Raise makes Ohio State’s Day one of highest-paid coaches

(AP) — Ohio State is hiking Ryan Day’s annual salary to $9.5 million as part of a two-year contract extension that will put him among the nation’s highest-paid college football coaches.

Day’s raise makes him the latest coach to crack $9 million per year, making him one of the highest-paid coaches along with Alabama’s Nick Saban and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and putting his contract in line with recent deals given to Michigan State’s Mel Tucker and LSU’s Brian Kelly.

The extension, which was to get formal approval by university trustees on Wednesday, bumps up the 43-year-old Day’s total salary package about $2 million annually and would keep him in Columbus at least through the 2028 season.

Day was appointed as the successor to Urban Meyer when Meyer retired after the 2018 season. In three seasons, Day has led the Buckeyes to a 34-4 record, including 23-1 in the Big Ten. His teams have won two Big Ten championships and made two appearances in the College Football Playoff.