Ohio State head coach Ryan Day on the sideline with the Buckeyes’ offense, in a 27-9 win over Michigan Nov. 29, 2025. Credit: Liam Ahern | Managing Photo Editor.
Ryan Day acted like a coach long before he began calling plays from the Ohio State sideline.?
As the University of New Hampshire’s starting quarterback from 1999-2001, Day displayed maturity, leadership and professionalism that would later define his coaching career.?
That foundation will be recognized this fall when Day is inducted into the University of New Hampshire’s Athletic Hall of Fame as part of its eight-member 2026 class. The former Wildcats captain and current Ohio State head coach will be honored during the university’s homecoming weekend Oct. 3-4 in Durham, New Hampshire.?
“I’m incredibly honored to be recognized by the University of New Hampshire, a place that means so much to me and my family,” Day said in an email. “My time in Durham helped shape who I am—not just as a player, but as a person and a coach.”
Day expressed gratitude for those who made his University of New Hampshire experience memorable.
“I’m grateful for my teammates, coaches and everyone in the program who poured into me during those years,” Day said. “To be mentioned alongside so many great players in UNH history is truly humbling, and I’ll always take great pride in being a Wildcat.”?
Over Day’s collegiate career, he threw for 7,670 passing yards, 653 completions and 53 touchdown passes, which each rank fifth in program history. Day also served as team captain his senior season, in 2001.
Robin Balducci, a University of New Hampshire Athletic Hall of Fame committee member and former head coach of the university’s field hockey team, described how Day’s character has remained consistent from his college days to now.?
“I was coaching at UNH when [Day] was a student-athlete, and I would say he was a lot like he is now,” Balducci said. “[He was] super mature as a college athlete, accepted his responsibility, understood his responsibility and was very professional.”??
After graduating, Day began his coaching career with the University of New Hampshire, as its tight ends coach in 2002.?
Over the next 13 years, he held various coaching positions in college at Boston College, Florida and Temple.?
Day then transitioned to the NFL as a quarterbacks coach with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015 and the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, before returning to college and landing at Ohio State in 2017 as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.?
Day took over as the Buckeyes’ head coach in 2019.?
“He made a lot of choices in his career to set himself up to where he is now, and I think his whole commitment to himself, his coaching, himself as a young athlete moving into the coaching world, he’s been nothing but a consummate professional,” Balducci said.?
The University of New Hampshire Athletic Hall of Fame inducts athletes every other year and inductees are honored for achievements as a student-athlete, as well as what they do off the field.
Day, a New Hampshire native, earned a business administration degree from the University of New Hampshire in 2002. Day served as the university’s 2024 commencement speaker for the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics.?
“He grew up in New Hampshire so I think he still values the state of New Hampshire and I think that’s really important,” Balducci said.?
The 2026 class will be honored at halftime of the University of New Hampshire’s Oct. 3 game against Elon and the induction ceremony will be held on Oct. 4.
Since the Buckeyes will face Iowa on Oct. 3 for their first road Big Ten matchup, Balducci expects Day may do some sort of video acceptance and speech, and probably have a family member accept on his behalf.
“I can’t imagine that he’d be able to coordinate that with everything that goes on a game weekend,” she said.?
