Ryan Day reacts to Chip Kelly leaving Ohio State for NFL, Raiders on Joel Klatt's podcast

Ryan Day reacts to Chip Kelly leaving Ohio State for NFL, Raiders on Joel Klatt’s podcast

Posted by author February 3, 2025 NFL

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Chip Kelly is back in the NFL.

News broke on Sunday that Kelly was leaving Ohio State to be the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Sunday’s news appeared to come while Ohio State coach Ryan Day was recording a podcast with Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt. But based on his initial response to Klatt, Day was not thrown off by Kelly’s decision to leave the Buckeyes after just one season as their offensive coordinator.

“It was great. We talked about it, that we had a really great group here and the dream would be to win a national championship and then he decides if he wants to stay or have an opportunity to go to the NFL,” Day said. “That’s exactly what happened.”

Kelly arrived in Columbus to fill the vacant spot of offensive coordinator on Day’s staff after Bill O’Brien left for Boston College, the former leaving his role as UCLA’s head coach.

Kelly’s decision to join the Buckeyes was also a reunion for him and Day, who Kelly coached with at the University of New Hampshire from 1998-2001. Day joined Kelly’s staff at New Hampshire in 2002 as a tight ends coach, and went on to serve as his quarterback coach in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.

Kelly and Day put together one of the top offenses in the country with quarterback Will Howard, running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson and star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. In Ohio State’s national championship run, the Buckeyes’ offense averaged 36.3 points per game against Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame.

“To be able to have a beer in a few years and talk about the year we had together is going to be special because I started with him and we went and did that (win a national championship),” Day continued. “What a great story.”

The 61-year-old coach is returning to the NFL for the first time since he was fired by the 49ers in 2016 after a 2-14 start. He went 28-35 overall as an NFL coach with the Eagles (2013-15) and 49ers.

Kelly, who has two years remaining on his contract with the Buckeyes, owes Ohio State $350,000 for leaving for an assistant coaching job in the NFL — though athletic director Ross Bjork has the right to waive or reduce the buyout.