The college football offseason provides coaches the opportunity to rest, reflect and get ready for the gauntlet ahead. In the case of Ohio State’s Ryan Day, it also served as a chance to clear up speculation about his affinity for chest piercings.
Before Ohio State’s season opener against Texas in September 2025, screenshots from Day’s pregame interview with reporter Jenny Taft went viral, appearing to show the head coach with a nipple piercing visible through his shirt.
Day, 47, appeared on the “Not Just Football” podcast on Wednesday, April 8, where former Ohio State Buckeye Cam Heyward asked him, “Coach, did you get a nipple ring?”
“I mean, I kind of thought it gave me some street cred there for a second,” Day said with a laugh. “But unfortunately no, I’m not that cool.”
Heyward, who has played 15 seasons with the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers, chuckled and responded, “I had to bring it up.”
Day, Heyward, 36, and podcast cohost Hayden Walsh had a wide-ranging conversation about football and life, which included a discussion about Day’s passionate mental health advocacy.
“The first thing is, I lost my dad when I was young,” said Ryan, whose father Raymond died by suicide in 1988 when Ryan was eight years old. “That’s always been something that’s been a part of my life. When I had an opportunity to have a platform that Ohio State has to offer, just like I tell all of our players, you can make a difference. When it’s all said and done, we all want to make a difference.”
He continued, “Mental health is something that affects everybody. I felt like for the community to see these big, giant human beings who everyone thinks has the world in the palm of their hand show vulnerability and recognize that mental health is something that we all need to be aware of, could bring credibility to an area where a lot of time there’s shame.”
Ryan, who has been the head coach at Ohio State since 2019, has been married to his wife, Nina, since 2005 and the couple share three children: son RJ and daughters Grace and Nia.
RJ is currently a junior quarterback at St. Francis DeSales in Columbus, and Ryan said he’s “very hands-on” with his development.
“Just being a dad, I always said, ‘I’m going to be hands-off,’ but the truth is, if you don’t advocate for your son, I’m not sure anybody’s going to,” Ryan argued. “There are a lot of crazy parents out there, but if you don’t get in the middle of it, your kid is going to get the raw end of the deal.”
