Just like Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day, his wife Nina, and their three kids hate to lose and are extremely passionate about the game.
It was quite frustrating for the Buckeyes’ faithful after the team lost to the Michigan Wolverines last season — the team’s fourth straight loss to the “Team Up North” — but it stung just as bad in the Day household.
Ryan Day Explains His Family’s Love for the Sport
On Jan. 24’s episode of the Dan Patrick Show, the Ohio State coach reflected on his journey — from his tumultuous start in 2019 to building a championship team — and the bitter losses along the way. Expectations for the Buckeyes are always sky-high from Day, and when he fails to deliver, fans can get aggressive.
Day reportedly dealt with death threats and had to surround his house continuously with guards. While the situation might have changed with Ohio State’s recent championship glory, the veteran coach mentioned how his family supported him and how passionate they are about the game.
“[When] our family first was named, you know, the head coach, in 2019, my wife — the kids were smaller — and we were all sitting on the bed together,” Day said. “And I’ve told the story before — she started crying. She said, ‘Our family’s never going to be the same again.’
“She was right, but they didn’t make it easy. You know you are expected to win them all, and when you don’t, it’s tough, but that’s because of the passion. And nobody puts more pressure on themselves than myself and my family.
“Nobody wants to win more than my kids and my wife, so it isn’t so much that because they’re more disappointed than anybody could possibly be in Buckeye Nation. And so we share the same frustration because, you know, my family and my kids want to win.”
FOR MORE: CFB Insider Reveals Ryan Day’s Wife Nina Had a Distinct Advantage in Dealing With Coaching Life
Day continued, “I mean — they just — that’s the way they’re wired, and they love the fans. And so you know, when you do lose, you know, there is a feeling of disappointment and sharing frustration with people because they love it so much that that’s also leaving you knowing you are relevant.
“I mean — that’s what makes Ohio State so special because people care so much. Now, with that comes some craziness, but that’s okay. It also makes when you win that much more special.”
After the contract extension he signed in February 2020, Day is bound to the program through the 2026 season. After the championship win, though, he finds himself as one of the few coaches in Ohio State’s history to ever win the title.
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