Turning Father’s Tragedy Into Purpose, Ryan Day Commits 7-Figure to Initiative Upon $87.5M Contract Announcement

All that shines is not gold. College football fans need to know this. More than others, the Ohio State Buckeyes HC Ryan Day stands as the biggest example. After all, that man has seen it all. There was a time when the Ohio State HC was walking on thin ice when it came to his role as the HC. From being on the edge of losing his job to bringing home the National Championship title, Day has been part of a new rags-to-riches story. 

His journey got 100x tougher, thanks to the trolls and haters that drained him mentally. But the fans could only see his struggles in professional life. However, the Ohio State HC has found a purpose to embrace his personal struggles after losing his father.

Ryan Day turned tragedy into purpose

It’s time we realized being a head coach isn’t all glitz and glamour—it’s not just luxury cars and vacations; it’s also facing constant hate and online attacks about their team’s performance. The “Day dilemma” got tricky as fans got really upset when the Buckeyes lost to their archrivals Michigan Wolverines. That too in a 13-10 disastrous feat. Day’s seat got so hot that his buyout numbers worth $37 million started to do rounds. So, the Buckeyes HC found himself in the ‘Fire Ryan Day’ heat. But looks like Day has found the light at the end of the tunnel and wants to guide others to come out of the dark path.

The Buckeyes HC has agreed in principle on a new seven-year contract. This will keep him as coach of the Buckeyes through the 2031 football season. With this, the HC will receive a total annual compensation of $12.5 million with a base salary of $2 million per year. Calculations say it makes up to $87.5 million. While the college football fans might be celebrating Day’s new milestone, the HC is busy with something else.

A Reddit user shared The Silver Bulletin’s news. The caption read, “After signing his contract, Ryan Day made a $1M donation to mental health programs at The Ohio State University Medical Center.” It further read, “Day has been a champion for mental health awareness after losing his father many years ago.”  

Yes, that’s true. Things had already been tough for the Buckeyes HC since childhood. He was only 8 years old when his father, Raymond, committed sui–de. The Reddit user wrote, “Day’s advocacy for mental health issues is great to see. After what he did for Harry Miller, I’ll always respect him.”

Back in 2022, Ohio State OL Harry Miller revealed, “Prior to the season last year, I told Coach Day of my intention to ki-l myself.” The HC later praised Miller for his willingness to share his ordeal. “It’s about Harry, and this is about his journey. I just see the courage to go step out and do that because you’re very vulnerable when you do something like this,” stated Day. Luckily, the HC has found his life partner by his side on this journey beyond the gridiron. 

How Ryan Day and his wife are making a difference amidst all odds 

It’s not just Day who had to bear the blows of the online trolls; his family was not spared either. They had to see how the haters wished Day to undergo the same outcomes as his father, urging him to “follow in his father’s footsteps” and end his life. Things turned ugly when Day’s son, R.J.’s life, was under threat. As the FOX Sports writer Bruce Feldman noted, “R.J., his son, told me school was really rough. He had grown men coming after him. They hired their own, you know, security firm.”

That’s when Day’s wife, Nina, broke her silence. “It was very difficult…There were a lot of tears. We shielded [our kids] from a lot of it because I didn’t want to scare them. I didn’t want them to stay up at night thinking anything bad was going to happen…My kids need to hear positivity around their father, around the program…I want my kids to enjoy this moment because they deserve it,” pleaded the concerned wife and the mother. Maybe having first-hand experiences led the couple to contribute to society.

Back in 2022, Ryan Day and his wife Nina donated $1 million to the university to fund research and services that promote mental health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine. The Buckeyes HC then stated, “Our hope is that this fund will allow more Buckeyes to find the support they need to become more resilient.” So in a way, losing his father shaped Ryan Day’s perspective, ensuring that no one fights their battles alone.