According to former Ohio State quarterback and ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, Ryan Day could stop calling the Buckeyes’ offense as soon as 2023.
“Ryan Day mentioned in our production meetings he’s going to stop calling plays next year because he needs to become more of a manager as a head coach,” Herbstreit said on ESPN’s “College GameDay” Monday before the Rose Bowl. “And when you are prepping a game plan, it’s a lot more that goes into it Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday to be ready to call those plays Saturday. So he’s thinking about relinquishing those (responsibilities) which would be the first time ever. I don’t know who, Brian Hartline, or whoever, would be involved.”
Day did not respond to a request for comment from The Dispatch.
Day led Ohio State to the College Football Playoff semifinal against Georgia Saturday, where the Buckeyes recorded 41 points and 467 yards of offense against the Bulldogs’ No. 8 total defense in college football, a unit that allowed 292.1 yards per game and 4.78 yards per play.
In 2022, Ohio State had the No. 9 scoring offense in college football, averaging 490.7 yards per game and 7.28 yards per play. The Buckeyes finished second behind Tennessee in scoring offense, averaging 44.2 points per game.
Day was hired at Ohio State in 2017 as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach before he was named head coach in 2019.
Day was an offensive coordinator at Boston College and Temple before NFL stops as quarterbacks coach under head coach Chip Kelly with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.
With Kevin Wilson out as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and tight ends coach after taking the Tulsa head coaching job, Ohio State has three coaches with added coaching roles in the offense added to their position coach titles: offensive line coach Justin Frye, who was the associate head coach for the offense, wide receivers coach Brian Hartline, who was the passing game coordinator, and running backs coach Tony Alford, who was the assistant head coach for the offense and the run game coordinator.
Frye was hired from Kelly’s staff at UCLA after serving as the Bruins’ offensive coordinator.
Hartline, whose name emerged as a head coaching candidate this offseason, made it clear that he would remain with the Buckeyes.
“I am aware of the speculation surrounding my name connected to other vacant coaching positions and appreciate all the support,” Hartline said on Twitter Dec. 1, “but right now my heart is at Ohio State and I do not have any plans to go anywhere else.”
Ohio State football schedule 2023
Here’s what Ohio State’s 2023 football schedule looks like.
Sept. 2: Ohio State vs. Indiana, Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana
Sept. 9: Ohio State vs. Youngstown State, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Sept. 16: Ohio State vs. Western Kentucky, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Sept. 23: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame, Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana
Oct. 7: Ohio State vs. Maryland, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Oct. 14: Ohio State vs. Purdue, Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana
Oct. 21: Ohio State vs. Penn State, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Oct. 28: Ohio State vs. Wisconsin, Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
Nov. 4: Ohio State vs. Rutgers, SHI Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey
Nov. 11: Ohio State vs. Michigan State, Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
Nov. 18: Ohio State vs. Minnesota, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Nov. 25: Ohio State vs. Michigan, Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State coach Ryan Day might give up offensive play-calling in 2023
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