COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The first spring football practice is in the books for Ohio State, but Tuesday was more than just practice No. 1. It was the beginning of an era.

Tuesday at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center marked the first chance to see new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly in action as part of the coaching staff. And as it turns out, Kelly brought the smiles and the personality on to the field.

That energy went right into the news conference room. When asked what it’s like working under his former player and assistant, Ryan Day, Kelly responded with a tongue-in-cheek remark.

“He makes me call him ‘Sir,'” Kelly said.

But in all seriousness, it seems like Kelly, the former head coach at UCLA, Oregon and two NFL teams, is loving his job as a Buckeye.

As far as roles and expectations are concerned, Kelly will likely take over play-calling duties, though he added it’s still going to be very collaborative.

“By that I mean if it’s a good play, I called it, and if it’s a bad play, [Day] called it,” Kelly said to a round of laughter from reporters.

Kelly will also be taking over as the quarterbacks coach, a task he got the itch to do again during bowl preparations at UCLA last year after his quarterbacks coach left for Oregon State.

“I just started to think, I hadn’t actually coached a position since 2008. And I think my wife remarked, ‘I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time.’ To me, the best part of football is football,” Kelly said.

“I can’t tell you how many coaches that have called me since I made this decision that said, ‘I’m two years behind your brother.’ I’m not in charge here. I certainly understand that. And I actually relish it, because I really love the scheming part. I love the individual part. I love being in the meeting room with the quarterbacks and trying to gameplan.”

Day and Kelly’s relationship goes back decades to their time at New Hampshire. And the Ohio State head coach has no problem trusting his mentor with responsibilities like play calling and quarterback coaching.

“So much of what I learned was from him. We work together in so many different areas, and I think he’s always been innovative on how he’s done things and put his players in the best situation to be successful,” Day said. “And so what does that look like right now in college football in 2024? That’s the journey that we’re on right now. It just allows me to be more present with the whole operation, which is something I recognize that I need to do.”