Ryan Day wanted to make sure the narrative was correct.
Following Ohio State's first spring practice of 2026, the head coach was asked about having two former NFL coordinators on his coaching staff this season. He quickly pointed out that Arthur Smith and Matt Patricia weren't just coordinators at the next level.
"Not only that, but former head coaches in the NFL," Day said.
It's interesting that Day chose to point this out. The statement is, of course, true. Smith was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2021 to 2023. Patricia was the head coach of the Detroit Lions for most of three seasons, starting in 2018.
However, neither Smith nor Patricia is remembered well for their time as head coaches, with a combined record of 34-56. Both were fired during or after their third year as head coaches, then went back to coordinator roles in the NFL.
So, why is this relevant to their roles at Ohio State? Why did Day decide to focus on the lowest points of Smith's or Patricia's careers?
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The simple answer is that, no matter how it turned out, both men have the experience of serving as head coaches at the highest level of the sport. That doesn't happen just by chance.
"When you come with that perspective, we always say you learn so much when you take on a new role," Day explained.
This seems to be the first time in college football history that two former NFL head coaches have served as coordinators on the same staff, each on different sides of the ball. This is no coincidence.
Matt Patricia gave the Buckeyes exactly what they wanted as defensive coordinator in 2025. (Photo: Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch, USA TODAY Sports)
Heading into the 2024 season – which the Buckeyes would call "national championship or bust" — Day hired Bill O'Brien, who spent just over six seasons as the head coach of the Houston Texans, to be the Scarlet and Gray's offensive coordinator. When O'Brien quickly pivoted to be the head coach at Boston College to be closer to his family, Day turned to his mentor Chip Kelly, who split his four seasons as an NFL head coach between the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers.
Following Jim Knowles' departure for Penn State after the 2024 season, Day took his time before hiring Patricia. When Brian Hartline accepted the head coaching job at South Florida, Day wanted someone with that kind of experience and again turned to the NFL, hiring Smith as his offensive coordinator.
"Every year we try to do what we can to figure out what went on the year before or the year before that, and try to project what we need in that moment. And Arthur seemed like the right fit," Day said.
It's not just his coordinators. Day values NFL experience throughout his coaching staff.
Co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Tim Walton spent over a decade coaching in the NFL. Offensive line coach Tyler Bowen worked as a tight ends coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021. Linebackers coach James Laurinaitis played eight seasons in the NFL and is the St. Louis Rams' all-time leader in tackles. While a journeyman, wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton also played in the NFL for seven seasons.
Day, who spent two seasons working under Kelly in the NFL, has recognized the need to run Ohio State's program like a professional team, meaning he needs coaches who know how to do so. The shift in recent years to an extended postseason in college football, the addition of NIL and the transfer portal (essentially annual free agency), has only brought the Buckeyes closer to an NFL model.
"It's not the NFL, but it's pretty close," Day said, "The hash marks are different, the guys are a little bit different, but there's a lot of things to carry over here."
Day often says he prefers his coordinators to be the head coaches of the offense and defense, respectively. While he had that with Kelly and Jim Knowles in 2024 – when Ohio State won the national championship – and with Patricia last year, Day had to spend more time with the offense in 2025 because of a first-time play-caller in Hartline.
With Smith on board and Patricia coming back, he can act more like the Buckeyes' CEO for most of the year and rely on the coordinators to manage their sides of the ball.
"That's been good, and ultimately, we've talked about this many times, it allows me an opportunity to kind of step away and really dive into everything else and just be more present in the building with the players, with the staff," Day said. "Certainly, with the NIL stuff in terms of raising money, asking questions. It's a different mindset.
"I think the managing of their staff on their side of the ball is critically important. You've seen Matt do that now with some of the staff hires and changes that we're making on his side of the ball. And then, as Arthur's starting to install some of the things that he has done in the past, there's a system in place for it."
Arthur Smith will bring a level of NFL experience to the offensive side of the ball for Ohio State. (Photo: Garrick Hodge, 247Sports)
Having two former NFL head coaches on staff also benefits recruiting, since that's where prospects ultimately want to play.
"If I'm a recruit and I come in and I have Arthur on offense and Matt on defense, I know I'm gonna get coached like an NFL team, like an NFL organization," Day said. "And if you come and watch practice like a lot of recruits did today, or you guys got a chance to see some of that, it's an NFL practice right there. So, guys know that they're gonna have an opportunity to develop and be ready to step into these roles, and that's a big part of recruiting nowadays."
Despite a 12-0 regular season last year, the Buckeyes didn't win the Big Ten or any College Football Playoff games. Day knows that was below Ohio State's standards and aims to return to the top in 2026.
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It will not come easily, as the Scarlet and Gray face one of their toughest schedules in recent memory, welcoming Illinois, Oregon and Michigan to Ohio Stadium and traveling to Texas, Indiana and USC.
Having two coordinators who have coached at the highest level and understand what it takes to succeed throughout a season and into the postseason will only increase the chances that the Buckeyes reach their goals.
"I think it's an opportunity for us to continue to get stronger throughout the season, get challenged in certain areas, so that when it comes time to play in December and January, we're gonna be salty because we've been through the fire," Day said. "And so having some experienced guys like that running the offense and defense is gonna be something that we count on to pay dividends in the end."