Ryan Day's wife reveals Ohio State coach was told 'follow father's footsteps,' commit suicide after Michigan loss

Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes seemed destined for the Big Ten title game and a rematch with the Oregon Ducks, but then the Michigan Wolverines struck him down once again, as they pulled a gigantic upset over their heated rival on Nov. 30.

The game was supposed to be a tremendous afternoon for Day and Company, finally vanquishing The Team Up North on their way towards a national title run. Instead, it was one of the lowest moments of Day’s coaching career, as Ohio State tripped up and Michigan celebrated inside Ohio Stadium, with an ugly postgame scene to follow.

Of course, we now know Day and the Buckeyes took control of their fate in the time afterwards, going on a national title run for the ages, but the vitriol thrown the way of the Ohio State coach still weighs heavy on the mind of his family. Nina Day, the wife of the Buckeyes leader, recounted receiving unsolicited text messages following the Michigan loss, which suggested that her husband should commit suicide, like his father before him.

“They told me multiple times to have Ryan follow in his father’s footsteps and kill himself,” Nina Day told the Columbus Dispatch, via CBS Sports.

It was all part of a time Nina Day termed as a “roller coaster, to say the least” to the Dispatch, per CBS Sports. Even the family’s 16-year old son was subjected to death threats on social media. In return, the Day’s hired armed guards to protect their home amid the anger following the loss. 

“It’s very disappointing to me what some people are capable of, but you look at the news and you look at our society as a whole,” Nina Day told the Dispatch, per CBS Sports. “People are very mean. They’re very negative. They’re nasty. I’m not saying everybody is, but there’s definitely a percentage of people that are just ruthless in their hate.”

According to Nina Day, she even considered removing herself and her children from Columbus, per the Dispatch via CBS Sports, but they ultimately decided against that move. 

With all the turmoil that befell his family, the Ohio State head coach decided putting his head down, getting to work, and making the world forget about the Michigan loss needed to be his next move. Winning a national title could do that. He felt responsible, and he was going to fix it. 

“I think he, at times, second-guessed his decision to get into this and be in the spotlight that we’re in,” Nina Day said regarding her husband, via the Dispatch per CBS Sports. “He felt responsible and just felt bad that he had put us in this position. He promised us he’d get us out of it.”

Despite a bevy of external factors and some disgusting words thrown his way, Ryan Day captained the ship and brought a national title home for the Buckeyes. The situation as a whole shed a light on the ugly side of sports fandom, though, and it’s something that no family should have to deal with, no matter how high profile they are.