Uncovering the Hidden Drive Behind Ryan Day’s Ohio State Coaching Journey

Coaching at the collegiate gridiron level? Oh, it’s a wild beast that’s about way more than just schematics and play-calling. Take Ryan Day over at Ohio State—this isn’t new terrain for him. Seven years deep into the program, he’s navigated stormy criticism, reinvented himself, and dangled that elusive College Football Playoff title right within reach. But here’s the kicker: Day’s work transcends the chalkboard. He’s built something profound beyond the X’s and O’s—a sanctuary where young athletes not only chase touchdowns, but also wrestle with mental health and fight for social justice. No joke, the man shoulders a slew of challenges that’d wear down most, yet he presses on, driven by a focus that isn’t about personal gain but about lifting these young minds. Hear him speak on the Bobby Carpenter show, and you’ll catch the essence—it’s about molding futures, not the payday. It’s a collective triumph, involving players, recruits, and the entire Army of Buckeye supporters. Now that Day’s hauled in the championship for all to see, maybe the off-field efforts will finally bask in the spotlight they deserve. Buckeye Nation, if you ask me, you’ve got a treasure steering your ship right now. LEARN MORE

Coaching is more than X’s and O’s, especially in big-time college football. You don’t have to tell Ohio State football head coach Ryan Day that, he’s been in the job now entering his seventh year, and has seen a lot of changes, been criticized mightily, and come out the other side as a College Football Playoff national champion.”Where do you find your purpose? And to me, and our staff, it has to be pouring into young people,” Day said … “We’re helping young people reach their dreams and goals. We’re standing on the stage (after winning the national championship), it had nothing to do with me, it had to do with everybody else, because it took everybody … it took former players, it took everybody that was flying across the country. It took everybody at home that were sending good vibes through the TV — it was everybody that helped in recruiting — everybody involved because it comes down to helping these young people reach their dreams and goals, and that’s why you get into coaching.”It’s hard to argue with that, and one of the things I respect the most about Day is how he took the high road on all the criticism and vitriol he received from fans and the media over the last few years. Now that he’s brought home the ultimate prize — something many said he’d never do — maybe those things he does off the field will get even more attention.

So, with all of that in mind, why would anyone get into coaching, aside from the multi-million dollar paycheck that can happen to the elite? According to Day, while appearing on the Bobby Carpenter show, it’s not about him, but the kids in the program.

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It’s instances like these where Buckeye Nation should be thankful for who it has running the program right now.Along the way, he’s put in place programs on and off the field to help his players, especially as an advocate for mental illness and embracing social justice causes. It’s a lot, and there are a lot of sacrifices that come along with the job that can grind on anyone.