Debbie Ryan

For the actress and singer, see Debby Ryan.
Debbie Ryan
Debbie Ryan in 2014
Biographical details
Born (1952-11-04) November 4, 1952 (age 72)
Titusville, New Jersey, U.S.
Playing career
1971–1975Ursinus
Position(s)Point guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1977–2011Virginia
Head coaching record
Overall739–324 (.695)
Bowls56
Tournaments69
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
3× NCAA Regional—Final Four (1990, 1991, 1992)
11× ACC regular season champion (1984, 1986–1988, 1991–1996, 2000)
3× ACC tournament champion (1990, 1992, 1993)
Awards
7× ACC Coach of the Year (1984, 1985, 1987, 1991, 1993, 1995, 2000)
Naismith College Coach of the Year (1991)
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
Medal record
Women's Basketball
Head coach for  United States
World University Games
Gold medal – first place 2001 Beijing Team Competition
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 2003 Santo Domingo Team Competition

Debbie Ryan (born November 4, 1952)[1] is a former women's basketball coach who coached at the University of Virginia. Ryan also coached the American women's basketball team at the 2003 Pan American Games. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2000 but is currently in remission.[2] She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. Ryan was also inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.[3]

The US Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) awarded her the Coach of the Year award in 1991.[4] She was also named the Naismith College Coach of the Year.[5]

Ryan started as an assistant coach at Virginia under head coach Dan Bonner.[5] In 1977, Ryan, who had recently completed graduate school in Virginia, was asked to become the head coach of the women's basketball program. She accepted, to become only the third head coach in the program's history.[2] Ryan resigned after 34 years of head coaching duties at UVA at the completion the women's 2010–11 basketball season.[6][7] After her resignation, Ryan was a volunteer assistant coach of Seattle Storm for the 2011 WNBA season, reuniting with her former player Jenny Boucek, who is an assistant coach there.[8] In 2014, Ryan was honored as one of the Library of Virginia's "Virginia Women in History" for her contributions to women's basketball and her actions as a cancer treatment advocate.[9]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference NCAA Coaches was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Friedman, Vickie (June 2011). "The End of Two Eras". Coaching Women's Basketball (Post-convention issue): 22.
  3. ^ "WBHOF Inductees". WBHOF. Archived from the original on 2017-12-06. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
  4. ^ "USBWA Women's Honors". USBWA. Archived from the original on 15 January 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  5. ^ a b Leung, Brian; Holland, Terry (2016-09-15). 100 Things Virginia Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die. Triumph Books. ISBN 9781633196742.
  6. ^ (2011-03-12) "Virginia coach Ryan to step down after 34 years"[dead link], Associated Press. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
  7. ^ (2011-03-26 )"Debbie Ryan's career ends as Virginia's late run isn't enough to beat Charlotte", ESPN. Retrieved 2011-03-28.
  8. ^ "News Archive".
  9. ^ "Virginia Women in History: Deborah A. "Debbie" Ryan". Library of Virginia. Retrieved 4 March 2015.