Coaching the Buckeyes

Welcome to the Shoe! Every fall it fills with fans. The band marches down the ramp, onto the field, and into the pregame show. Then the coach leads the team on the field too. Just in time for the National Anthem, the Coin Toss, and the Kickoff!

​But before that first game, the coach is busy; recruiting, practicing, and rebuilding the Buckeyes. Ryan Day has coached them since 2019. It’s a huge job that he’s grown into, and one that pays well. In college football, only Kirby Smart from Georgia is paid more.

My source for Coach Day’s salary: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/ohio-state-football-coach-ryan-day-earns-six-figure-bonus-for-team-gpa-in-2025-26/ar-AA246DVK?ocid=winp2fptaskbarhover&cvid=4501c8c59b0d492cb3c6f4b0ff62389f&ei=14


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​Part 1: How the Coach is Paid
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I’d never thought about Ryan Day’s salary, or any other coach until last May. I found an article online from The Columbus Dispatch. I tucked it away for the first game day, this Saturday, September 5.

I didn’t realize there are two parts to a coach’s salary; base and incentive pay. His base for the 2025 season, a cool $12.5 million. Coach Day is worth it—In 2024 his team won the National Championship, and in 2025 they beat Michigan!

His incentive pay for 2025, only $450,000 for winning the Big Ten championship and a spot in the College Football Playoffs. Unfortunately, the Buckeyes lost the first game. Season over, but winning the National Championship in 2024, that earned Coach Day $1 million. WOW! Winning IS everything!


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Part 2: A Surprising Bonus for Coach Day
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Did you know college coaches get paid for academics? I didn’t. They get bonuses when their teams get good grades.

Any year the OSU football team earns a 3.0, B average for the year, Coach Day earns a $50,000 bonus. In both 2023 and 2024 the team’s GPA was above 3.2. That’s $100,000 for the coach!
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Last year Coach Day got his highest academic bonus ever. The team’s GPA topped 3.3, so his bonus, $100,000! Good for the athletes, and good for Coach Day! If the team ever reaches a 3.5, A average, his bonus will rise to $150,000. That’s a great reward, but it’s also super hard to achieve.