World Class Soccer & Sports Path Int’l

2007 Raleigh Seminar Presenter

Greg Ryan

Greg Ryan was named as the fifth head coach in U.S. Women’s National Team history on April 8, 2005, and served in that capacity until Oct. 22 of 2007.

Ryan led the USA to unprecedented success time at the helm, a major statement considering the long history of winning for the U.S. Women’s National Team. Ryan compiled an overall record of 45-1-9, the best winning percentage of any coach in U.S. history, with the only loss in regulation time coming in the semifinal of the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The team rebounded to take third place in the WWC with a rousing 4-1 win over Norway. Under Ryan, the USA won two Algarve Cup tournaments in Portugal, two Four Nations Tournaments in China, the Peace Cup in South Korea and qualified for the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup while winning the 2006 CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup. In 2005, the team went 8-0-1 and did not allow a goal the entire year, the only time a U.S. team had accomplished that feat in a calendar while playing that many games. In 2006, the team went 18-0-4, and in 2007 the USA was 19-1-4. In 2007, Ryan oversaw his second Residency Training Camp with the U.S. Women’s National Team at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., leading into the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Under Ryan, numbers young players blossomed into impact international players including Leslie Osborne, Hope Solo, Carli Lloyd and Natasha Kai. Ryan gave first caps to 19 players during his tenure.

Prior to being named head coach, he had been an assistant coach for the U.S. Women’s National Team, starting in January of 2004, and was part of April Heinrichs’ staff that helped win the Olympic gold medal and set a record for wins in a calendar year at 28 (28-2-4). Ryan also served as the U.S. Women’s National Staff Coach for Region IV since 2002 before leaving that post to work full-time on Heinrichs’ staff in 2005.

Ryan, a USSF “A” licensed coach has conducted numerous U.S. Soccer Coaching Education and Licensing courses and has extensive experience as a head coach in Division I women’s soccer. He served as the head coach of Colorado College from 1999-2002, compiling a record of 40-28-6. Prior to his stint in Colorado Springs, Ryan was the head women’s soccer coach at Southern Methodist University from 1996-1999, compiling a record of 37-21-5, which included a trip to the NCAA tournament in 1997. Ryan was also the head women’s soccer coach at the University of Wisconsin from 1986-1993, where he lead the Badgers to a 108-32-12 record and five trips to the NCAA tournament, almost all when just 12 teams made the tournament. Ryan led UW to two appearances in the NCAA Final Four (1988 and 1991) and one trip to NCAA Championship Game in 1991, where the Badgers fell to UNC, 3-1.

Ryan began his coaching career in 1983 as an assistant with the Colorado College men’s team in between North American Soccer League (NASL) indoor and outdoor seasons. Following the completion of his professional career in 1985, Ryan began his head coaching career with Wisconsin.

Ryan was a First-Team All-American at SMU in 1978, after which he went on to play six seasons in the NASL from 1979-1984. Ryan started his pro career with the Tulsa Roughnecks before being traded to the New York Cosmos in 1979, where he played with legends Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto and Georgio Chinaglia among others. Ryan then was traded to the Chicago Sting, where he played his final five pro seasons. Ryan won an NASL title with the Sting, coming off the bench in Soccer Bowl ’81 as Chicago won the championship in a shootout over the New York Cosmos after tying 0-0 in regulation.

A native of Dallas, Texas, Ryan returned to SMU after his pro career and earned his BA in biology. He also earned his Teachers Certification in Biology from SMU in 1986.