Performance Review: Ross Bjork Says Ryan Day’s Leadership Transcends Ohio State, Buckeyes Had “Best Team All Season” in 2025 Despite Postseason Losses
Ross Bjork was highly complimentary of Ryan Day in his annual performance review this summer.
In his review of Day for the 2025-26 academic year, which
Eleven Warriors obtained through a public records request on Monday, Ohio State’s athletic director gave the Buckeyes’ football coach a grade of “Exceeds Expectations” and praised Day’s leadership and the culture he has built.
“Coach Day's leadership continues to transcend Ohio State and the game of college football on all levels,” Bjork wrote in his review, dated June 18. “He has developed and evolved into one of the leading voices of the sport and has kept Ohio State football at the forefront while also navigating the rapid changes impacting college sports. The culture of our program is as strong as it has ever been, and that is a testament to his leadership and focus on every detail within the program. The coaching staff he has assembled and the program structure in place allows him to truly be the "CEO of Ohio State University Football," and this organizational set-up is critical to our success moving forward.”
Bjork highlighted Ohio State’s performance both on and off the field over the past year. While Ohio State’s 2025 season ended with postseason losses to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game and Miami in the College Football Playoff, Bjork felt Ohio State “had the best team all season long.”
“Coach Day's focus on recruiting the right young men to the program who are stellar students, great people, and elite players are evident in the record-setting team GPA, third straight year of a 1,000 APR score, and the social behavior of our team,” Bjork said. “Our team continues to set the tone on the field as well by going 12-0 in the 2025 regular season and winning the rivalry game. Coach Day continues to operate the most consistent program in the country over the last 25 years at the highest level, and although we fell short of a championship in 2025, we had the best team all season long and unfortunately did not finish the way we expected.”
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