Pete Thamel explains deep connections between Ryan Day, Chip Kelly that led to Ohio State hire

Chip Kelly, after a six-year stint as the head coach at UCLA, is resigning and reportedly set to take over as the offensive coordinator at Ohio State. And while the move is a demotion in title (and almost certainly salary), ESPN’s Pete Thamel explained how strong connections between Kelly and current Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day might’ve been a pull.

Kelly and Day worked together twice in the NFL, with Day serving on Kelly’s staffs in both Philadelphia and San Francisco. But their ties run far deeper than that, beginning when Day played quarterback at New Hampshire.

“Now it was quick work by Ohio State,” Thamel said on SportsCenter on Friday. “Ryan Day is in the process of hiring Chip Kelly, who has already resigned from UCLA and is expected to go become the Ohio State offensive coordinator. Day and Chip Kelly go way back, all the way back to New Hampshire. They’ve known each other since before Day was in college, Day played for Chip Kelly when Chip was the offensive coordinator for Sean McDonnell at UNH. Ryan Day was a star quarterback there. Day obviously was an assistant coach for Chip Kelly at two NFL stops, at the Eagles and the 49ers. They have deep, deep ties.”

Along with their coaching and playing connections, the two even graduated from the same high school: Manchester Central in New Hampshire, although Kelly graduated around a decade before Day had.

But just being old buddies who go back to their early days in football in New Hampshire isn’t reason enough to make someone a key assistant. And in that regard, Kelly and Day could be a good pairing.

Day is trying to move into a more CEO-type role as head coach and thusly needs someone to run the offense. He had previously hired Bill O’Brien for the role, but he left for the Boston College opening after a few weeks with the Buckeyes.

Left in a lurch, Day turned to a trusted friend, but also someone with plenty of knowledge and experience designing and running punishing offenses. And now Kelly gets to oversee the offense, and one that’s got no shortage of top-notch talents that he can use to craft what the Buckeyes hope will be a championship-level unit.

“And Chip Kelly wants to go call plays again, Ryan Day doesn’t want to call plays anymore, seems like a pretty good fit, especially with that loaded Ohio State roster for 2024,” Thamel said.