For much of his tenure as Ohio State’s head coach, Ryan Day has been subjected to scrutiny. Analysts and fans alike closely monitored his record against Michigan, while his playoff flaws seemed endless. Now, Ryan Day is one of the best head coaches in college football, earning $12.5 million annually after his historic national title win. In reality, he could now walk away for greener pastures if he liked, but Day doesn’t work like that.

“I do think the people of Ohio, I do think Buckeye Nation knows now at least who I am,” Ryan Day said on July 24 on The Bill and Doug Show. “Not that I like to talk about myself. But the fact that, like, we get backed up against the corner, like I’m not going anywhere, man. I’m going to fight for you guys and everything I have in this program and this building.

“When things get hard, that’s when I’m going to dig in even more. And that I spend every day of my life trying to make sure I do what’s right for this program.”

Unlike Day’s predecessor, Urban Meyer, who had extensive head-coaching experience and success, Day had none. He was thrust into one of the most pressure-inducing jobs in the country after serving as an assistant at OSU for 2 years. On top of that, Meyer’s Michigan (7-0) record set the bar extremely high for him, and when those wins didn’t come, Day was deemed ‘incompetent’ for the job. 

When Michigan defeated OSU 30-24 in the 2023 season, criticism of Day’s coaching ability reached its peak. Former OSU running back Maurice Clarett and QB Terrelle Pryor publicly expressed displeasure with Day’s coaching. Former OSU DB Tyreke Johnson even suggested hiring former head coach Jim Tressel and showing Ryan Day the door. Despite that, Day kept his focus on the ultimate goal.

“When you’re not when you’re walking into a situation as I did, when you’ve never been a head coach before, you’ve got to prove yourself, you know?” Day said. “I mean, you don’t get the benefit of the doubt.”

To reach that national championship goal, Day gave up playcalling and managed early NFL departures. Not just that, last year, the OSU head coach finally broke his losing streak against Michigan, going out with a dominant 27-9 win. He also formulated an aggressive NIL strategy, used the portal to his advantage, and balanced high school recruiting. It all came after he changed his mentality, saying, “Life is hard, and the world doesn’t care.”

Ever since winning the 2024 national title and sending 4 players into the top 11 of the NFL draft, Day has become a hot commodity. During his OSU career, several franchises, including the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders, reportedly pursued him. However, the 47-year-old stayed true to his goal and his unwavering love for the Buckeye nation. For him, impacting younger athletes’ lives and his love for OSU will keep him in Columbus for the foreseeable future.