Ryan Day won the national title with the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2024 season. Last season, he entered with huge expectations, possibly to repeat the title run. The Miami Hurricanes crushed that dream.
Day’s Buckeyes faced the Hurricanes in the CFP at the Cotton Bowl Classic 54 days ago and were defeated 14-24. Since then, Day and the Ohio State program have made some notable changes in preparation for the next season.
Recently, the Ohio State Buckeyes reached a new deal with Matt Patricia, the team’s defensive coordinator since 2025. The Buckeyes’ athletic director Ross Bjork confirmed the news.
“He was always committed to staying here,” Bjork said. “I know his family loves it. His kids have fit in well. … We just kept a constant dialogue before we got to an agreement with him.”
The terms of their new agreement haven’t been disclosed. His previous deal with the Buckeyes was a three-year contract that included a base salary of $2.5 million for the 2025 season. The new agreement is set to make him one of the highest-paid assistant coaches in college football.
Jim Knowles, who was the team’s defensive coordinator before Patricia arrived, held the record for the highest-paid assistant coach with a $3.1 million salary at Penn State. Patricia’s new deal is likely going to eclipse that.
Patricia has had different coaching jobs for nearly three decades. His most successful run was with the New England Patriots from 2004 to 2017. As part of the Patriots dynasty, he is a three-time Super Bowl-winning assistant coach.
He also had a head coaching stint in the NFL. Patricia was named the head coach for the Detroit Lions in 2018. He led the Lions until 2020 but had an unsuccessful run. Patricia left Detroit with a 13-29-1 record.
Ryan Day on Hiring Arthur Smith
Day is adamant about leaving no stone unturned in preparation for the next season. One of the key changes he has made was hiring Arthur Smith as the team’s new offensive coordinator in January 2026.
Smith has nearly two decades of experience in coaching. He was previously the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the head coach for the Atlanta Falcons.
“We hit it off right from the beginning,” Day said. “I just think he’s going to bring so much to the table for our team, and I think Buckeye Nation is gonna really like what he brings to the table.”
Day is confident that Smith will deliver on the expectations next season.
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