Ryan Day says Ohio State taught him one hard lesson. For years, he tried to carry too much himself, but pressure and mistakes forced him to see coaching differently. That shift changed how he leads, and it may explain why the Buckeyes finally found their rhythm when it mattered most.

“I think so much of it has been the ability to hire the right people, recruit the right people, and then allow them to do their jobs. When you move up, you have to give things up and focus only on doing the job that the head coach can do,” Ryan Day said. “I’d love to get involved with the quarterbacks, the offense, and things like that, but I need to make sure I’m doing the things that only the head coach can do. I don’t think that was always the case early on, quite honestly.”

As Urban Meyer’s play-calling wizard, Day couldn’t relinquish the sheet when promoted to head coach, a habit that nearly cost him everything. Trying to call every single third-down play and managing a high-pressure program like OSU turned out to be more than he could chew early on in his tenure. That not only affected Day but also cost the Buckeyes some of the biggest games. It wasn’t easy for him to give up, since that’s been his biggest asset.

Three straight losses to Michigan forced Day’s hand. Before the 2024 season, he made the best decision he could ever make, which was hiring his old college coach and mentor, Chip Kelly, to run the offense.

The result was a national championship in Day’s first season as true CEO. And when asked how he grew between 2019 and 2026, Day didn’t mince words.

“I think it’s just overall experience. It’s just wisdom.”

The head honcho used a brilliant analogy from one of his favorite movies, Good Will Hunting.

He compared his younger self to Matt Damon’s character, a brilliant hothead who believed he had all the answers but hadn’t experienced enough of life yet. Day pointed to the famous scene where Robin Williams’ character explains that being smart isn’t the same as having real wisdom, because wisdom can only come from living through life’s ups and downs.

“That’s wisdom,” Day said. “The only way to get it is through experience.”

He added that it’s like raising a teenager. You can’t simply give someone all the answers. They have to make mistakes and learn from them on their own.

At the end of the day, Day’s storyline is all about the power of letting go. He went from a stressed-out coach trying to do everything himself to a championship-winning leader who knew how to delegate. By placing his trust in the right people, he not only saved his own sanity but also cemented his legacy as one of the best to ever coach at Ohio State.