COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2026 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award, adding another national coaching honor to his résumé heading into the upcoming season.
The award, which is presented annually to a coach who demonstrates success on the field while also emphasizing leadership, scholarship, and integrity, announced its preseason watch list on Thursday.
Day is one of 20 coaches included on the initial list. He was also named a finalist for the award in 2025.
The recognition comes as Day enters his eighth season as Ohio State’s head coach, a tenure that has included conference championships, multiple College Football Playoff appearances, and the program’s 2024 national championship.
Since taking over the program in 2019, Day has compiled an 82-12 record, which ranks among the best winning percentages in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Ohio State has reached the College Football Playoff five times during that span and became the first team to win four games in a single postseason during the expanded playoff era.
Day’s inclusion on the Dodd Trophy watch list continues a trend of national recognition for the Ohio State coach, who has remained among the most successful coaches in the country since replacing Urban Meyer.
The Dodd Trophy winner will be announced later in the season, with finalists selected based on their teams’ performance and the broader impact of their programs. For now, Day remains one of the coaches under consideration.
