Day said. “There were times in the two weeks previously where things really went well for us. And we knew that there were going to be times we hit adversity and that we have to stick together in times like that. I thought we did.”

Reporters asked defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones to put a grade on Day’s performance.

“Is there an A ++ in the grade book?” Jones asked.

At the end of the press conference, a reporter jokingly asked Day if he was considering retiring to maintain his perfect career record as a head coach.

Day laughed, and said, “Sure.”

But his time at the head of the Ohio State program clearly showed he’s ready for much more.