Joel Klatt emphatic that Marcus Freeman will be Ohio State's first call when Ryan Day moves on

Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt all but assured Ohio State would give Marcus Freeman and call should Ryan Day eventually move on to the NFL.

Being an alum already puts Freeman in the Buckeyes’ crosshairs if they need a new coach. Granted, Day has given no indication that he would move on anytime soon fresh off a national championship victory.

But if there comes a time when Day can’t say to the NFL, for example, Freeman is going to be No. 1 on their list per Klatt.

“At some point, if he keeps winning, the NFL is going to come knocking,” Klatt said on his podcast. “There’s no doubt. And then the other thing that they’re going to have to pay attention to, and I don’t want to put this in anybody’s head, because Notre Dame fans are going to scream at me, but he did play at Ohio State. If and when Ryan Day decides that he wants to move on, that’s the first call that any athletic director (is going to make). Ross Bjork right now is the AD at Ohio State. But when there’s an opening, their first call is going to be to Marcus Freeman.”

Day spent some time in the NFL in 2015 and ‘16 as the QBs coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, both times under Chip Kelly. Kelly is currently Day’s OC at Ohio State.

Day is 70-10 in six-plus seasons at Ohio State, winning the national championship this season. Is he bound to be in college for the rest of his career? Maybe. But Day is only 45 years old and the transition to the NFL isn’t that far-fetched.

Freeman is just 39 but has only coached in college. He’s now 33-10 at Notre Dame since he took over as head coach. The NFL might be an attractive option for him as well in a few years.

Heck, the Chicago Bears already expressed interest earlier in their coaching search.

Notre Dame is near, or practically is, the peak of the profession in college football. Freeman won the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award for his efforts.

“We are honored to award Coach Freeman this year’s Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award, recognizing his exemplary efforts both on and off the field,” Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association, said.

“This signature award honors the legacy of Coach Bryant, by acknowledging his same high standard of excellence in today’s college football coaches. The collaboration between the Bryant family and the American Heart Association on both the annual awards and recruiting college football programs to join the Nation of Lifesavers™ advances our efforts for a world of longer, healthier lives. Congratulations to all of the finalists.”