Ryan Day on decision to turn Ohio State offense over to Chip Kelly: 'I trust Chip with my life'

On Feb. 9, Ohio State football announced Chip Kelly will be its offensive coordinator in the 2024 campaign. At the 2024 Big Ten Media Days, Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day opened up on the experience of relinquishing play-calling duties to Kelly.

“For me, turning [play-calling] over, I really wanted somebody that had coaching experience,” Day said. “I never thought you’d have somebody that’s was a head coach the way he’s been in college and in the NFL, with that background.

“It allows me a little more of a peace of mind and certainly a lot of trust there. I trust Chip with my life and that’s a big part of anytime you’re handing something over like that you’ve almost done your entire career.”

Kelly boasts a résumé that’s nearly impossible to find in an assistant coach. Kelly has been the head coach at Oregon and UCLA. Additionally, he spent four years in the NFL, leading the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers.

He has a remarkable 81-41 all-time record as a head coach at the collegiate level. Most recently, he led UCLA to an 8-5 overall record in 2023, capped off by a convincing win over Boise State in the LA Bowl.

For his efforts, Kelly has been named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year twice and was the Maxwell Club Coach of the Year in 2013. Now, he will have a chance to add more hardware to his trophy case at Ohio State. Day is excited to see what Chip Kelly can cook up with their talented offense.

“When you look at any offense what you’re trying to do is you’re trying to figure out what plays maximize the guys you have in the locker room,” Day said. “Chip has a background of doing things a lot of different ways. I think everyone immediately goes to the spread offense. When he was at Oregon, some of the no-huddle stuff. But, when he was at UCLA, you saw him do things with three tight ends in the game. Before that, there was a lot of two-back stuff. There’s a lot of different versatility in his background.

“He would tell you he’s very excited about what he has, in terms of the talent level on the perimeter, upfront, the running backs, the quarterback options, the tight ends. So, that’s the journey we’re on. What is it that fits that? Then, it’s my job, as the head coach, to make sure it fits complimentary football across the board.”