The Cincinnati Bengals QB, Joe Burrow, doesn’t hand out praise loosely, especially when it comes to the coaches who shaped him.
So when the Bengals star publicly credited Ohio State head coach Ryan Day for laying the foundation of his NFL development, it carried real weight.
Burrow’s story is often framed around LSU, the Heisman season, the national title run, the miracle rise. But the groundwork was laid years earlier in Columbus, where Day indirectly transformed the young quarterback’s understanding of the position.
Speaking recently, Burrow didn’t hesitate to point to the moment things began to click for him. “When Ryan Day got to Ohio State, and he was my QB coach, we started to talk a lot about things from an NFL-type perspective,” Burrow said. “It just kind of made sense to me.”
Head Football Coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes watches a field goal attempt during the second half of a college football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium on November 29, 2025, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Ohio State Buckeyes won the game 27-9. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
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Even though Burrow eventually transferred to LSU in search of a starting job in 2017, and he did not start under Ryan Day, the bond with the Buckeyes head coach never frayed.
Ryan Day arrived at Ohio State in 2017 as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. And almost immediately, Day modernized the Buckeyes’ offense, installing NFL-style concepts and a different approach.
His influence reshaped Ohio State’s identity and elevated the standard for QB play in Columbus.
Day’s work with J.T. Barrett, Dwayne Haskins, and later Justin Fields helped transform the program into one of college football’s most prolific passing operations. Apart from this, Ryan Day has helped the Ohio State Buckeyes win their 9th national championship after 10 years. The last time they won was in 2014, three years back when Day joined.
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