San José, Calif. – Charles Ryan has been named as San José State University's next director of track & field and cross country, Spartan Director of Athletics Jeff Konya announced Saturday.
Ryan is the first Black director of men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field in San José State history.
"We are thrilled to announce Charles Ryan as the next Director of Track and Field and Cross Country for Speed City," said Director of Athletics Jeff Konya. "Charles has been a coach, leader and instructor at multiple levels while also distinguishing himself as an All-American athlete throughout his collegiate career. His depth of experiences made him the candidate to lead our legendary programs here at San José State."
a new era for a historic program!
— SJSU Track & Field/Cross Country (@SanJoseStTFXC) August 14, 2021
Director of Track & Field and Cross Country @CWRyanIII has a message for @1SpartanNation ??#SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/mAjRKyT34U
Ryan comes to Speed City with 14 years of NCAA coaching experience, most recently serving as an assistant coach specializing in men's and women's sprints, hurdles and relays at UC Berkeley. A hurdles specialist, he competed as a freshman and sophomore for UCLA and at South Carolina as a junior and a senior. Ryan's 8.08 in the indoor 60-meter high hurdles and his 13.69 in the 110-meter hurdles still rank in the top-10 all-time at UCLA. The San José State position is the Richmond, Calif., native's third program in Northern California, enjoying previous stints with the Golden Bears and Academy of Art University (2010-2015).
"First of all, I would like to thank Director of Athletics Jeff Konya and the hiring committee for their belief in me and our shared vision for the future of this program," says Ryan. "There is no legacy in our profession more valuable or important than San José State track & field, aka Speed City. I am honored to be entrusted with the program and will work diligently to restore the alumni's trust in our direction. I am very proud of the work I have done the past two years in Berkeley under the fantastic leadership of Robyne Johnson and I could not be more excited about the future here at San José State."
Ryan joined the Golden Bears after spending four years at Alabama State, helping lead the Hornets to 10 SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference) championships while on staff. He also coached individuals to 33 conference titles, eight school records and 37 NCAA Championships berths.
"Charles is a rising star in the track and field ranks," says Mike Holloway, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics U.S. Track & Field Head Coach. "His passion for the sport and for enhancing the lives of young men and women is unmatched. Charles will not only bring excitement to the San José State track & field and cross country programs, but to the SJSU community as a whole."
As the head coach at Academy of Art, the Urban Knights took home two NCAA Division II championships under Ryan's guidance. He received the 2013 United States Track & Field & Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA DII National Head Coach of the Year award after leading the team to a sweep of the NCAA women's indoor and outdoor titles in the squad's first season of postseason eligibility.
His roots in the Bay Area run deep as Ryan graduated in 1999 from McClymonds High School in Oakland, Calif. While in high school, he was an All-America high hurdler for then McClymonds head track and field coach Alonzo Carter on Carter's Junior Olympics team.
Carter – now the assistant head coach for the San José State football program – has served as a mentor to Ryan for over two decades.
"When this job opened up, I told him that the opportunity to be a Black head coach at such a young age was really important," Carter says. "He will bring a lot of personality to the program. He's a local guy who understands the dynamics of the Bay Area and he already has a major footprint in the state as a coach and former athlete. I think he's going to take things to a whole new level here."
Ryan has worked with a number of world-class athletes, most notably former Academy of Art star Vashti Thomas. The daughter of former San Jose State men's basketball center and one-time school record holder for blocked shots Gerald Thomas (1984-88), she placed fifth in the long jump at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials. In 2013, Thomas was named the USTFCCCA NCAA Division 2 National Athlete of the Year and earned a gold medal in the 100 meter hurdles at the World University Games.
Succeeding both on the track and in the classroom, Ryan's student-athletes garnered multiple D2ADA Academic Achievement Awards while he was with the Urban Knights. In addition, Ryan co-founded a sports educational project in 2005 titled Track Knoxville for high school students looking to pursue college athletics. In the three years of the program, he helped over 90 percent of his student-athletes find a path to a university education.
Prior to his stint at Academy of Art, Ryan led the men's and women's sprints and hurdles as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech from 2007-10. During his three years in Ruston, the Bulldogs produced 25 individual WAC (Western Athletic Conference) champions, 59 NCAA Championships qualifiers and earned 72 All-WAC awards.
Graduating from South Carolina in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in sociology, Ryan earned All-SEC honors in track and field.
Ryan has continued his professional education, earning IAAF Level five coaching distinction in sprints/hurdles. He is also USATF Level II certified in the jumps and received a USTFCCCA Strength and Conditioning Coach Certificate in 2016.