Following the Cavalier women's basketball team's 92-72 victory over Old Dominion, coach Debbie Ryan was surprised to hear the announcement that the women's locker room at John Paul Jones Arena will be named "The Debbie Ryan Locker Room."
"I'm still emotional about that," Ryan said, "My mom couldn't be here today, and I had no idea why she was so upset. She was hurt in a car accident four or five weeks ago. She couldn't make the trip. I had no idea [about the dedication], but now I know why she was so upset. It was very touching and I feel very humbled."
Ryan became head coach of the women's team in 1977 after working as an assistant with the basketball and field hockey programs and earning her master's degree in physical education from Virginia. She inherited a program that had only been in existence for four years and was struggling to gain attention among other sports programs.
The Cavaliers made their first NCAA Tournament appearance during the 1983-84 season, beginning a 20-year streak of appearing in the premier event in college basketball. Ryan's greatest successes came in the early 1990s, when Virginia advanced to the Final Four in the 1989-90 and 1991-92 seasons. Ryan's finest moment came in 1990-91, when her team made it all the way to the tournament championship. She was named Naismith Coach of the Year that year and has won ACC Coach of the Year seven times. Many alumni of her program, such as Dawn Staley, Val Ackerman and Heather and Heidi Burge, have gone on to illustrious careers in professional basketball.
Perhaps most impressive of all Ryan's statistics is the 100 percent graduation rate among her athletes who complete their four-year eligibility with the team, as well as the 16 Academic All-American awards they have earned. Her players also speak highly of her.
"It reflects a lot to be here for 30 years," center Siedah Williams said. "She has poured her heart and soul into this program. She deserves it. It's a great honor on her behalf."
In 2004-05, Ryan reached a historic milestone, recording her 600th win with Virginia. She is only the 11th women's basketball coach ever to reach that mark. She is only the fifth Division I coach, men's or women's, to reach 600 wins with the same school. Her career record currently stands at 634-263. Even opposing coaches have great respect for her accomplishments.
"I have a great deal of respect for what coach Ryan has done here; we talk often when we go to Nike [Convention] about being dinosaurs in the game," said Old Dominion head coach Wendy Larry, "There aren't too many of us left that have been at our respective institutions for 20 years or more."
Ryan's enormous success does not end with Virginia's team. She coached the USA Basketball women's team to a silver medal at the 2003 Pan American Games and has been a prominent figure in developing USA women's basketball. With talented players such as sophomore forward Lynda Littles, who was named ACC Player of the Week, Ryan's future at the University looks as bright as her past.
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