Charles Ryan is entering his fifth season with the Hornets and had his hand in winning back-to-back women's indoor SWAC Championships, back-to-back outdoor SWAC Championships (women) and the 2017 SWAC Indoor Championship (men).
Ryan joined Alabama State's coaching staff in August 2015 after a very successful stint at the Academy of Art University, a NCAA Division II program located in San Francisco, Calif. As Head Coach of the Urban Knights, Ryan directed the fledgling program into the NCAA history books winning not one but two NCAA Championships in the programs inaugural year of eligibility. The first being the 2013 NCAA DII Women’s Indoor Championships.
Later that spring the Urban Knight's Women’s team was crowned Outdoor National Champions as well and Coach Ryan being honored as the 2013 National Head Coach of the Year by the USTFCCCA.
Ryan took over as head of the program in the fall of 2010-11 season building the foundation for the programs rise to NCAA Eligible status in 2012-13. In his time at Art U Ryan produced 60 NCAA All-American awards. 4 times his athletes were honored as the USTFCCCA Regional Athletes of the year. His most decorated athlete, Vashti Thomas, was named the National Athlete of the Year in 2013. In addition to the success on the track Ryan’s athletes also garnered multiple D2ADA Academic Achievement Awards and served the community of the San Francisco Bay Area with numerous volunteer activities.
Prior to his stint at Art U. Ryan was an Assistant Coach at Louisiana Tech University where he lead the Men’s and Women’s Sprints/Hurdles from 2007-08 through 2010. During his three seasons at La Tech, Ryan produced 25 Individual WAC Conference (Western Athletic Conference) Champions, 72 All-WAC Awards, 59 NCAA Championship Qualifiers, and 5 La Tech program records. His most decorated athlete, Antoinette Cobb won the 2010 Honda Inspiration Award .
In fall of 2005 Ryan Co-founded a sports educational project for high school students looking to pursue college athletics called Track Knoxville. In the three years of the program Ryan helped over 90% of his student-athletes find a path to a university education. His athletes set two HS National Records, won five Individual National Championships, six All-American awards, 10 TSSAA Individual State Champions, and two TSSAA State Team Championships for Knoxville West HS where he volunteered his time. His most decorated athlete, Jacquelyn Coward, went on to be named to the ESPN All-Decade All-American Team and was a multiple All American award winner for University of Central Florida. Coward is now pursuing the 2016 Rio Olympics under Ryan’s direction and is also volunteering her time coaching on the ASU Staff.
Ryan attended UCLA and graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2004 with a BA degree in Sociology. He has continued his professional education earing an IAAF Level five Coaching distinction in Sprints/Hurdles. Ryan is also USATF Level II Certified in the Jumps.
