TOMMY RYAN

Tommy Ryan was a three-time Nassau County champion and three-time NYS place-winner (1985-87) who hailed from Wantagh, Long Island. In his senior year he was voted MOW at the county meet but a severe ankle injury at the state championships prevented him from a gold medal. He has made quite a name for himself through the sport of wrestling, and along with his older brother Frank brought the Wantagh Warrior wrestling program into the county spotlight in the mid-1980s. That winning tradition has carried over today as Wantagh HS is a Section Eight powerhouse and amongst the top teams in the Empire State.

Ryan had a brief stint at Syracuse University and then transferred to Iowa and wrestled for legendary coach Dan Gable. His NCAA accomplishments are:
• 1989 EIWA champion
• Two-time Big Ten champion
• Two-time NCAA All-American; runner-up in 1991 and bronze medalist in 1992

Ryan served as Hofstra wrestling coach from 2001-2006 and posted a 46-0-1 winning streak during a four-year span. He compiled a 109-82-2 dual meet mark during his tenure as head coach. He led the Pride to an impressive 11th place team finish at the 2006 NCAA Championships, coached 65 NCAA qualifiers and produced 11 NCAA All-Americans. He was voted NYS Coach-of-the Year on two separate occasions and was recently inducted into the Hofstra Athletic Hall-of-Fame.

After his Hofstra time, he relocated his family to Columbus, Ohio and embarked on the challenge of being the Ohio State University head wrestling coach. He has elevated  the Buckeyes to a new level, his teams are a perennial NCAA power. Some of his outstanding milestones at Ohio State include:
• Big Ten - 200-66 dual meet record
• Career coaching dual mark of 308-148-2

. 18 years as head coach at Ohio State

.  winningest coach in Ohio State wrestling history
• 12 NCAA championship NCAA titles with six wrestlers
• 70 NCAA All-Americans
• 2015 NCAA team champions
• Four NCAA runner-up team finishes – 2008-2009-2017-2018 

Ohio State (2-0) earned dual victories over Virginia Teach (24-12) and a 53-0 shutout over Edinboro this past Sunday at the Covelli Center to start the 2023-24 season. That victory was head coach Tommy Ryan's 200th dual meet victory.

Ryan was also voted two-time NCAA Coach-of-the-Year and this year inducted into the Ohio State Athletic Hall-of Fame. When asked what the OSU induction meant to him, Ryan responded: “It is an incredible honor and I am so grateful for the opportunity for myself and my family to come to Ohio, and extremely thankful that Gene Smith would take a chance on a Hofstra man." He added: “I think the magic is establishing relationships with the student/athletes and I just love coaching.” He currently resides in Columbus, with his wife Lynette, and have four children, Jordan, Jake, Teague and MacKenzie.

Tom Ryan - Ohio State Head Coach 

OHIO STATE HEAD COACH

TOM RYAN RECENTLY INDUCTED INTO HOFSTRA ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME ​​​​​​​​​​​​​