NFL’s Black Monday could impact Jim Harbaugh, Michigan Football

Ryan Day or Mel Tucker to the NFL?

A more positive way this could impact the Wolverines is by the ties that Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has to the NFL as well, making him a highly speculated candidate already. Not only was Day a former assistant coach under Chip Kelly at San Francisco, he also has ties to Bears quarterback Justin Fields, whom he mentored at Ohio State. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora already connected the Bears and Ryan Day, suggesting he could be a “package deal” with agent Trace Armstrong, who has gotten consideration for a front-office role.

While Harbaugh finally triumphed over Day and the Buckeyes, seeing him and his 33-4 record depart from Columbus would certainly be a welcome development. Day leaving to the NFL would make it significantly easier to see Michigan asserting itself as the top program in the Big Ten as the Buckeyes seek to replace him and install a new staff.

Less likely than Ryan Day, Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker spent a decade in the NFL, working as a secondary assistant and defensive coordinator for the Browns, Jaguars, and Bears at various points. And as mentioned earlier, Tucker did just sign a sizable extension with the Spartans, though it did not drastically alter his buyout enough to stop an interested NFL team.