Former Ohio State linebacker Mike Vrabel is now the head coach of the Tennessee Titans, and one of his first moves as head coach will be to weaken his alma mater.
According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Vrabel wants to hire Ohio State quarterbacks coach Ryan Day as his offensive coordinator.
New Titans’ HC Mike Vrabel’s offensive coordinator hire is significant, and....Ohio St. co-offensive coordinator Ryan Day is considering becoming the Titans’ OC, according to league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 21, 2018
Day spent just a year at Ohio State and has never worked with Vrabel, but it’s his connection to another pair of major college football figures that has pointed the new Titans head coach in Day’s direction. Day spent his formative college years playing and working for Chip Kelly at New Hampshire, then re-joined him in the NFL as the quarterbacks coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers.
The Titans, of course, are quarterbacked by former Kelly protege and Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota.
Ryan Day played under Chip Kelly at New Hampshire, then began his coaching career under him at UNH. Kelly hired Day to be his QB coach in PHI, SF. Seems likely to bring back a lot more Oregon college scheme for Marcus Mariota, if hired.
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) January 21, 2018
Mariota’s lack of progress is the reason Mike Mularkey was not retained in the first place, so Vrabel’s choice here is a significant one.
In his first season on staff, Day helped J.T. Barrett show significant improvement from his junior to senior seasons. After ranking 55th nationally in passing efficiency in 2016, Barrett leaped up to eighth this fall, connecting on 64.7 percent of his passes for 3,053 yards (8.2 per attempt) with 35 touchdowns against nine interceptions en route to winning the Big Ten and the Cotton Bowl.
Ohio State will have to replace Barrett heading into 2018, and now it seems like Urban Meyer may have to replace his quarterbacks coach on top of his quarterback.