Ryan Day Reportedly Responsible For Major Ohio State Coaching Loss After National Championship

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt De Lima | Last updated Feb 3, 2025 6:54 PM ET

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day started coaching at his alma mater, New Hampshire. From 1998 to 2001, he played quarterback and linebacker for the Wildcats before becoming the school's tight ends coach in 2002.

That's where he met Chip Kelly, New Hampshire's offensive coordinator from 1999 to 2006. That longtime connection blossomed into a reunion as Kelly and Day led the Buckeyes to this year's College Football Playoff National Championship.

However, Ohio State's midseason 32-31 loss to the Oregon Ducks didn't prompt Day to put much additional pressure on Kelly, who ended up joining the Las Vegas Raiders staff. Instead, according to CBS Sports' Brandon Marcello, the pressure and micromanagement were focused on defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

Why Jim Knowles walked: Philosophical clash at Ohio State leads to fresh start, historic payday at Penn State https://t.co/WgmGbuVYNH
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) February 3, 2025

Day would frequently appear in Knowles' defensive meeting room following the Oregon loss.

"It's not unusual for a head coach to take an added interest in a particular unit after a loss, but what made this development more personal and political was Day's background as an offensive coordinator," wrote Marcello. "As Day left mentor Chip Kelly on his own to develop game plans and call games, it was the veteran defensive coordinator who instead had to deal with his boss breathing down his neck.

"That didn't mix well with Knowles' lone ranger attitude. ... Shortly after the national championship game on Jan. 20, Knowles, 59, began fielding phone calls from suitors. ... Negotiations broke down and Knowles, who already had one foot out the door, made up his mind, and subsequently agreed to join Penn State."

On January 26, Knowles agreed to a three-year contract with the Nittany Lions, which would pay him an average of $3.1 million per season with bonuses should Penn State win a national championship.

Day and the Buckeyes now must replace Knowles, Kelly and former offensive line coach Justin Frye, now with the Arizona Cardinals.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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