GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay is turning its basketball program over to Will Ryan, the son of former Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan.
Athletic director Charles Guthrie announced Sunday that the school and Ryan have agreed to a deal in principle, though final contract details are still being worked out.
“Hiring leaders is about getting the right fit at the right time, and I have no doubt that Coach Ryan is exactly the right person to lead our program today and into the future,’’ Guthrie said in a statement.
The 41-year-old Ryan comes to Green Bay after posting a 14-13 record in his lone season as the head coach at Division II program Wheeling in West Virginia. He previously worked as an assistant at Ohio (2014-19) and North Dakota State (2007-14).
He worked on his father’s Wisconsin staff from 2002-07, where he served as a director of basketball operations and video coordinator. Bo Ryan was Wisconsin’s coach from 2001-15 after previously coaching at Wisconsin-Platteville and Milwaukee.
Will Ryan replaces Linc Darner, who went 92-80 and posted a winning record in all but one of his five seasons at Green Bay. After the Phoenix went 17-16 this season, Green Bay officials announced last month that the university and coach had “decided to part ways.”
