Ryan Day has his millions. He also still has Ohio State’s impossible expectations

Ryan Day navigated the wildest month in Ohio State history with aplomb. 

He was rewarded this week with the second-richest contract in college football: a $12.5 million salary for the next seven years. That’s what happens when you win a national title at one of the blueblood schools. Now one of only three active coaches with a national title, financial security — and his place in Ohio State history — will never be a question.

Still, is it worth it? How quickly we forget the insane emotional toll a small faction of extreme fans placed on him and his family just two months ago after the Buckeyes lost to rival Michigan for a fourth straight year. Some saw it firsthand. His family cried on the sideline near the end of that 13-10 loss. In the subsequent days, there were death threats, and Day hired security to watch his home and protect the family around the clock so he could go back to work. 

In a cynical world where fans and media levy harsh, and sometimes personal, criticism and give zero grace to head coaches — “That’s what the money is for!” they say — we forget that we are fragile flesh and bone. Multi-million dollar security blankets are offered to coaches to cope, but it doesn’t provide an impenetrable barrier from real-world issues.

Day, a mental health advocate, speaks often about leading men, perseverance and blocking out the noise and the threats. Still, the negativity creeps in the shadows, waiting to re-emerge. Somehow a coach with a 70-10 record, the best winning percentage among all active coaches, is not immune.

When Day ripped off his headset and rifled it into the air near the end of a 34-23 win in the national championship game against Notre Dame, you got the sense the display was one of relief rather than…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/ryan-day-has-his-millions-he-also-still-has-ohio-states-impossible-expectations/

Author : Brandon Marcello

Publish date : 2025-02-06 19:34:00

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