In late January and early February, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day faced a turbulent offseason. Just weeks after leading the Buckeyes to their first national championship in a decade with a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame, the program experienced some significant departures. First, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles left for Big Ten rivals, and then offensive coordinator Chip Kelly moved to the NFL. These two key figures in Ohio State’s title run were gone before the start of spring football.
Chip Kelly’s move to the NFL wasn’t a shock to Day. In a recent interview on 97.1 The Fan FM, Day explained that he was aware of Kelly’s potential interest in returning to the NFL. “When we talked about it last year, I knew that it was something that he was interested in possibly looking at the NFL again,” Day said. “I had no expectations of him staying for more than a year.” Day had hired Kelly with a specific purpose in mind: to help manage the offense and guide Ohio State to a championship, after which Kelly could pursue his NFL aspirations. As it turned out, Kelly ended up securing a position with the Las Vegas Raiders, earning $6 million a year.
Despite Kelly’s departure, Day was not bitter. In an interview with Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt, Day reflected nostalgically on their time together. “Just to be able to have a beer in a few years and talk about the year that we had together is gonna be special because we all started together,” Day said, acknowledging the strong bond between him and Kelly that helped them achieve the championship.
In contrast, the departure of Jim Knowles was a bit more complicated. Knowles had transformed Ohio State’s defense into one of the most effective in the country, but behind the scenes, there were tensions. Day reportedly began taking a more active role in defensive meetings following a tough loss to Oregon in Week 7. Knowles’ defensive schemes, such as the hybrid “Jack” linebacker position, did not always align with the philosophies of other coaches, particularly defensive line coach Larry Johnson.
The situation culminated in Knowles leaving for Penn State, which offered him a $9.3 million contract and the freedom to run his defensive system. Knowles was not invited to the Buckeyes’ national championship celebration, adding salt to the wound. When asked about Knowles’ departure, Day remained diplomatic, commenting that Knowles had done a great job for three years and was likely happy to return to his home state of Pennsylvania. “He did a great job for three years, and he’s from Pennsylvania and all those types of things. And so, happy that he’s at a place that he wants to be,” Day said.
Despite the offseason shakeups, Ryan Day is known for his resilience and ability to adapt. Though the changes were significant, Day remains focused on the future. With new plans in the works, Ohio State remains a formidable force in college football.