The model in college football has drastically shifted over the past several years reaching a new unfamiliar place. A head coach in college football has more responsibilities than ever, as NIL, Revenue Sharing, and the Transfer Portal have made it to where there's truly no time off for a head coach. Add in having to replace coordinators and assistants whenever they get new gigs, and it's impossible to balance.
Since winning the National Championship, Ryan Day has seen Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly leave for the NFL, Defensive Coordinator Jim Knowles leave for Penn State, and Kelly's replacement Brian Hartline leave for USF. As coaches keep getting poached for other jobs, Ryan Day may have unlocked the best formula for this era.
Ryan Day hiring ex-NFL coaches is the perfect new model
Last offseason, when Jim Knowles left for the Penn State defensive coordinator route, Ryan Day hired former Patriots defensive coordinator and Lions head coach Matt Patricia. The move was puzzling at the time, but it couldn't have panned out better as the Buckeyes were the best defense in the Country allowing just 9.3 points per game.
Brian Hartline taking the USF job left a vacancy for Ryan Day to fill at offensive coordinator. Rather than promoting from within like he did with Hartline, Ryan Day turned to the NFL ranks again hiring former Steelers OC and Falcons head coach Arthur Smith.
The decision again leads to many questioning the move, but it's clear that Ryan Day is tapping into the right strategy. While Ryan Day had to look over Brian Hartline, and eventually stripped him of his playcalling in the Playoff, with Arthur Smith he knows what he's getting, and he can entrust his coordinator.
Both coordinators have experience running their units, but they also have head coaching experience in the NFL. Ryan Day knows that both of his coordinators know what he needs, and he doesn't need to overlook their game planning allowing him to focus on being the CEO style head coach that's needed in this era.
The head coach needs to be contstantly involved with recruiting including with players on the roster as teams continue to poach players. Ryan Day now has all the time to focus on building his roster and managing all of the duties that come with the job, and if this hiring can work out like Patricia, he'll have two of the best coordinators in the Country.