Ohio State has experienced one of the tough truths of securing a national championship, yet Ryan Day is pleased for his most recent assistant to receive a new chance.
Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is returning to the NFL, finalizing a contract to serve as the Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive coordinator. According to Sports Illustrated, as a result of the agreement, Kelly will be the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL, receiving $6 million annually.
The announcement of Kelly’s choice to join Pete Carroll’s team was revealed during Day’s interview on Monday’s edition of the “Joel Klatt Show.” Although Kelly signifies yet another exit from his team, Day conveyed gratitude for his mentor.
“It was wonderful,” Day mentioned regarding the chance to secure a national championship alongside Kelly. “We discussed it, the reality that we had an excellent team here.” The aspiration would be to secure a national championship and then he can choose if he wants to remain or pursue a chance in the NFL. “And that’s precisely what took place.”
Kelly became a member of Day’s staff in the offseason of 2024, deciding to resign as UCLA’s head coach to take on the role of offensive coordinator at Ohio State in an unusual turn of events. Day, who directed Ohio State’s offensive plays for five years after taking on the head coach role, chose to give up his playcalling responsibilities in 2024, bringing in Bill O’Brien as the offensive coordinator earlier this offseason. O’Brien remained in that position for just a few weeks before taking on the role of head coach at Boston College.
Naturally, that action was beneficial. Under Kelly’s leadership, Ohio State’s offense ranked among the top in the nation, placing 14th in scoring and 4th in yards per play.
Even more significantly, Kelly appeared to understand which levers to pull in the College Football Playoff. Ohio State established significant leads in three of its four victories, including its defeat of No. 1 Oregon in the quarterfinal and its championship win against Notre Dame. Due to Kelly’s strategies, Ohio State recorded an average of about 36 points and 447 yards of offense in its four CFP victories, with significant contributions from Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson, and Quinshon Judkins.
Ohio State’s offensive performance in the CFP was arguably the primary factor in its title win, providing Day and Kelly with the one achievement that had escaped them in their successful college coaching careers: a national championship. Although it didn’t materialize until January, the two have harbored that dream for years, as Day played quarterback in Kelly’s offense at New Hampshire from 1998-2001.
Currently, Day feels immense pride that he and his fellow New Hampshire native are able to identify as national champions.
“Being able to share a beer in a few years and reminisce about the time we spent together will be meaningful because we all began this journey together, and this is where my journey with him started,” Day stated. “We went ahead and did that.” And what an incredible tale. I understand that many individuals back in New Hampshire are thrilled for him and for the narrative. “It’s quite remarkable.”
The effectiveness of Ohio State’s offense in the CFP was arguably the primary factor in its title win, providing Day and Kelly with the one achievement that had escaped them in their successful college coaching careers: a national championship. Although it didn’t become a reality until January, the two have held that aspiration for many years since Day was a quarterback in Kelly’s offense at New Hampshire from 1998 to 2001.
Now, Day is feeling immense pride that he and his fellow New Hampshire native can refer to themselves as national champions.
“Simply having a beer together in a few years and reminiscing about the year we shared will be meaningful because we all began this journey together, and it’s where I first started with him,” Day expressed. “We went ahead and did that.” What an incredible tale. I am aware that many individuals back in New Hampshire are very enthusiastic for him and for the narrative. “It’s quite unique.”
