Ohio State eyes major offensive coordinator once linked to Penn State HC search

The Ohio State Buckeyes have another College Football Playoff in front of them but an offensive coordinator search to navigate during their run as well. A pair of local radio hosts and reporters, Austin Ward and Jeremy Birmingham of WBNS 10TV in Columbus, say that head coach Ryan Day could be tapping into the NFL roots for the team's next assistant.

Remembered by NFL fans as the rotund and bearded long-time New England Patriots defensive coordinator with a backwards hat, and also one of many failed Detroit Lions coaches, a slimmed-down Matt Patricia can now be seen roaming the sidelines and dialing up plays for a gnarly Buckeye defense whilst attired like Thomas Shelby. Ohio State looks the closest thing like an NFL unit on the college football gridiron and his schematics this season are a big reason why.

Could Ryan Day dip back into the NFL pool for another assistant now that offensive coordinator Brian Hartline has taken over the head coaching job at South Florida? After all, Day did have former Oregon and Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly on staff as co-offensive coordinator with Hartline a year ago. That's why Ward and Birmingham believe a call has already been made to one respected NFL play caller and recent head coach. According to The Beat with Austin & Birm:

"I would imagine that there’s been a phone call with Brian Daboll already," Birmingham said of a connection between the former New York Giants head coach and the Ohio State offensive coordinator position. "That would surprise me if there hasn’t been."

Former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Given Daboll's track record and Ohio State's willingness to blend NFL coaches into their program, the fit is just obvious, Birmingham adds.

"Like, the resume is too good, the experience is too good," Birm continued. "He’s been an NFL head coach and coordinator and assistant since 2000, minus the one year in Alabama. He’s also coached tight ends." That could be a real plus.

"If you look for a potential alignment fit, if you need that offensive coordinator to be in charge of another position, if Keenan Bailey were to move and take over the wide receivers, then you need a tight ends coach and Brian Daboll, who coached tight ends in New England for four years would be a really good choice in that role, too," Birm points out. "So it would be almost like this mindmeld of like what Kevin Wilson was for Ohio State and what Chip Kelly was for Ohio State."

There's that mention of Kelly. While that's an easy connection to make, Daboll brings fresher NFL head coaching experience and has more recent elite play calling success.

"So I think that’s certainly where my mind goes first," said Birm. "I mean, that is the one that makes the most sense, and if I was Ohio State, I would probably not waste a lot of time, knowing that there’s going to be opportunities for him elsewhere."

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