Report: Ohio State Buckeyes Coach Ryan Day A Name To Monitor For Texas A&M Aggies Opening
Add Ohio State Buckeyes coach Ryan Day's name into the mix for the Texas A&M Aggies opening.
And yes, it's legitimate and not just some rumor found on a message board from a random user.
According to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, the Ohio State coach could be persuaded to leave Columbus and head to the SEC with another loss to No. 3 Michigan on Saturday. The No. 2 Buckeyes must win to clinch their spot in the Big Ten title game against Iowa.
“But don’t be surprised if the Aggies don’t pursue Ryan Day. Now, as you know, Day is 56-6 as a head coach, and he came within a field goal in the last seconds of knocking off Georgia in the CFP," Feldman said on Big Noon Kickoff. "But keep in mind, the specter of back-to-back losses to the hated archrival Michigan hangs heavy over Columbus. Now, if they win here today, and beat the Wolverines — I seriously doubt with them in the playoff mix, that he would be taking that call. The Aggies, I think, are optimistic that if they don’t win that game, that he might be open to their pitch.”
Ohio State Buckeyes coach Ryan Day
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK
The Aggies, who fired Jimbo Fisher earlier this month, are expected to finalize the hiring before the Dec. 4 transfer portal window opening. Countless names have been mentioned for the opening, including Duke's Mike Elko, UTSA's Jeff Traylor, Arizona's Jedd Fisch, Kansas State's Chris Kleiman, Kansas' Lance Leipold, and Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin.
Feldman also mentioned that Ketucky's Mark Stoops could be an option given his success in Lexington. The Wildcats are 6-5 this season, but they've posted two 10-win seasons with lesser talent.
Day, however, is the prized catch. Despite not winning the Big Ten since 2020, the 44-year-old has led the Buckeyes to four 11-win seasons. Ohio State also went 7-1 during the COVID-19 season and played against Alabama for the national championship.
A win for the Buckeyes likely ends the conversation of Day coming to College Station based on the Aggies' timeline. A loss in Ann Arbor, however, could end up being a win for A&M in the long run.
