There are parallels between the hiring of Jake Diebler and the hiring of Ryan Day, though they didn’t follow the same line.
Neither entered the job with previous head coaching experience. Both were internal promotions.
While Day was earmarked as the heir apparent to Urban Meyer, one of the most successful coaches in Ohio State history entering his second round of retirement from the profession, Diebler went from interim to full-time coach following the firing of a maligned Chris Holtmann.
From an athletic department perspective, however, Gene Smith believes the approach should be the same with Diebler as it was with Day during his first few seasons – support and cultivate the coach as a leader.