"Whether It's your father, or a game to Michigan - your story doesn't end there": Ryan Day's powerful advice to never give up

Ohio State coach Ryan Day knows adversity. From personal tragedy to intense rivalry defeats, his message remains the same—keep fighting.

In a clip from an interview posted on X on Monday, Day reflected on the challenges he has faced, including the death of his father on Jan. 20, 1988. Journalist Dave Holmes of The Football Fever asked him about the eerie symmetry of potentially winning a national championship on Jan. 20, 2025. Would he wake up that morning thinking of his father?

“We hear so many stories when we read the Bible about miracles,” Day said. “To tell me that like That's not a miracle. I don't know what is personally. Certainly, you can imagine what that meant for me.”

Following the interview, Holmes tweeted on Sunday:

“Ryan Day's greatest lesson is this. When you lose something - whether it's your father, or a game to Michigan - your story doesn't end there, as long as you have the toughness to keep fighting.”

The Michigan–Ohio State rivalry fuels some of college football’s most intense emotions. After a recent loss to Michigan, some fans called for Day’s firing, and his family faced harassment. His son, R.J., struggled to hear the criticism. But Day used the moment as a lesson.

“In the end, what's happened is every year they become stronger and stronger,” Ohio State coach said.

Following Ohio State’s national championship win, donations surged to the Christina and Ryan Day Fund for mental wellness at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Even some of Day’s former critics apologized and contributed.

For Day, winning a title on Jan. 20 wouldn’t just be historic—it would be personal.

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Ryan Day processing the moment after clinching the national championship

Buckeyes coach Day hoists the College Football Playoff trophy - Source: Imagn

Ohio State clinched the national championship on Jan. 20, but coach Ryan Day is still processing the moment.

“It still hasn’t sunk in yet,” he told ABC 6 in a recent interview.

Just weeks earlier, after a 13-10 loss to Michigan in late November, fans were calling for his job.

"So many folks want to take extreme views," Day said. "You're either the best in the world or you should be fired tomorrow. And the truth is probably somewhere in the middle."

Day's family felt the pressure, too. His children faced harassment at school, forcing tough conversations at home.

“You have to walk away,” Day said. “And that’s not easy to do.”

The Buckeyes won four straight games in the new College Football Playoff format—arguably the toughest run in the sport’s history.