Ryan Day vs. Marcus Freeman: Comparing the two coaches' records ahead of the national championship matchup

When Notre Dame and Ohio State battle for the national championship next week, Marcus Freeman and Ryan Day are backed by plenty of history. While both programs have plenty of legendary players, teams and moments, the coaches are pretty much new to these types of historic moments.

Here's a quick study on the sideline battle of Ryan Day of Ohio State vs. Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame.

Ryan Day vs. Marcus Freeman: Comparing their records

Lou Holtz was the last Notre Dame coach to win a national title. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

Ryan Day coaching record

Day grew up in New Hampshire and played college football at the state school, UNH, an FCS school. After coaching there as a tight ends coach for a year, he began a meteoric rise through the coaching profession. He spent two years at Boston College as a graduate assistant and a year at Florida in the same position.

A season at Temple as wide receivers coach followed, and then five years in that position back at Boston College, which is the longest Day had spent in any job before his current one. A year as offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Temple was followed by two years as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Boston College.

Day then spent two years in the NFL as quarterbacks coach, following Chip Kelly to the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers. Day then was hired to replace co-offensive coordinator Tim Beck at Ohio State in 2017. After a season as co-coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Day was promoted in 2018 to the sole offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

When then-Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer was placed on administrative leave for three games in 2018, it was Day who served as acting head coach for a trio of wins. When Meyer left the program after the season, Day then got the full-time Ohio State job.

Day is now 69-10 as Ohio State's football coach. The only season he failed to reach 11 or more wins was 2020 when COVID-19 shortened the Buckeyes' season, but they still reached the national championship game. Day is infamously 1-4 against Michigan and was 1-3 in CFP games heading into this season. But he's one game from Ohio State immortality.

Marcus Freeman coaching record

Freeman was born in Ohio, played at Ohio State and held his first coaching job at Ohio State, where he was a graduate assistant in 2010. In 2009, a heart condition ended Freeman's NFL career after a single season of bouncing around on the fringes of the league.

In 2011, he became the linebackers coach at Kent State, where he remained for two seasons. Freeman was then the linebackers coach at Purdue for three seasons. His fourth Boilermakers season saw a promotion to co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

Freeman then joined Luke Fickell's staff at Cincinnati, where he served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for four seasons. Brian Kelly then hired Freeman for the 2021 season as Notre Dame's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. When Kelly left for LSU after the season, Freeman became the Irish head coach.

Freeman's first game was the Fiesta Bowl after Kelly left the team. The Irish lost, but they are now 33-9 under Freeman, with an improved record in each season. If Freeman can upset Ohio State, it'll be Notre Dame's first national title since 1988. Freeman is just 39 years old.

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