ryan day wife
Ryan Day’s wife is Christina Spirou Day, an American former adjunct faculty member who goes by the nickname “Nina,” born on April 8, 1978, in Manchester, New Hampshire. Ryan Day is the head football coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, one of the most recognizable names in college football and a two-time College Football Playoff finalist. Fans across Columbus, Ohio, know Nina Day almost as well as they know her husband — she has been dubbed the “First Lady of Ohio State Football” by the local community. This article covers everything you need to know about Ryan Day’s wife, from her childhood in New Hampshire to her role in the couple’s mental health advocacy work today.
Ryan Day’s wife has stood beside him through every coaching stop, championship run, and public challenge the family has faced. Because she rarely gives lengthy interviews, many fans have questions about who she really is. Below, we break down her early life, career, relationship with Ryan Day, and their family life together.
Who Is Christina Spirou Day?
Christina Spirou Day, known to friends and family as Nina, was born in Manchester, New Hampshire on April 8, 1978, making her the same age range as her husband, who was born on March 12, 1979, also in Manchester, New Hampshire. Both Ryan and Nina grew up in the same New Hampshire neighborhood, only about a “mile and a half” apart, according to a Yahoo/People report.
Christina’s parents were Patricia and Stanley Spirou. She grew up in a close-knit community where football wasn’t the family’s first shared activity — baseball was. In fact, Ryan and Nina’s story famously began on a youth sports field rather than at a school dance or party.
For her education, Christina attended the University of New Hampshire, where she studied communications, according to reporting on the family. Her college years gave her a foundation that would later support her husband’s demanding coaching career, since communication and public-facing skills have proven useful for a woman who now represents her family in the spotlight of major college football.
Christina has largely kept a low public profile compared to celebrity spouses in other sports, but her hometown roots and shared history with Ryan Day are central to understanding who she is.
Christina Day’s Career & Professional Life
Before becoming a full-time football coach’s wife and mother, Christina Spirou Day worked in academia. Reports describe her as having served as an adjunct faculty member following her graduation from college. This role suited her communications background and gave her early professional experience before she and Ryan started their family.
After marrying Ryan Day, Christina shifted her focus toward supporting her husband’s coaching career and raising their children, a decision that meant relocating frequently. The Day family moved more than 10 times for Ryan’s coaching career before finally settling in Ohio. Each move required Christina to rebuild a routine for their kids while her husband worked long hours during recruiting and game seasons.
In recent years, Christina has stepped into a more visible advocacy role. In August 2024, Ryan and Nina Day donated $1 million to Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine to fund mental health research. Ryan explained the gift by noting that Ohio State had been very good to their family, and they felt investing in the mental wellness of Buckeye Nation was a privilege and the right thing to do. This donation followed the family’s own public struggles with mental health pressures tied to Ryan’s high-profile job, making Christina’s advocacy work personal rather than purely ceremonial.
While there’s no publicly confirmed individual net worth for Christina, she and Ryan share a household built on his coaching salary, which has placed him among the highest-paid coaches in college football.
How Did Ryan and Nina Day Meet?
Ryan and Christina’s love story goes back further than most celebrity couples — all the way to early childhood. The two met in Manchester, New Hampshire when they were around six years old and have shared their lives together in one form or another ever since. According to an August 2024 interview, Ryan and Nina played on the same T-ball team as kids, and one report specified Christina was seven and Ryan was six when they first met on that youth baseball team.
Their friendship carried on through their school years in Manchester, eventually turning into a romantic relationship. Multiple sources note that Ryan and Christina had been together since high school, meaning the couple’s bond had already been tested by years of shared history long before Ryan entered the coaching profession.
There’s no widely publicized, dramatic “how he proposed” story circulating in mainstream coverage, which fits with the couple’s generally private approach to their personal life. What is clear is that their small-town New Hampshire roots gave them a strong foundation well before fame, fortune, or football stardom entered the picture. By the time Ryan began climbing the coaching ranks — first as an assistant, then offensive coordinator, and eventually head coach — Nina had already been his partner for the better part of two decades.
Marriage & Wedding Details
Ryan Day and Christina “Nina” Spirou Day got married in June 2005, a milestone that came after years of dating that began in their teenage years. As of the 2025 season, various reports have referred to Nina as Ryan Day’s wife of nearly 20 years, underscoring how long the couple has now been married.
Specific details about the wedding venue, guest list, or ceremony style have not been widely publicized, which aligns with the family’s preference for privacy outside of football-related events. What is well documented is the timing: the couple married in the same decade Ryan was beginning to build his coaching résumé, meaning Nina has been present for nearly his entire professional rise, from his early assistant coaching jobs to his current position as Ohio State’s head coach.
Because the wedding predates Ryan’s rise to national coaching fame, most of what’s publicly known about their marriage comes from interviews given well after the ceremony itself, rather than contemporaneous wedding coverage.
Children & Family Life
Ryan and Nina Day are parents to three children together: a son named Ryan Jr. (often called “RJ”) and two daughters, Grace and Ourania. The family has moved frequently over the years due to Ryan’s coaching career, giving the kids a somewhat nomadic early childhood before the family put down roots in Columbus, Ohio.
Family life for the Days revolves heavily around football season. Nina has described how she and the children develop routines to manage Ryan’s demanding schedule, noting in one local interview that when Ryan goes back to work in early August, she and the kids become their own team, helping each other through the season.
The family’s private life was thrust into public view in late 2024, when their then-16-year-old son received death threats on social media following Ohio State’s loss to Michigan, and the family hired armed guards to protect their home amid the backlash. Nina has spoken candidly about the emotional toll this took, telling reporters it was a “roller coaster” for the family, and that Ryan had promised to eventually get them out of that pressure-filled spotlight. Despite the challenges, the family has stayed in Columbus and continues to balance their private life with the intense public interest that comes with major college football.
Christina Day on Social Media
Christina Spirou Day maintains a presence on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, where she is listed under variations of “Christina Spirou Day.” Compared to many coaches’ wives who build large personal brands online, Nina keeps a relatively modest and family-focused profile, sharing glimpses of life with Ryan and their three children rather than posting frequently for a large following. She is more often seen in interviews and news features tied to Ohio State football events, community appearances, and the couple’s mental health advocacy work than in curated influencer-style content.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Christina Spirou Day (nickname “Nina”) |
| Date of Birth | April 8, 1978 |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Former adjunct faculty; mental health advocate |
| Married to | Ryan Day, Ohio State head football coach |
| Marriage Year | June 2005 |
| Children | Ryan Jr. (“RJ”), Grace, Ourania |
| Net Worth | Not publicly disclosed |
FAQ Section
Q: What is Ryan Day’s wife’s name?
A: Ryan Day’s wife is Christina Spirou Day, who goes by the nickname “Nina.” She was born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire, the same hometown as her husband.
Q: How old is Nina Day?
A: Nina Day was born on April 8, 1978, in Manchester, New Hampshire, making her roughly a year older than her husband, Ryan.
Q: What does Nina Day do for a living?
A: Nina previously worked as an adjunct faculty member after college. Today she focuses on family life and mental health advocacy alongside her husband.
Q: When did Ryan and Nina Day get married?
A: Ryan and Nina Day got married in June 2005, after having known each other since childhood and dated through high school.
Q: How many kids do Ryan and Nina Day have?
A: Ryan and Nina Day have three children together: a son named Ryan Jr. (“RJ”) and two daughters, Grace and Ourania.
Conclusion
Christina “Nina” Spirou Day has been by Ryan Day’s side since childhood, growing from T-ball teammates in New Hampshire into husband and wife raising three children together in Columbus, Ohio. Known as Ohio State’s “First Lady of Football,” she has supported her husband through multiple coaching moves, high-pressure seasons, and even public backlash aimed at their family — while also stepping into her own advocacy role around mental health. As Ryan Day continues his career as Ohio State’s head coach, Ryan Day’s wife remains a steady, private presence behind one of college football’s most public figures.
