It’s never ideal to be thrust into a coaching search more than a month after the end of the season, but there are still plenty of coaches Ohio State could pursue that could fit what Day is looking for.

The following 10 coaches would each be logical candidates for the job based both on what they would bring to the Buckeyes and their potential availability for the right price.

CHIP KELLY, UCLA HEAD COACH

The initial decision to hire O’Brien indicates that Day is searching for someone with extensive experience as an offensive play caller and/or head coach at the collegiate and/or NFL levels. Kelly would check all four of those boxes, just like O’Brien, and he would seriously consider taking the job.

Leaving a Big Ten head coaching position to become a Big Ten offensive coordinator is an unusual decision, but Kelly looks to be looking for a way out of Westwood. Kelly has stated interest in NFL offensive coordinator roles and allegedly interviewed with the Seattle Seahawks on Tuesday. However, he has already missed out on many NFL positions as the Washington Commanders signed Kliff Kingsbury and the Las VegasRaiders hired Luke Getsy.

Kelly has a close relationship with Day dating back to when Kelly was one of Day’s coaches at New Hampshire, and they previously worked together when Day was Kelly’s quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers. Day’s offensive scheme at Ohio State is similar to the schemes Kelly has used both in college and the NFL, so this pairing wouldn’t require a philosophical change from either coach.

If Kelly is actually interested in the job, his familiarity with Day and his résumé could put him at the top of Day’s list. Hiring him could come with an additional expense to Ohio State, though, as he’d owe a $1.5 million buyout to UCLA for leaving early while still under contract.

JASON CANDLE, TOLEDO HEAD COACH

Candle was reportedly a candidate to get the job the first time around before O’Brien was hired, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he emerges as a candidate to replace O’Brien. While Candle was linked to several Power 4 head coaching jobs (including the Boston College job) over the past two months, Candle was not chosen for any of those jobs, which could make him consider taking a coordinator position.

Ohio State might give Candle a raise, as he earned only $1.125 million at Toledo last season, and a good run as OSU’s offensive coordinator could increase Candle’s chances of getting a future head coaching job at a larger university.

Candle, a Salem, Ohio native, has spent his whole coaching career in the Buckeye State. He was Toledo’s offensive coordinator from 2012 to 2015 before becoming the Rockets’ head coach in 2016. His offenses at Toledo have routinely been among the top in the MAC; in 2023, the Rockets led the MAC in both points and yards per game, with an offensive that ranked 19th in the country at 6.51 yards per play.

Candle has never coached in a major conference and has only two years of experience as a quarterbacks coach. But Candle’s head coaching experience, track record of successful offenses and Ohio roots all make him an appealing candidate for the job nonetheless.

DAN MULLEN, FORMER FLORIDA HEAD COACH

Mullen, like Kelly, grew up in Day’s birthplace of Manchester, New Hampshire, and has previously worked with Day. Day was a graduate assistant at Florida in 2005, Mullen’s first year as offensive coordinator.

Mullen helped Florida win two national titles and Tim Tebow earn the Heisman Trophy during his four years as the Gators’ offensive coordinator under Urban Meyer. Mullen previously served as Meyer’s quarterbacks coach at Utah, where he assisted Alex Smith in becoming the first overall draft pick.

Mullen also has the head coaching experience that Day seemingly wants in his new offensive coordinator as he was the head man at Mississippi State from 2009-17 and at Florida from 2018-21.

Mullen would have to decide whether he actually wants to return to coaching – he was linked to Syracuse’s vacancy before the Orange hired Fran Brown, but denied being an actual candidate for the job – but the current ESPN analyst has the right qualifications for the job.

PRESS TAYLOR, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Taylor’s name was one from the NFL ranks that came up in connection with Ohio State’s offensive coordinator search before O’Brien’s hiring.

The Jaguars struggled down the stretch last season, and Taylor drew his share of criticism as a result. But the Jaguars have finished in the top 13 of the NFL in both points and yards per game in both of Taylor’s seasons as their offensive coordinator, and he worked alongside Day in 2015 as part of an eight-year run as an offensive assistant with the Eagles.

The younger brother of Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, Press Taylor remains with the Jaguars and has never been a full-time coach at the collegiate level. Day would likely prefer to hire someone with more college experience, but Taylor’s experience coordinating an NFL offense is why he’s been linked to this job, at least loosely.

TOMMY REES, CLEVELAND BROWNS PASSING GAME SPECIALIST

Ohio State could theoretically replace O’Brien with the offensive coordinator who replaced him at Alabama last season.

While Rees was recently hired by the Cleveland Browns as a pass game specialist and tight ends coach, he was Alabama’s offensive coordinator last year and Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator for two seasons before that. Football Scoop’s John Brice named Rees earlier this week as a potential candidate to replace O’Brien if O’Brien left for Boston College.

Rees’ offenses at Notre Dame and Alabama didn’t light the world on fire – none of them ranked higher than 45th nationally in total yards per game – so this wouldn’t be a particularly sexy hire for the Buckeyes. But his quick rise to becoming an offensive coordinator at two of college football’s premier programs shows that the 31-year-old former Notre Dame quarterback is highly regarded in coaching circles.

JOSH MCDANIELS, FORMER LAS VEGAS RAIDERS HEAD COACH

Ohio State could also theoretically replace O’Brien with another former New England Patriots offensive coordinator and NFL head coach in McDaniels, who has yet to land in a new job since being fired by the Raiders in November.

McDaniels is from Canton, Ohio, so returning to his hometown to coach at the state’s flagship institution would likely be more tempting to him than other college opportunities. He, like O’Brien, has a proven track record of assisting Tom Brady in becoming one of the NFL’s all-time great quarterbacks. McDaniels’ Patriots offenses were regularly among the best in the league, and he was on staff for all six Super Bowl victories, including three as offensive coordinator.

That said, it’s unknown whether McDaniels has any interest in coaching at the collegiate level and whether Ohio State has any interest in him. His only previous experience as a college coach came as a Michigan State graduate assistant in 1999.

FRANK REICH, FORMER CAROLINA PANTHERS HEAD COACH

Reich is on this list for the same reasons as McDaniels: He’s a former NFL head coach and offensive coordinator who’s still looking for work after he was fired during the 2023 season.

Reich lasted less than one year as the Panthers’ head coach, but he has a great track record as an NFL offensive coordinator, helping the Eagles win Super Bowl LII, in which they beat McDaniels and the Patriots.

As with McDaniels, it’s unknown whether there’s any mutual interest between Reich and Ohio State. Reich has never coached at the collegiate level. But he’d bring the expertise as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach that Day is looking for.

JERROD JOHNSON, HOUSTON TEXANS QUARTERBACKS COACH

Unlike the rest of the coaches on this list, Johnson has never been an offensive coordinator. He drew interest from several NFL teams looking for offensive coordinators this offseason, though, after helping lead C.J. Stroud to one of the best seasons ever for an NFL rookie quarterback.

Stroud has praised Johnson for instilling both knowledge and confidence in him, and Day would surely listen to a recommendation from his former star passer. And while Day would likely prefer a more experienced coordinator, Johnson is a rising star whose upside might be worth betting on.

That said, Johnson already pulled himself out of the running for NFL offensive coordinator jobs this offseason to remain with the Texans, so it would take a change of heart for him to leave Houston. He’s also never coached at the collegiate level, and he’ll have plenty of opportunities to move up the coaching ladder within the NFL if he coaches Stroud to more success in 2024.

JOE MOORHEAD, AKRON HEAD COACH

While Candle has been connected to Ohio State as a potential candidate, one could argue that Moorhead is the MAC head coach who makes the most sense for this job. Unlike Candle, Moorhead has experience coordinating Power 4 offenses, and he excelled in that role at both Penn State and Oregon.

He’s also been a head coach at a major program, leading Mississippi State for two years in 2018 and 2019, while he has more than a decade of experience directly coaching quarterbacks. His contract at Akron wouldn’t be prohibitive, considering his salary last season was only $620,000.

Unlike Candle, however, there’s been no clear indication that Ohio State is interested in Moorhead or that Moorhead would leave Akron for a coordinator job.

WILL STEIN, OREGON OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

If Ohio State were to hire a current offensive coordinator from another collegiate program, Stein would be an excellent candidate. He was a nominee for the Broyles Award last year as one of college football’s greatest assistant coaches, managing an Oregon offensive that ranked second nationally in both total and scoring output.

There has been no sign that Stein intends to leave Oregon, yet he did earn only $800,000 in 2023. He’ll most likely be rewarded for his brilliance last season even if he stays in Eugene, but Ohio State might make a huge offer to the former Louisville quarterback.

Given that Stein has only been a full-time collegiate coach for four years, the first three of which were at UTSA, Day may seek to employ someone with greater experience after first appointing O’Brien.

Read mores news on https://sportupdates.co.uk/