Greg Ryan (soccer)

Infobox Football biography
playername= Greg Ryan
fullname = Greg Ryan
nickname =


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1957|1|21
cityofbirth = Dallas, Texas
countryofbirth = United States
height =
currentclub = Retired
clubnumber =
position = Defender
youthyears = 1975-1978
youthclubs = Southern Methodist University
years = 1979
1979
1979
1980-1984
clubs = Minnesota Kicks
Tulsa Roughnecks
New York Cosmos
Chicago Sting
caps(goals) = 1 (0)
14 (0)
4 (0)
51 (2)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
manageryears = 1983
1984-1993
1996-1999
1999-2002
2002-2005
2005-2007
2008-
managerclubs = Colorado College "(assistant)"
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Southern Methodist University
Colorado College
U.S. women's national team "(assistant)"
U.S. women's national team
University of Michigan
pcupdate = 22:33, 3 January 2007 (UTC)
ntupdate = 7 December 2006

Greg Ryan (born January 21, 1957) was the head coach of the United States women's national soccer team. He was previously the head coach at University of Wisconsin-Madison, Southern Methodist University, and Colorado College, and was an assistant with the national team. On Monday October 22, 2007 U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati announced that Ryan's contract would not be extended past its December 31, 2007 expiration date. [Citation |last= |first= |title=U.S. Women's National Team Head Coach Greg Ryan's Contract Will Not Be Renewed |url=http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_3375104.html |accessdate=2007-10-22]

Ryan, a native of Dallas, Texas, attended the Southern Methodist University from 1975-1978. He played on the men's soccer team, earning first team All American honors his senior year.

The Minnesota Kicks of the North American Soccer League drafted Ryan in 1978. However, he played only one game for the team before it traded him to the Tulsa Roughnecks. The Roughnecks then traded Ryan to the New York Cosmos. Ryan finished the 1979 season with the Cosmos. They then traded Ryan to the Chicago Sting in the offseason. He remained with the Sting until the end of the NASL after the 1984 season. However, he played no games with the team in 1983. Ryan won two NASL championships as the Sting took both the 1981 and 1984 titles.

In 1983, Ryan entered the coaching ranks, while still playing, when he served as an assistant coach with Colorado College men's soccer team. [Citation |last= |first= |title=1983 Men's Soccer Roster |url=http://www.coloradocollege.edu/athletics/msoccer/Archives/83/83Roster.html |accessdate=2007-09-26] Ryan retired from playing after the collapse of the NASL in 1984 and moved to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he coached in various capacities until 1993. In 1991, he was named the women's college coach of the year. In 1996, he moved to Southern Methodist University where he compiled a 37-21-5 record as the women's soccer coach. In 1999, he moved back to Colorado College. [Citation |last=Crandall |first=Kate |title=Tigers return to national spotlight |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_20061110/ai_n16862317 |accessdate=2007-09-26] He coached the women's team until 2002, taking the team to a 40-28-6 record. That year he signed as an assistant coach with the U.S. Women's National Team. In 2005, he replaced April Heinrichs as head coach.

The national team finished first in first-round group play in the 2007 Women's World Cup held in China. In the quarterfinals, the team defeated England 3-0. Heading into the semifinal match against Brazil, Ryan decided to bench regular goalkeeper Hope Solo in favor of veteran goalkeeper Briana Scurry. The team subsequently lost to Brazil 0-4 and Ryan received considerable criticism for the sudden lineup change as well as defensive-minded substitutions made when the team arguably needed more offensive players to compete against the Brazilians.

Ryan was 45-1-9 from 2005 to 2007.

References

External links

* [http://www.ncaa.org/library/records/soccer/soccer_records_book/2002/15WomensCoaches.pdf NCAA coaching records]
* [http://www.ussoccerplayers.com/exclusives/480985.html SoccerPlayers.com interview with Ryan]