Arthur Smith’s arrival in Columbus comes with a clear mandate from Ryan Day: fix an offense that lost its way. Now, Day is publicly outlining the high stakes for his new OC before he even calls his first play.

Speaking with 10TV’s Dom Tiberi, Ryan Day shared his excitement about the hiring, noting Smith’s extensive experience, making his thoughts clear in a strong message for the OSU faithful.

“He [Arthur Smith] is a great guy, a great experience,” Ryan Day said in a February 20th interview on the 2026 Buckeye Cruise for Cancer. “We hit it off right away. I just think he’s going to bring so much to the table for our team. I think Buckeye Nation’s really going to like what he brings to the table.”

Ryan Day then cited Smith’s experience around great players and teams and expected him to reflect the same for the 2026 season, as their 2026 spring ball practice starts in just under two weeks, on March 10th.

Smith brings a wealth of experience to Columbus, including a successful stint as the Titans’ offensive coordinator and head coaching experience with the Falcons. His recent work with the Steelers’ rushing attack is particularly relevant, which ranked 16th and 15th in points scored in the last two seasons. Throughout his NFL coaching career, Smith’s scheme heavily relied on a rushing offense, which the Buckeyes lacked in the postseason run.

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Last season, Arthur Smith helped the Steelers’ rushing offense rank 8th in the league in yards by creating paths for the two backs, Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell. With Ohio State returning dual-threat QB Julian Sayin and star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, the rushing offense of the Buckeyes is expected to be more aggressive, especially with Arthur Smith calling plays.

Ryan Day’s Ohio State has two NFL coaches for 2026

Arthur Smith won’t be the only NFL coach calling plays for the Buckeyes, as Matt Patricia is set to return for the 2026 season to call plays for the defense. He built the Buckeyes’ dominant defense, which led the nation in total defense this past season.

“I’m excited to get back there as fast as we can and get into the game environment,” Matt Patricia said in the February 10 interview with The Silver Bulletin. “Have that game day atmosphere, and get that home field advantage with our fans. And just do everything we can to try to build the defense again. I can’t wait to get them out on the field in front of our group and go have some success, hopefully.”

With two NFL coaches in the house, Day sets his expectations high on the system they bring to the table for the 2026 season.

“Now you have your two coordinators; you have two former head coaches in the NFL,” Day said. “So there’s a lot of experience there, and we know that’s something that these guys are going to bring different perspectives to the table. When you have credibility like that, it certainly makes a difference when these guys start with the first practice.”

With Smith’s run-game expertise and Patricia’s defensive prowess, Day has assembled an NFL-caliber staff. The question now is whether this wealth of experience can translate into the on-field discipline and execution Ohio State needs to reclaim a national title.