Former Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith gushed about football coach Ryan Day in a written evaluation this past spring, according to a copy of the 2023-24 performance review obtained by The Dispatch through a public records request on Thursday.
He signed the evaluation of Day on May 11, a month and a half before his retirement took effect with the end of the academic year.
“It has been my greatest blessing to work with Ryan,” Smith wrote. “I will miss many people but none more than Ryan.”
Aug 31, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day watches from the sideline during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Akron Zips at Ohio Stadium.
Smith first promoted Day, previously the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, to succeed Urban Meyer in 2019 and watched him amass a 53-8 overall record in his first five seasons at the helm of the program.
But his comments in the year-end manager review offered lofty praise for Day’s performance in several phases.
“He continues to be exceptional with personnel management, recruiting character and talent (academic and athletic), putting the players in position to be successful off the field and on it, and contributing greatly to the overall culture of the department,” Smith wrote.
“Ryan’s growth as a leader has been such a joy to witness and be a small part of. He is passionate, caring, and driven to be successful. He operates with empathy, care, compassion, and strength. The players gravitate to him because they know he cares.”
Smith also commended Day for his involvement in the Columbus area. He was recognized in June for a $1 million donation he and his wife, Nina, made to support mental health research and services at Ohio State.
“He continues to do an amazing job being present in the community,” Smith…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/gene-smith-effusive-praise-ryan-222311064.html
Author : The Columbus Dispatch
Publish date : 2024-09-05 22:23:11
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