Ohio State head coach Ryan Day had his contract extended through the 2031 season with a salary increase that averages $12.5 million in annual compensation, the school announced on Thursday. The move comes just over two weeks after Day’s Buckeyes won the College Football Playoff national title.
The new deal slots Day behind only Georgia’s Kirby Smart ($13 million) among college football head coaches as measured by average annual value (AAV). Other top college coaches by AAV include Clemson’s Dabo Swinney ($11.5 million), USC’s Lincoln Riley ($11 million) and Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer ($10.9 million).
Last year, Steve Sarkisian got a raise at Texas to an AAV of $10.6 million after he was considered to replace the retiring Nick Saban at Alabama. Sark got another bump this month after leading the Longhorns to the playoff semifinals. Details on his new deal have not emerged.
Day’s previous AAV was $10 million and tied for seventh in college football.
The new contract calls for annual payments of a $2 million base salary, $7.25 million for media services, $1 million for sponsorship services, $1 million retention bonus and $1.25 million for “apparel, shoe and equipment” services, according to the term sheet obtained by Sportico.
If Ohio State fires Day without cause, they are on the hook for $11.5 million for each year left on the contract, or $80.5 million if Day was terminated ahead of the 2025 season. The largest exercised buyout in the history of college football was $77.5 million when Texas A&M fired Jimbo Fisher in 2023. OSU will not owe Day anything if he is fired “for cause.” If Day left Ohio State before Jan. 31 next year, he would owe $6 million before it dips to $4 million and eventually $2 million.
The deal includes a multitude of bonuses, ranging from $50,000 if his team can maintain a 3.0 GPA to $1 million for another national championship. The agreement also calls for Day to receive 75 hours of private jet time for recruiting and other school-related purposes, as well as 50 hours for personal use.
Among the 50 highest-paid coaches in North American sports last year, 21 were from college football, followed by 13 each from the NFL and NBA. Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid is tops overall at $20 million per year.
In November, Day found himself on the hot seat after a fourth straight loss to rival Michigan, which was unranked going into the game while Ohio State was second in the nation and a nearly three-touchdown favorite. Chants of “F— Ryan Day” rained down from the home fans after the game.
But the expanded 12-team playoff gave Day a chance to permanently alter the narrative of his coaching legacy. The Buckeyes won four straight games in the playoff, all by double digits, over Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame. Day joined Smart and Swinney as the only three current FBS head coaches with a national championship on their resume.
Day’s coaching record through his six seasons at Ohio State is 70-10. The .875 winning percentage ranks first among all current head coaches and third all-time.
Ohio State has led the nation in athletic department spending for the past six years. Expenditures were $293 million for the 2023-24 season, according to its latest NCAA financial disclosures. Football coaching compensation was $28.5 million, up $6.7 million year-over-year.
