In the days after Ryan Day walked off the field in Columbus following Ohio State's loss to Michigan to end the regular season, his family's safety was the main priority after they received death threats from a crazed group of Buckeye fans.
There was clearly brutal fallout in Columbus after the loss, with fans calling for Ryan Day to be fired after the loss Ohio State He lost his fourth straight game to the Wolverines. But what some people didn't hear was how out of control everything got from a safety standpoint for Ryan Day and his family.
Talk to Columbus DispatchNina Day, Ryan Day's wife, spoke about the terrible events that came in the wake of Michigan's loss. The situation behind the scenes for the family has turned dangerous.
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Head coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates with his wife Christina and daughter after defeating the Oregon Ducks 41-21 in the Rose Bowl presented by Prudential at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 01, 2025 in Pasadena, California.
“The time between the Michigan game and the Tennessee game was as low and dark as you can imagine. It was very negative. Unprecedented hatred.” Nina Day explained.
When Ryan Day was eight years old, his father died by suicide. So, when fans somehow obtained Nina Day's cell phone number in the days following Michigan's loss, indecipherable messages began pouring in at a steady rate, before Nina decided it was best to disconnect her phone.
“They asked me several times to make Ryan follow in his father's footsteps and kill himself,” Nina told the Dispatch.
Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day walks off the field after the game against the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes on November 30, 2024, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. (Ian Johnson/Sportswire Icon via Getty Images)
Outside, Ryan Day continued to move forward, holding his weekly press conference, while waiting to find out who his team would play in the first round of the College Football Playoffs. But within the family, things are starting to spiral out of control when it comes to their safety.
According to Nina Day, their 16-year-old son RJ began receiving death threats on social media, while the family's address was also made public, leading to Ryan Day hiring armed security guards to protect his family at their home. There was also the idea from Nina that she should take her children and leave Columbus during this time, not knowing what the next month might bring.
“I think that, at times, he thought about his decision to go into this and be in the spotlight that we're in. He felt responsible and he felt bad for putting us in this position. He promised us he would do it.” Get us out of it.” Nina Day reported About conversations with her husband.
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There are fans in all sports who take things too seriously, and this is another example of something that cannot be controlled. There was no reason for the Dai family to fear for their lives over a football match, I don't care how much your salary is, or what your job title is.
This is obviously the ugly part of the sport, and it's not like this is the first time we've heard of coaches having to deal with these types of situations, nor will it be the last.
Head coach Sherwin Moore of the Michigan Wolverines shakes hands with head coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes after the game at Ohio Stadium on November 30, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
“He fought so hard and got us out of the very dark place we were in five weeks ago because of his resilience, because I don't think anyone really thought this was going to end the way it did,” Nina Day reported. He added: “Everyone thought the season ended in November.
“All he kept saying to me was, ‘I want to make peace for you guys. “I just want to bring peace to you.” He knew that for us to feel any kind of peace, he had to win everything.”
All this through a football match. A family fears for their lives, and needs armed security to guard their home, just to get a peaceful night's sleep and feel safe.
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While Nina Day stated that you can't label an entire fanbase as the “crazy fringe,” there are definitely a number of people who should be held accountable for their actions toward the Day family.
As I watched Ryan Day celebrate with his family on the field Monday night, hugging every family member, there was certainly more than just the head coach dealing with the outside noise.
