ESPN analyst mentions Ohio State HC Ryan Day for major NFL opening that just came about

The Ohio State Buckeyes and Ryan Day finally got over the hump last season and captured a national championship. After getting close a couple of times before, everything came together for the Buckeyes.

Day made the jump from the NFL to college football back in 2017, and he was the head coach of the Buckeyes by 2019 as the successor to Urban Meyer. Since Day came from the NFL, there have often been rumors of him eventually returning to the league as a head coach, something he has never been. With a couple of NFL jobs already open, Day has been connected to at least one of them.

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky links Ryan Day to the New York Giants job

Earlier this week, the Giants decided to move on from former head coach Brian Daboll. With Daboll out and the Giants beginning their search for the next head coach, several names have been mentioned. Orlovsky made it clear he wasn’t reporting anything, but he did say he believes Day would be a strong fit in New York.

“I’ll give you two names,” Orlovsky said on ESPN’s Get Up earlier in the week. “These are names that I would like for the Giants. Realistic or not, I don’t know that. One would be Kevin Stefanski if they move on in Cleveland. A second name — I’m not saying this to be — I would love Ryan Day there.”

Day is 79–10 as the head coach in Columbus, with four of those losses coming to the Michigan Wolverines. There hasn’t been much that Day hasn’t accomplished at Ohio State outside of consistently beating Michigan. He has routinely built top-level coaching staffs, and player development under him has been excellent. Last season, Day made the significant decision to hand over play-calling duties to Chip Kelly for the first time in his head-coaching career, and it paid off with a national title. Taking on more of a CEO role, Day has become one of the best coaches in college football.

“I think Ryan Day would be a phenomenal head coach… I just think he’s a great coach,” Orlovsky added.

It’s worth noting that there has been no real noise about Day leaving Columbus, and it’s highly unlikely to happen after this season. His son, R.J. Day, is a 2027 quarterback prospect in central Ohio, and it’s doubtful the family would want to move before his senior year, especially with his recruitment already picking up. The Buckeyes remain laser-focused on defending their national championship and winning it all once again.