Mike Vrabel leads pack of potential new head coaches if the Buckeyes were to let Ryan Day go

At Ohio State, there are multiple goals every season but the first one doesn’t become reachable until the final week of the regular season. Beating Michigan is the first goal for the Buckeyes every season and they have not done it since 2019.

That reason alone has a blemish on Ryan Day’s tenure as the head coach in Columbus. Day is 66-10 as the head coach of the Buckeyes, but four losses to Michigan stand out.

Many folks called for Day’s job at the end of last season and the same happened after the loss to Michigan on Saturday. Ohio State isn’t going to make a change in season, but don’t rule it out after the season depending on how the College Football Playoff plays out.

Coming up short has been a common theme for Day’s time in Columbus and he needs to have the Buckeyes playing well in the playoff. Even though athletic director Ross Bjork came out in support of Day following the loss to Michigan, a lot can change between now and the end of the season.

If the Buckeyes were to make a change, a few names would stand out.

Mike Vrabel, Cleveland Browns coaching and personnel consultant

The most popular name as a potential Day replacement is Vrabel, who was a standout at Ohio State from 1993 to 1996 before playing 14 seasons in the NFL. Vrabel is in a consultant role with the nearby Browns and is likely to be a head coaching candidate in the NFL very soon.

Vrabel could be a name that the Buckeyes look at to pull from the NFL. Vrabel was a successful coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018 through last season before a change was needed for everyone. Vrabel did coach linebackers and the defensive line early in Urban Meyer’s tenure.

It is unknown if Vrabel would want to deal with the world of recruiting and how crazy that is now. NIL is a big factor and all of that would be an adjustment. However, the 49-year-old Vrabel likely has the energy and passion to be a good recruiter. Also, players aren’t going to mind coming to play for a three-time Super Bowl Champion.

Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State head coach

Herm Edwards left Arizona State football in a very ugly place. Dillingham took over last season and now has Arizona State at 10-2 this season, and with a solid shot to end up in the College Football Playoff. Dillingham has just under two seasons of experience as a college head coach, but he is one of the biggest up-and-coming names.

The Buckeyes aren’t ripping Dan Lanning from Oregon or Kirby Smart from Georgia. It is unlikely that Urban Meyer would come back or Ohio State would have him back. The 34-year-old Dillingham would be an interesting option.

Matt Campbell, Iowa State head coach

Campbell, like Vrabel, is from Ohio and would perhaps understand the rivalry with Michigan on a deeper level. Campbell has had Iowa State as a usually pretty strong team year in and year out. The Massillon native is 98-65 as a head coach and has been with the Cyclones since 2016. Prior to that, Campbell worked his way through Bowling Green, then Toledo where he eventually became a head coach in 2012.

Campbell is 45 years old and it would be a big step up in recruiting for him. However, Ohio State donors have shown they’re willing to open the checkbook and that is the single most important thing in recruiting today with NIL. The idea of bringing a really good coach and pairing him with the resources in Columbus could work.