Ryan Day trusts Ohio State administration to make next athletic director hire

It was announced on Monday that Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith is set to retire at the end of the 2023-24 athletic calendar year. Buckeyes football coach Ryan Day quickly made it clear that he won’t be playing any role in the hire of the next AD.

“That decision won’t be made by me,” Day said. “But we have great people here and they’ll, they’ll do what’s best for Ohio State. I know Gene certainly has will have his hand in it and they’ll ask his input on things. I trust that they’re going to make a great decision. We have great people on the board (of trustees) to make decisions like that. I’ve got to coach the football team.”

Smith has served as the Ohio State AD since 2005, and was the man that elevated Day from Buckeyes offensive coordinator to head coach after Urban Meyer’s retirement from the college game back in 2018.

“What I owe him and what my family owes him, I can’t even really verbalize the opportunity to be a first time head coach at Ohio State. And, you know, he trusted me,” Day said. “Our relationship is going to go on forever. There will be a lot of time to figure out what the next phase is and how that goes.”

He previously served as the athletic director of Arizona State, Eastern Michigan and Iowa State prior to his tenure in Columbus. He was also a former football player himself, having played four seasons at Notre Dame and won a national title in 1973. No one in Columbus faults him for his alma mater, either.

In total, Smith oversaw nine national titles as Ohio State’s athletic director. In 2010, Smith won the Carl Maddox Sport Management Award and was given the James J. Corbett Memorial Award in 2016. Among other achievements at Ohio State, Smith saw a record 2019-20 year. Ohio State had 647 scholar athletes, 457 Academic All-Big Ten selections and 257 student athletes earn their degrees.

Obviously, Smith would love to see his Buckeyes notch their 10th national title under his guide — and to have it be in football would make his final year as AD even sweeter. To this point in his career, Day has proven to be the right decision as head coach. Since Smith made the move, Ohio State has produced a 45-6 record with a 31-2 record in Big Ten play

One more title is the least Day can do for everything Smith has done for him since arriving in Columbus. And throw in a win over Michigan to boot.