_-_Debbie_Ryan.jpg) Ryan in 2014 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Biographical details | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1952-11-04)November 4, 1952 (age 73) Titusville, New Jersey, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1971–1975 | Ursinus | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Point guard | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1977–2011 | Virginia | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coaching record | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Overall | 739–324 (.695) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowls | 56 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tournaments | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 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
| |||||||||||||||||||||
Debbie Ryan (born November 4, 1952)[1] is an American formerwomen's basketball coach who coached at theUniversity of Virginia. Ryan also coached the American women's basketball team at the2003 Pan American Games. She was diagnosed withpancreatic cancer in 2000 but is currently in remission.[2] She was inducted into theWomen's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. Ryan was also inducted into theVirginia 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 theNaismith 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 ofSeattle Storm for the 2011WNBA season, reuniting with her former playerJenny Boucek, who is an assistant coach there.[8] In 2014, Ryan was honored as one of theLibrary of Virginia's "Virginia Women in History" for her contributions to women's basketball and her actions as a cancer treatment advocate.[9]
Ryan served as the head coach of theUS representative to the 1999 World University Games (also known as theUniversiade). The event was held inPalma de Mallorca, Spain. The US team opened with a 134–37 win over South Africa. The second game was against Canada, which the US team lost in a close match 68–67. The US could not afford to lose another game if they wished to win a medal, and won the next game against Japan 106–66. They next faced undefeated Russia, and fell behind by twelve points at halftime, but came back and won 79–68. The US fell behind in their next game against undefeated China, but rallied and went on to win 89–78. They beat Brazil to advance to the semi-final, where they faced Lithuania. The game was not close, with the US winning 70–49. That set up a rematch with China, on their home court with 18,000 spectators. The USA only had a four-point lead at halftime, but did better in the second half, and won 87–69 to claim the gold medal.[10]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia(ACC)(1977–2011) | |||||||||
| 1977–78 | Virginia | 8–17 | 1–5 | 6th | |||||
| 1978–79 | Virginia | 16–12 | 2–4 | 6th | |||||
| 1979–80 | Virginia | 20–12 | 3–5 | 6th | WNIT Second Round | ||||
| 1980–81 | Virginia | 22–10 | 5–2 | 4th | AIAW First Round | ||||
| 1981–82 | Virginia | 17–11 | 2–5 | 5th | |||||
| 1982–83 | Virginia | 15–13 | 4–9 | 6th | |||||
| 1983–84 | Virginia | 22–7 | 11–3 | 1st | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 1984–85 | Virginia | 21–8 | 9–5 | 3rd | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 1985–86 | Virginia | 26–3 | 13–1 | 1st | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 1986–87 | Virginia | 26–5 | 12–2 | 1st | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||||
| 1987–88 | Virginia | 27–5 | 12–2 | T-1st | NCAA Elite 8 | ||||
| 1988–89 | Virginia | 21–10 | 8–6 | 4th | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||||
| 1989–90 | Virginia | 29–6 | 11–3 | 2nd | NCAA Final Four | ||||
| 1990–91 | Virginia | 31–3 | 14–0 | 1st | NCAA Runner-Up | ||||
| 1991–92 | Virginia | 32–2 | 15–1 | 1st | NCAA Final Four | ||||
| 1992–93 | Virginia | 26–6 | 13–3 | 1st | NCAA Elite Eight | ||||
| 1993–94 | Virginia | 27–5 | 15–1 | 1st | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||||
| 1994–95 | Virginia | 27–5 | 16–0 | 1st | NCAA Elite Eight | ||||
| 1995–96 | Virginia | 26–7 | 13–3 | 1st | NCAA Elite Eight | ||||
| 1996–97 | Virginia | 23–8 | 12–4 | 2nd | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||||
| 1997–98 | Virginia | 19–10 | 9–7 | 5th | NCAA Second Round | ||||
| 1998–99 | Virginia | 20–9 | 12–4 | 2nd | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 1999–00 | Virginia | 25–9 | 13–3 | 1st | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||||
| 2000–01 | Virginia | 18–14 | 8–8 | 5th | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 2001–02 | Virginia | 17–13 | 9–7 | T-3rd | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 2002–03 | Virginia | 17–14 | 9–7 | 3rd | NCAA Second Round | ||||
| 2003–04 | Virginia | 13–16 | 6–9 | 7th | |||||
| 2004–05 | Virginia | 21–11 | 8–6 | 5th | NCAA Second Round | ||||
| 2005–06 | Virginia | 20–12 | 5–9 | 9th | WNIT Quarterfinals | ||||
| 2006–07 | Virginia | 19–15 | 5–9 | 8th | WNIT Quarterfinals | ||||
| 2007–08 | Virginia | 24–10 | 10–4 | T-3rd | NCAA Second Round | ||||
| 2008–09 | Virginia | 24–10 | 8–6 | T-5th | NCAA Second Round | ||||
| 2009–10 | Virginia | 21–10 | 9–5 | 3rd | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 2010–11 | Virginia | 19–16 | 5–7 | 8th | WNIT Quarterfinals | ||||
| Virginia: | 739–324 (.694) | 160–92 (.635) | |||||||
| Total: | 739–324 (.694) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
