Ryan Day contract buyout: How much does Ohio State owe their head coach if he gets fired?
Ryan Day has seen considerable success in his five years as head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes after taking over the position in 2019. In 2020, he guided the team to a national game against Alabama, which they ultimately lost, and two Big Ten titles. Day has an outstanding 56-7 record with the Buckeyes thus far.
But following the team’s third consecutive season of defeat to the Michigan Wolverines, supporters and former Ohio State players are furious with Day and want the program to dismiss him.
Ryan Day signed a two-year contract extension with the Buckeyes in May of last year, extending his stay until 2028 and raising his average yearly compensation from $7.5 million to $9.5 million. In accordance with his buyout provision, Ohio State would have to pay Ryan Day the whole balance of his contract—currently $46.22 million—should they decide to terminate him before he finishes his career.
In the event that Ryan Day grants permission to be hired by another club, that team will be required to pay a buyout of $4.5 million, which will drop by $500,000 year until 2025. After that, the buyout is reduced by $1 million year until his buyout clause in the last year is reduced to $750,000.
Following the Michigan defeat, Ryan Day should be fired by OSU icon Maurice Clarett.
The Buckeyes haven’t lost three straight games against Michigan since the John Cooper era of 1995–1997. Day now becomes a member of that group with Ohio State’s failure to go to the Big Ten title game and the postseason.
The Wolverines were missing Jim Harbaugh, who has been banned for three games due to accusations of sign-stealing, adding salt to those wounds.
Maurice Clarett, a former Ohio State great, expressed his thoughts on social media following this devastating defeat.
In a tweet, he expressed his desire for Day to be fired on X and discussed how it does not sit well or create a good impression to earn $9 million a year and lose to your largest competitors.