It was another wild Saturday in college football, but perhaps the biggest development came from off the field.
After Urban Meyer returned to the sideline for the first time this season, Ari Wasserman of The Athletic reported Ohio State is considering naming offensive coordinator Ryan Day its head coach-in-waiting.
Day, of course, served as the No. 4 Buckeyes’ acting head coach through training camp and the first three games of this season, leading the club to three wins. And Ohio State was impressed with him well before August, too. After his first season in Columbus, Ohio State promoted him to offensive coordinator, handed him a 3-year contract and made him the school’s first $1 million coordinator.
But Saturday’s report indicated Ohio State is considering tying Day to the program for the long-term on a more formal basis.
On Sunday, Ohio State AD Gene Smith addressed the report, largely by talking around it.
“We obviously are appreciative of Coach Day’s great work, and hope he continues to be one of our offensive coordinators for a long time, but we are more than confident Coach Meyer will be our head coach for quite some time,” Smith tweeted.
We obviously are appreciative of Coach Day’s great work, and hope he continues to be one of our offensive coordinators for a long time, but we are more than confident Coach Meyer will be our head coach for quite some time.
— Gene Smith (@OSU_AD) September 23, 2018
Thank you
Wasserman’s report said the plan is still in the discussion phase and that Ohio State is in no hurry to push Meyer out of his job, and this statement doesn’t contradict or refute that.
Smith could have ended all speculation by saying something to the effect of, “There are no discussions of naming Coach Day or any other assistant as our head coach-in-waiting. Coach Meyer is our head coach and will remain so as long as he likes.”
But he didn’t, and so the speculation lives.
