Ryan Day, Ohio State Agree to 2-Year Contract Extension Worth $9.5M Per Year

Ohio State announced Wednesday it agreed to a two-year extension through 2028 with football coach Ryan Day.

The deal will see Day's overall compensation rise from $7.6 million to $9.5 million per season. His base salary will be set at $2 million.

Following the 2021 season, Lincoln Riley and Brian Kelly were both paid handsomely to leave Oklahoma and Notre Dame, respectively. And within Day's own conference, Mel Tucker (10 years, $95 million) and James Franklin (10 years, $75 million) got new deals to ward off any suitors.

A pay raise for Day was inevitable, as his old salary constituted a bargain in this market.

Handily losing to Michigan and missing the College Football Playoff put a damper on Ohio State's 2021 season, but the year still ended with a Rose Bowl victory over Utah. 

Day has also kept the Buckeyes at the heights they enjoyed under his predecessor, Urban Meyer. They're 31-4 in his three full seasons as head coach—he went 3-0 while Meyer was suspended and ultimately retired in 2018.

In the wake of falling short of lofty expectations, OSU turned over its coaching staff, most notably poaching Jim Knowles from Oklahoma State to serve as defensive coordinator. The Athletic's Bill Landis noted 1994 was the last time the Buckeyes hired four new assistants without also changing the head coach.

Still, there was no question as to the university's commitment.

And while it's difficult to envision Day would leave for another school, the NFL could be a very real threat. The 43-year-old served on the staffs of the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers prior to joining Ohio State in 2017.

For now, any speculation linking Day with a new job will be put to bed.