The Ohio State Board of Trustees on Friday afternoon approved Ohio State head coach Ryan Day’s contract.
Day’s five-year, $4.5 million deal — which officially began on Jan. 2 — will pay him a yearly base salary of $850,000; $2.39 million in media, promotions and public relation obligations; $1.25 million in apparel/shoe/equipment; and $10,000 in Coca-Cola appearance payments.
Day’s contract will run through the 2023 season and includes retention payments of $250,000 if he remains employed by the university on Jan. 31 of 2022 and 2024. He can also earn incentive-based bonuses for winning the Big Ten East ($50,000); winning the Big Ten Championship Game ($100,000); making the College Football Playoff ($200,000); winning a semifinal game ($250,000); and inning the national championship ($350,000).
Other incentives include $50,000 for being named the conference’s coach of the year and $75,000 for national coach of the year honors.
Day will also receive a $1,200 per month vehicle stipend; a golf membership to a mutually agreed-upon course; access to a private jet for recruiting purposes (50 hours) and personal use (50 hours); 12 football tickets, five press box credentials, two parking passes and a suite to each home football game; and two tickets to each home basketball game.
If the Buckeyes achieve a cumulative grade-point average above 3.0 for the fall and spring semesters, Day will receive a $50,000 bonus. He’ll earn a $100,000 bonus if the team GPA is above 3.3 and $150,000 if it’s better than 3.5.
Day — who replaces former head coach Urban Meyer — made $400,000 during his first season as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2017. He was given a $600,000 raise and made $1 million in 2018, but also received a $487,000 lump-sum payment for filling in as interim head coach during Meyer’s three-game suspension last season.
That’s a lot of change for a hand-picked, unproven, and untested coach. Why lock in a five-year contract when we might have buyer’s remorse?