How Ryan Day salvages situation if Bill O'Brien takes Boston College job

Ryan Day can salvage his offensive coordinator situation if Bill O’Brien takes the Boston College job. Now that Jeff Hafley is off to the Packers, the Eagles need a new head coach.

O’Brien, who’s about to begin his first season as the Buckeyes’ OC under Day, could be headed back to the New England area.

In a situation where Day trusted the offense to someone else, On3’s Andy Staples looked at the unique situation where he might need to take it back in 2024.

If Bill O’Brien does indeed end up becoming Boston College’s head coach, what do you do if you’re Ryan Day,” Staples said on Andy Staples On3. “Because you made a conscious decision. I’m giving up play calling. I am hiring this extremely experienced play caller to handle game planning, play calling for me so I can concentrate on the other CEO duties that I need to concentrate on. 

“What do you do if that guy leaves because it’s not like I mean, you’re Ohio State so you can command a lot of different people’s attention.”

On3’s Jesse Simonton doesn’t’ think it’ll take long to replace O’Brien should Day have the need, but the timing certainly throws a lot of things off.

“They’re not gonna have a shortage of candidates,” Simonton said. “It’s Ohio State. It’s much like Kentucky, although an even better spot obviously because it’s Ohio State, but Mark Stoops is going to be able to hire somebody good. Ryan Day is in a more unique position because he is giving up play calling and looking for someone that he trusts to kind of bridge his vision with the overall program. 

“The tough part is just timing. We’re weeks away from spring practice. And it’s just the timing is ill for kind of everybody in the market for such a premier position like offensive coordinator right now.”
Day was initially excited to add O’Brien to the staff as Ohio State tries to return to the top of the Big Ten in 2024.

“I am extremely pleased to be able to add Bill O’Brien to our coaching staff,” Day said in a news release. “He brings with him a wealth of knowledge – and a tremendous amount of success – at both the NFL and collegiate levels. He is an excellent and experienced offensive coach who has run NFL and Power 5 programs and developed some truly elite players throughout his career. He’ll be an excellent teacher and recruiter for us, and he absolutely strengthens our staff.”