Ryan Day silenced his critics by leading Ohio State to a national title this year, and he now been rewarded for his success.
Ohio State announced in a statement on Thursday that they have agreed to a seven-year contract extension with Day. The new deal will pay Day $12.5 million per year, which makes him the second-highest-paid coach in college football behind only Georgia’s Kirby Smart.
Day’s new contract has incentives that are similar to those in his previous deal, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The 45-year-old coach earned a $1 million bonus for winning a national championship this season.
Day has gone 70-10 over six seasons at Ohio State since taking over when Urban Meyer stepped down. He has led the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff four times.
The one big knock on Day is that he is just 1-4 against rival Michigan. Some Buckeyes fans and even former players soured on Day after Ohio State lost to the Wolverines this year. There was even some talk that Day could be fired if the Buckeyes were eliminated in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Ohio State then went out and bulldozed the competition during the first 12-team College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes beat Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame by a combined score of 145-75.
While Day would love to have a better record against Michigan, national championships are far more important. His new long-term contract and salary reflect that.
