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Ryan Day Says Filling In For Urban Meyer 'Felt Like My Hair Was On Fire'

Paul Vernon
/
Associated Press
Acting Ohio State University football coach Ryan Day, center, is seen during NCAA college football practice in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018.

Speaking to the media for the first time since being named Ohio State鈥檚 interim head football coach, Ryan Day tried to describe a team that鈥檚 gotten stronger since being put under the national microscope.

鈥淚 understand there鈥檚 been a lot of pain, and a lot of stress for a lot of people over the last few weeks,鈥� Day said in his opening remarks.

Day got the job August 1 when Ohio State put head coach Urban Meyer on paid leave amid an investigation into how he reported domestic violence allegations against a former assistant.

Day, usually the offensive coordinator, will lead the team as Meyer serves a three-game suspension. He says he initially felt like his 鈥渉air was on fire鈥� as he had to worry about the entire team for the first time.

But he says the team has showed resolve.

鈥淚f we鈥檙e an average team, then the adversity will crush us," Day said. "If we鈥檙e a good team, then we can survive it. But if we鈥檙e a great team, then we can get actually better from it. And I can sit here and tell you that over the past few weeks that our team has gotten stronger.鈥�

Saturday鈥檚 season opener against Oregon State will be Day鈥檚 first game ever as a college head coach. He says he was surprised when he got the call over fellow assistants Kevin Wilson and Greg Schiano, both of whom have head coaching experience.

鈥淚t did catch me off guard,鈥� Day said. 鈥淚t was one of those things where you wake up the next day and you think 鈥業s this really happening? And then you just put one foot in front of the other.鈥�

Schiano also spoke to reporters on Monday. When asked about Ohio State鈥檚 decision to go with Day over him, Schiano said, 鈥淲henver you have a situation like this, it鈥檚 very complex.... Ryan is certainly qualified to do this.鈥�

The comments from Schiano, a former head coach at Rutgers University and for the NFL鈥檚 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, come nine months after he reportedly lost his chance at the University of Tennessee鈥檚 head coaching job because of his connection to Penn State and disgraced former assistant Jerry Sandusky, who is serving life in prison after being convicted of 45 counts related to the sexual abuse of young boys.

Schiano was a graduate assistant and assistant coach at Penn State from 1990 to 1995. In a deposition, former Penn State assistant Mike McQueary said another assistant told him Schiano reported witnessing Sandusky abuse a child. Schiano has denied making any such comments.

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