(Written: June 2012)
William “Bo” Ryan made UW-Platteville the premier men's basketball program during his 15-year tenure, which included four NCAA Division III national championships. He recorded a 353-76 record at UW-Platteville from 1985-99, and his 82.2 winning percentage was the best in the history of NCAA Division III basketball.
Ryan guided the Pioneers to eight conference titles and nine straight NCAA Division III playoff appearances. UW-Platteville won national titles in 1991, 1995, 1998 and 1999. His 1992 squad also advanced to the Final Four, where it placed third. In all, his Pioneer teams compiled a 30-5 record in NCAA tournament play.
In his final 12 seasons as the Pioneers’ leader, Ryan guided his team to a 314-37 record, including a phenomenal 157-7 home record. UW-Platteville was the winningest team in all of college basketball during the 1990s, with a 266-26 record – a 90.9 winning percentage. Ryan’s 1996-97 club set the all-time NCAA record (all divisions) for fewest points allowed at 47.5 points per game. He was named NABC National Coach of the Year four times and WIAC Coach of the Year on six occasions.
After coaching at UW-Milwaukee for two seasons, Ryan was named the head coach at the University of Wisconsin. In 2012, he was selected as the WIAC All-Time Co-Coach in men’s basketball in conjunction with the WIAC Centennial Celebration.
Ryan earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Wilkes University (Pa.). He resides in Middleton, Wis.