Just two years into his tenure as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator, Ryan Day took over as the program’s head coach. Before getting the full-time opportunity, the current HC had a brief stint when Urban Meyer was suspended. However, even that didn’t help him fully grasp everything that comes with the job.

“I think it’s an interesting question when you say prepared,” Ryan Day said on The Bill and Doug Show on July 25, when asked how ‘prepared’ he was for the head coaching job. “I don’t know if you’re ever prepared for being a head coach for the first time. And I think when it’s Ohio State, that’s another part of it that makes it more difficult. And then on top of that, I came in ’17, you know, ’18 was what it was, and then I became the head coach in ’19. So, like, that happened overnight.”

Ryan Day initially took over as an interim head coach during Meyer’s three-game suspension from the team. That was his first major test to show that he’s ready for the job. Fortunately, Day won all three games, including a dominant 40-28 win over No. 15 TCU. Meyer returned after the three games, but due to health issues, he announced his retirement after the Rose Bowl in January 2019.

Ryan Day, having already proved his coaching acumen in 2018, was the obvious choice. AD Gene Smith chose not to conduct a national search for a new HC. Still, as it happens with all OSU coaches, the expectations were sky-high. Day had to correct the on-field dynamics, as OSU’s defense had been historically poor in 2018. Not many expected all of it would happen in less than a year.

“The challenge of following up a Hall of Fame legend in Coach Meyer. And so much of the success that he had. Making sure that we keep all the things that we believed in and making that a seamless transition. But also making sure you find your own voice,” Ryan Day said about initial expectations in 2019. “For me, in particular, as a head coach, so much of it has been the ability to hire the right people and recruit the right people. And then allow them to do their job.”

Immediately after being promoted, Day let go of four coaches and hired Jeff Hafley and Greg Mattison to lead a full defensive rebuild. Moreover, to build his roster, he went all in on the portal, signing Justin Fields, among others. That didn’t mean he didn’t retain Meyer’s roster and culture.

He kept things like the ‘Real Life Wednesday’ career development program and Mickey Marotti’s iconic strength program. Most importantly, he kept players like Garrett Wilson and Zach Harrison to do just that. The result? In just his first season, OSU cruised to a 13-1 season.