Ryan Day could be set for a prestige rise now that Mike Vrabel has become the new Titans head coach. The Ohio State co-offensive coordinator looks to be the frontrunner for Tennessee’s OC job.
Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter) Day is considering taking the job. The 39-year-old Day has been in his position with the Buckeyes for one year, with quarterbacks-coaching stints with the Eagles (2015) and 49ers (’16) coming in the years prior. Day is the first candidate mentioned for this job.
Day’s two NFL coaching stints came under Chip Kelly, making the connection to the Titans notable because of former Kelly pupil Marcus Mariota. Although Day did not coach Mariota at Oregon, serving as OC at Temple and Boston College prior to joining Kelly’s final Eagles staff, he knows the system in which Mariota thrived en route to a Heisman Trophy.
Day coached Sam Bradford and Colin Kaepernick as starters the past two seasons, and the latter showed improvement compared to his 2015 work. Though the 2016 49ers went 2-14 to lead to Kelly’s ouster, Kaepernick threw 16 touchdown passes compared to four interceptions — this following a six-touchdown, five-interception year in an injury-abbreviated 2015.
However, Day has not been tasked with being the point man for an NFL offense yet. The co-pilot for the J.T. Barrett-fronted attack in 2017, alongside Kevin Wilson and under offensive-minded Urban Meyer, Day served under Kelly and his respective OCs while in the NFL. In Tennessee, he’d be the main offensive mind for a team that made Mariota’s development a central theme in its hiring process.
Jon Robinson made this a point of emphasis at his press conference announcing the franchise was parting ways with Mike Mularkey, and with Vrabel’s background obviously being on defense, Day would make a notable jump in responsibility should the Titans go ahead with this hire.