John Ryan is in his first season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Red Hawks. In addition to his duties with men’s lacrosse, he also serves as the assistant strength & conditioning coach at Rensselaer.
Prior to arriving at RPI, Ryan played professional lacrosse for the Long Island Lizards of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) during the 2008 season. He was also a member of the Ireland National Team last year.
A native of Clifton Park, N.Y., Ryan was a standout in lacrosse and soccer at the United States Military Academy, where he helped lead the Black Knights lacrosse team to the NCAA Tournament in 2003.
Playing in 52 games, Ryan finished his collegiate career ranked fifth in school history with 222 ground balls. He also posted the second-highest single season ground ball total in history with 101 as a senior in 2003. Offensively he had 58 goals and 20 assists for 78 points.
Ryan earned numerous honors in his career, most notably in his final season when he was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, All-Conference First Team and Army’s Gen. James V. Hartinger Most Valuable Player. The conference leader in ground balls that year, he also played in the prestigious North/South All-Star game. He was the Patriot League and team Rookie of the Year in 2000.
As a member of the soccer team, Ryan was named the Newcomer of the Year in 2000. He was also an All-Tournament Team selection at the 2000 Army-Anaconda Sports Soccer Classic.
Ryan served in the United States Army from 2003-08. A 2006 Bronze Star recipient, he had two tours of duty in Iraq as a platoon leader before being honorably discharged as a captain. He earned Army Master Fitness Trainer certification in 2003 and is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a personal trainer.
He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering.
A graduate of Shenendehowa High School, Ryan was a standout in both lacrosse and soccer in high school. He served as a captain for both squads as a senior and was named the school’s “Most Athletic” in 1999.
Ryan earned USILA High School All-America recognition as a senior and was also selected to the All-Section II First Team in both sports during his final season. He also played for the Adirondack Region at the Empire State Games in both lacrosse and soccer.
