Before finding themselves at the center of the college football world, Ryan Day and his wife, ninaOnly two kids were playing T-ball in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Day, 45, now the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, and Nina, whom he married in June 2005, recently reflected on their time together in the Northeast.
In an August 2024 interview with Columbus WBNS 10TVNina said she and Ryan grew up in Manchester “about a mile and a half from each other.” They went to the same elementary school, middle school and high school and college, both Ryan and Nina attended the University of New Hampshire, where Ryan was the quarterback of the football team.
“We saved a note — I think I was in 7th grade — that I wrote and I said I was going to marry Ryan,” Nina said. “We've always been best friends.”
Nina even took a photo from 1985 when they were on the same youth t-ball team. “That's Ryan, that's my twin sister, Kelly, and that's me,” she said as she pointed to the trio.
Before Ryan was named Ohio State's head coach in 2018, his coaching career took him and his growing family — he and Nina are the parents of a son. RJ and daughter grace And Nia — across the country, from collegiate stops at schools like Boston College and Temple to NFL coaching jobs with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.
“In the span of 15 years, we've moved 11 times,” Nina told WBNS. “At that time, we had 3 children. So, it was a lot. From the year we got married to maybe when we came to Ohio State, we were moving every year or two. It was very volatile for a long time.”
For the complete timeline of Ryan and Nina's relationship, keep reading.
2005
Ryan and Nina married while working as graduate assistants at the University of Florida.
“We dated-on-on-on-and then after we graduated college, we got back together and the rest is history,” Nina told WBNS.
She added, “There was always a comfort level with him. We're still best friends. I think that's the best way a marriage can be. You're with your best friend every day.”
2009
The couple welcomed their first child, son Ryan Jr. (RJ for short), during Ryan's time as the wide receivers coach at Boston College.
Nina admits that being the son of a coach wasn't always easy for her son growing up.
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“From 1st to 5th grade, he started one school in one state and ended up in another school in another state,” he told WBNS. “He was in seven different elementary schools.”
“But it made him a lot more resilient,” she added.
RJ is busy following in his father's footsteps as a quarterback at DeSales High School in Columbus, Ohio.
2011
Ryan and Nina welcomed their first daughter, Grace, while Day was still working at Boston College.
2014
The couple welcomed their third child, daughter Nia, after Day returned as the school's offensive coordinator after a season as the offensive coordinator at Day Temple University.
2020
Ryan lived separately from Nina and her three children for three months to reduce the threat of contagion during the Covid-affected college football season.
“It wasn't easy,” Nina said Columbus Dispatch In January 2021. “Most of my life I could plan and wait for the next week or the next three or four games. This year we literally lived for hours. I mean, something comes up every hour, and every time I see my husband's name on my phone I hold my breath because I'm like, 'Oh, good luck. What now?'
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After the Big Ten postponed the start of its season in the wake of the pandemic, Nina candidly admitted that it was even harder to keep her husband at home.
“These have been very difficult weeks,” Nina said. “Even though he was home on the first day of school for the first time, and even though he could make the kids soccer and football games on weekends and pick them up from school, it was a huge void. And being around Ryan during those weeks was extremely difficult.”
2023
Ryan shared a photo ahead of the start of his fifth full season as Ohio State's head coach via Instagram His family is returning home for vacation with a photo from the same location four years ago.
“Time flies,” Ryan wrote. “1st photo: Winter 2019 before first season as HC. 2nd photo: On the way back to Columbus today. Season 5 is just around the corner! Stronger than ever. Go box!!”
2025
Nina and Grace were photographed celebrating with Ryan on the field after Ohio State defeated the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl.