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Ryan Day answers the big question regarding him leaving Ohio State and going to the NFL

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Brandon Little | Last updated Jan 30, 2025 1:32 PM ET

Ryan Day checked off the big box of winning a National Championship earlier this month and became just the third active college football coach to do so.

Day’s sixth season in Columbus is the one where it all came together and the Ohio State Buckeyes went on a magical run to win the College Football Playoff.

Throughout Day’s tenure as the Buckeyes’ head coach, there have long been rumors of the NFL poaching him from the college ranks. The Ohio State head coach is happy where he is right now.

“I was in the NFL for two years and had a great experience there and it is a great league,” Day said. But right now the impact we can make on young people is, to me, more impactful in college. That’s why I got into this game is to do that and that’s what I want to do.”

Day is 70-10 as the head coach in Columbus and helped Ohio State have a seamless transition from Urban Meyer to it being his team there. However, Day wants to keep an open mind and isn’t going to rule out the NFL, which is smart.

“I would never wanna say [that] I would never consider it because you don’t know how things can change,” Day said.

Ohio State is set to defend their National Championship next season with another talented roster. Day’s current focus has to be finding a defensive coordinator after Jim Knowles opted to take the same job at Penn State.

Day is just 45 years old and the NFL will be there down the road. For now, everything is going right in Columbus and he is on top of the college football world.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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