American football coach Ryan Day is a lucky man. For the last two decades, he has consistently received support from the love of his life, his wife, Christina Spirou Day, whom he married in June 2005.
Back on June 5, 2021, Ryan and his wife celebrated their 16th marriage anniversary, and the football coach took to his Instagram on his special day, writing,
Only way to celebrate our 16th anniversary….recruiting weekend! #footballfamily #coacheswivesaresaints
Via Instagram
Well, though the beautiful duo has been standing by one another’s side for nearly two decades, they have known each other since childhood. In fact, Ryan was five years old when he met his then-future wife, Christina.
Three years ago, during an exclusive talk with Saturday Tradition, Ryan shared how he met his wife and said,
My wife and I were actually on the same tee-ball team together, so we’re both Manchester North Little League Alums. 6-years-old on the same team, we still laugh about it all the time.
Via Saturday Tradition
After growing up, the couple attended their high school prom together. They attended the University of New Hampshire together and eventually got married.
They now have three children: RJ, Grace, and Ourania, aka Nia, who are all wholly involved in games.
Ryan Day’s wife, Christina, aka ‘Nina’, struggled with anxiety most of her life!
Ohio’s coach, Ryan Day, and his wife, Christina, are actively involved in raising mental health awareness. The couple founded the Nina and Ryan Day Resilience Fund, intending to help youth struggling with mental health stigma.
Columbus Monthly reports that the couple donated $1 million to the OSU Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine through their newly established organization.
“What is the most romantic thing you’ve done for your wife?”
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) September 29, 2023
Ryan Day: “the most romantic thing I’ve done for my wife in the last few months is beat Notre Dame last Saturday night” 🫡😂 pic.twitter.com/TVlhLqZxRa
Well, their active involvement is the result of their past struggle with mental health. While Ryan lost his father to suicide due to mental health problems, his wife, Christina, suffered anxiety most of her life, which kept her away from the things that she enjoyed doing.
In this regard, Christina once said,
I remember just feeling that I was suffering alone. You just couldn’t talk about it back then.
That’s why they are working to break the taboo on mental health issues. It’s no wonder that, aside from the sports world, the couple has been contributing to the well-being of the community and humanity as a whole.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Ryan Day was born in Manchester, New Hampshire, on March 12, 1979. He is currently 45 years old.
- His mother, Lisa Day, single-handedly raised him after his father, Raymond Day, passed away by suicide.
- He began his coaching career as the offensive coordinator for the Temple Owls football team in 2012.
