Ryan Day says ‘you notice things you didn’t before’ as Ohio State head coach

“It's different,” Day said on National Signing Day. “It certainly is different. It's been different for my wife, different for the kids. But, again, this is something that I've always worked towards, had the vision this is the way my life was going to go. It does take some adjusting.”

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A trip to the Miami Valley may have helped reinforce the new reality Day is facing.

Alter coach Ed Domsitz said Day got the full-court press recently when he stopped in during a tour of the area.

“Ryan Day hadn’t had the job for maybe a month when he was here and all kinds of people wanted their picture taken with him, they wanted to say hello,” Domsitz said. “And when he came in, I said that’s part of it. I’m gonna ask you to put up with some of this because when the Ohio State coach comes in, that’s when kids want a restroom break, they want to shake his hand, secretaries want their picture taken with him.”

Roughly two months after Urban Meyer announced he would stop down and be replaced by Day, the new guy admitted being on his phone from noon to night while also working to get to know everyone better after three years mostly concentrating on the offensive side of the ball.

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“When you're walking in these shoes, you notice things you didn't notice before,” Day said. “More than when I was an assistant coach, I realized what great kids we have, from all the way across the board. When you're just in the offense, working with the quarterbacks, you're in the offensive world, you know those guys. You see the guys on defense, wider picture, you realize what great kids they are. What a great university this is, the power Ohio State has all over the country.”

He also sounded like he was still a little blown away by the doors that open for the person who has his job — from sea to shining sea and beyond.

“Whether I'm in Hawaii, Seattle, New York, Cleveland, it's doesn't matter, there's Buckeyes everywhere,” Day said. “You when walk in, have that block O on your shirt, people respect you. People pull for Ohio State.”

And if he were to ever forget how life has changed, all he has to do is look up at his picture hanging up at the football facility next some of the legendary coaches of the sport.

“I go through the names of Urban Meyer, Jim Tressel, Earle Bruce, Woody Hayes, Paul Brown, then you see your picture up there, it takes you to your knees a little bit,” Day said. “I understand that's my responsibility. I want to be up there the next 10 to 15 years, win a bunch of championships. That's not just going to happen. A lot of people count on you in this state, a lot of people in this country are. Buckeye Nation is counting on us to put out a good product on the field.

“I am working every day to get that right.”