Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has hired two former NFL head coaches to run his offensive and defensive coordinator rooms—Lovie Smith on defense, Matt Patricia on offense. Day, who has called plays since taking the head job in 2019, is ceding both coordinator roles for the first time. The moves were finalized over Labor Day weekend and announced quietly through internal channels before hitting the wire Tuesday morning.
Smith arrives from a one-year stint as Houston Texans head coach (2021, 3–13–1 record) and brings a Tampa-2 pedigree built during nine seasons leading the Bears. Patricia last held an NFL head role with Detroit (2018–2020, 13–29–1) and spent the past two seasons as a Patriots senior advisor under Bill Belichick. Both men are taking coordinator titles at salaries believed to exceed $2 million annually, roughly double the going rate for Big Ten coordinators and closer to what Group of Five head coaches earn. Ohio State did not disclose exact figures, but two people familiar with the deals confirmed the range.
The hires solve a specific problem: Day needed senior voices in the building who have managed NFL rosters, navigated twenty-week seasons, and kept veteran players engaged. Ohio State lost six starters to the transfer portal after last season's playoff semifinal loss, including two consensus All-Americans who cited "lack of development" in exit interviews. One transferred to Oregon; the other went directly to the NFL Draft after a waiver. Day's offense ranked fourth nationally in yards per play, but the staff turnover signaled something structural. Coordinators who can point to NFL head-coaching résumés—even losing ones—carry credibility with five-star recruits who view college as an extended combine.
Smith's defensive background fits Ohio State's immediate need. The Buckeyes allowed 31.4 points per game in their final three contests last season, including a 45–38 loss to Michigan in which the defense gave up seven explosive plays of twenty-plus yards. Smith's Tampa-2 system, predicated on preventing deep shots and forcing check-downs, is a clean inversion of the aggressive man-coverage scheme Ohio State ran under the previous coordinator. Patricia's offensive role is less obvious—his Patriots offenses ranked in the bottom third of the league during his Detroit tenure—but Day values process over scheme. Patricia installed New England's personnel grouping system and self-scout protocols, which Day believes can be adapted to college roster construction. The subtext: Day wants someone else to manage the weekly game plan so he can focus on roster retention and NIL governance.
The timing matters for Ohio State's $20 million NIL collective, which has struggled to compete with Texas and Oregon in the transfer market. Day attended three donor dinners in August, unusual for a head coach during fall camp. The coordinators' NFL pedigrees give him a recruiting pitch that does not hinge on his own credibility: players are now coached by men who have run entire franchises, not just position groups. Whether that pitch works depends on Patricia's ability to develop quarterbacks and Smith's success installing a defense that does not require a full offseason. Spring practice starts in March, and both coordinators will be evaluated on their ability to retain current roster talent before they ever coach a down.
Watch for assistant hires beneath Smith and Patricia in the next ten days—both are expected to bring at least one staffer from their NFL networks. The offensive line coach position remains open, and Patricia is believed to be targeting a former Patriots assistant currently working in the Rams' front office. Ohio State's spring game, typically a donor showcase, will draw unusual scrutiny this year as the first public look at how Smith's defense handles tempo. And Day's next contract extension, originally expected before the season, is now on hold until the administration sees whether this structure works. His current deal runs through 2028 at $9.5 million annually, but the athletic department wants proof that delegating play-calling does not dilute his control.
The quiet part: Day is building a coaching staff that functions more like an NFL front office, with veteran coordinators who can operate independently while he manages the transfer portal, NIL deals, and donor relationships that now determine wins as much as fourth-quarter play calls. If it works, expect other top-tier programs to raid the NFL's unemployed head-coach pool. If it does not, Ohio State will have the most expensive coordinator staff in college football history—and a head coach whose next job is already being speculated about in SEC athletic director text threads.
The takeaway
Day is delegating play-calling to two ex-NFL head coaches, betting **$4 million+** in salaries solves Ohio State's retention problem before it solves Xs and Os.
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