Ohio State Buckeyes head football coach Ryan Day has largely stayed quiet when it comes to politics, typically steering clear of anything that could spark controversy. Another high-profile Ohio State head coach, however, has taken a very different approach.
Tom Ryan has led the Ohio State wrestling program since 2006, overseeing the most successful stretch in the program’s history. Under his guidance, the Buckeyes won the 2015 national championship, and Ryan was inducted into the Ohio State athletics Hall of Fame in 2023.
The Buckeyes are once again dominant this season, as the wrestling team currently sits at No. 2 in the national rankings with an undefeated 14-0 dual meet record, with Ryan leading the way.
After another victory this weekend, Ryan turned to social media to voice his political opinions on several topics, publicly advocating for voter ID laws, identifying himself as “America first,” voicing support for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and criticizing transgender athletes competing in sports.
“Needed ID to check into my hotel. Needed ID to get through security. Needed ID to renew my license plate. Why in the heck would I be able to VOTE without it? Come on Americans. This is simple. Occam’s Razor! Any human who puts their status over the good of the people needs to,” Ryan wrote in a post on X.
Ryan doubled down on those sentiments in a follow-up post.
“I will be dead in 40 years and want America to be the place that I grew up in. American first. Silence is a killer. Leave ICE alone, as we have no idea the level of predators they’re pursuing. 1 vote per American. No men in women’s sports. Jail all that have committed fraud,” Ryan wrote in a follow-up post.
Needless to say, this led to a lot of reactions on social media.
“They are pursuing and murdering American citizens…. The America you ‘grew up in’ is interesting. I for one do not want to be in the America you grew up in. I’m sure some of your athletes would share those sentiments. Think before you tweet coach,” one fan wrote in a post on X.
“There are predators working for ICE. You’re so far out over your skis here,” someone else added.
“Hey Tom, I respect you as a coach a ton. However, as a Christian, you can still enforce immigration without cruelty, and this is cruelty. The most fraud in the US happens in Florida and with military contractors, and I don’t see public prosecutions happening there,” another person wrote.
“So President Trump to the slammer? Alright Tom Ryan!! While the rest of your list seems to be missing some much higher priorities, we’ll take what we can get,” someone else added.
“Shut up and wrestle,” another fan added.
Clearly, Ryan caused quite a stir with his political posts.
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