Three-time champ claims not interested in replacing Ryan Day

Former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer. Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Three-time national champion claims he's not interested in replacing Ohio State HC Ryan Day

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Dec 5, 2024 4:44 PM ET

No, Buckeye fans, former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer isn't returning to Columbus.

Ohio State HC Ryan Day lost his fourth straight game to rival Michigan in the Buckeyes' regular-season finale, raising questions about his job security.

On a recent episode of the "Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show," former ESPN anchor Jay Crawford — now with WKYC-TV in Cleveland — said Meyer could replace Day. However, Meyer denied the claim.

"It has come to my attention that there are reports speculating my return to the sidelines in Columbus," the Fox Sports analyst said Thursday in a social media statement. "While I thoroughly enjoyed my seven seasons as head coach at The Ohio State University, I have no interest in coaching again. I will always be a Buckeye and have full confidence in Ryan Day, his staff, and every player that puts on the Scarlet and Gray."

Statement from @CoachUrbanMeyer addressing Ohio State coaching rumors: pic.twitter.com/Lt5f2BbdZ5
— The Triple Option (@3xOptionShow) December 5, 2024

Meyer, 60, won a national title and never lost to Michigan while he was Buckeyes HC from 2012-18. He last coached for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL in 2021, going 2-11 before the club fired him.

Considering Meyer hasn't coached in three years and Day was his hand-picked successor, it's easy to understand why he's not planning on returning to Ohio State.

Although Meyer isn't unretiring, that doesn't mean Day is safe. In six seasons with the Buckeyes, he has a 1-4 record against Michigan and hasn't won a national championship.

Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork recently told The Columbus Dispatch's Bill Rabinowitz he's still confident in Day, but the AD could still change his mind.

Despite the embarrassing loss to the Wolverines, the Buckeyes season isn't over. Ohio State (10-2) was ranked No. 6 in the updated College Football Playoff rankings and had the No. 8 seed in the projected 12-team bracket.

If the Buckeyes make a deep run and win the title, that may save Day's job.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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