Knowledge Base Wiki

John J. Ryan

Ryan pictured in The Hilltop 1920, Marquette yearbook
Biographical details
Born	(1886-04-03)April 3, 1886 Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S.
Died	April 7, 1950(1950-04-07) (aged 64) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1906	New Hampshire
1908–1910	Dartmouth
Baseball
1909	Dartmouth
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1911–1912	St. Thomas (MN)
1916	Marquette (advisory)
1917–1921	Marquette
1922	Dartmouth (assistant)
1923–1924	Wisconsin
1925–1929	Northwestern (ends)
1934–1939	Northwestern (assistant)
Basketball
1917–1920	Marquette
Head coaching record
Overall	44–11–11 (football) 13–9 (basketball)

John Joseph Ryan (April 3, 1886 – April 7, 1950) was an American football and basketball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the College of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota from 1911 to 1912, at Marquette University from 1917 to 1921, and at the University of Wisconsin from 1923 to 1924, compiling a career college football record of 44–11–11. Ryan was also the head basketball coach at Marquette from 1917 to 1920, tallying a mark of 13–9.

Ryan was born on April 3, 1886, in Waterbury, Connecticut.^[1] He first attended New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts (which later became the University of New Hampshire), where he played quarterback on the 1906 New Hampshire football team.^[2] Ryan then attended Dartmouth College, where he played football, basketball, and baseball. He was captain of the 1910 Dartmouth football team.^[3][4]

After graduating from Dartmouth in 1911, Ryan began his coaching career at St. Thomas College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where he was the school's first resident athletic coach. He moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1914, where he worked for a flour milling firm based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He joined the football team at Marquette University in 1916 as an advisory coach under fellow Dartmouth alumnus, John B. McAuliffe. Ryan replaced McAuliffe as head coach the following year and held the post for five seasons, during which he compiled a record of 28–5–5. He returned to his alma mater in 1922 to serve as an assistant to Jackson Cannell.

In March 1923, Ryan was hired as the head football coach at the University of Wisconsin. He was also given the title of assistant professor and paid an annual salary of $6,000.^[5] Ryan helmed the Badgers football team for two seasons, tallying a mark of 5–6–4. He moved to Northwestern University in 1925, where he was the ends coach for five seasons under Glenn Thistlethwaite and Dick Hanley. Ryan returned to Hanley's staff as an assistant coach and scout in 1934, and continued on under Pappy Waldorf until 1939.^[3]

Ryan served on the board of school directors in Milwaukee from 1940 until his death. He died on April 7, 1950, at St. Mary's Hospital in Milwaukee.^[3]

• John J. Ryan at Find a Grave