EKU women's basketball head coach Greg Todd announced the hiring of Veronica Ryan as an assistant coach on July 5, 2022.
In her first season with EKU, Ryan helped the program to a 18-14 record and 11-7 mark in ASUN Conference play, including the team's second consecutive appearance in the ASUN quarterfinals. Ryan aided in the transition of five newcomers, four transfers, including Antwainette Walker who was named ASUN Newcomer of the Year and First Team All-ASUN.
"It is great to bring in a young coach with so much experience with long stints as an assistant and some interim head coach responsibilities. She was raised in a basketball family (Dad's a college coach). Veronica knows how to face adversity with five knee surgeries in her playing career. We are thrilled to have her." said Todd.
Ryan joins EKU after spending the previous two seasons as an associate head coach for the University of West Alabama on Rusty Cram’s staff. Over her three years with the Tigers, Veronica was the primary recruiting coordinator and responsible for the offensive play calling for her final two seasons at UWA.
During the 2021-22 season at UWA, Ryan guided the team to their second-straight winning season for the first time in over 17 years and set the offensive scheme for the team’s win over DI New Orleans by 20 points. The Tigers led the GSC in field-goal percentage and made the conference tournament in consecutive seasons.
The team has another winning season in 2020-21 with Ryan as the associate head coach, finishing the season with a 10-8 record another appearance in the GSC Conference Tournament.
In her three-year tenure with West Alabama, Ryan helped lead the team to 36 wins and was a key member in signing two DI recruits in Rose Smith (Maryland-Eastern Shore), Gabriella Felkins (Georgia Southern), and a JUCO All-American Maryanna Logsdon. She also aided in the development of five all-conference selections, including a first-team member in 2021.
Prior to her time at UWA, Ryan spent two seasons with the College of Central Florida women’s basketball program, serving as an assistant coach and a brief stint as the interim head coach.
Ryan was a participant (2017) and panelist (2018) for two-straight years at the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s (WBCA) “So You Want to Ba a Coach” program.
Veronica signed with Nicholls State University before finishing her collegiate career at Georgia College. After battling through six knee surgeries through seven years as a student-athlete, Ryan decided to pursue a career in coaching, given the unique opportunity to continue with the program as a student assistant coach.
Ryan began her playing career at Palm Beach State College, where she earned first-team all-state and first-team all-conference while serving as the team captain.
She has won the National Community Service Award and worked as a Special Olympics basketball coach, a Boys and Girls Club volunteer, and a Camp Patriot basketball counselor. Along with various coaching roles in the high school and AAU scene.
Ryan, a native of Clearwater, Fla., earned a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from George College in 2017.
