A newcomer to the Gator program in January of 2006, Ryan Theis needed little time to establish his immense value as an assistant coach at Florida.
Entering his second season in Gainesville, Theis boasts seven years of Division I women's volleyball coaching experience and 11 years of overall coaching expertise. In his inaugural season at Florida, Theis served as the program’s offensive coordinator, as well as the team’s recruiting coordinator.
"Working at the University of Florida is an unbelievable experience," Theis said. "To be surrounded with great administration, facilities, coaches, staff, academics and student-athletes is truly an honor."
In just one season under his guidance, the Gators broke the school record for kills per game (16.94), while UF finished third in the nation in hitting percentage (.292) and eighth in kills per game en route to the program’s 16th-consecutive Southeastern Conference title and 12th 30-win season in the last 16 years. The Gators also led the SEC in nearly every statistical category including hitting percentage, assists per game (15.52) and kills per game.
No stranger to success in each of his four previous coaching stints, Theis brings a wealth of volleyball knowledge to the table. The evidence stems from the fact that at each of his prior coaching stops - Northwestern, Indiana, Eastern Illinois - Theis' teams advanced to the NCAA Championship.
Prior to arriving at Florida, Theis coached at Northwestern, where he helped guide the Wildcats to one of the most successful seasons in school history in 2005, as Northwestern advanced to the NCAA Championship second round and finished with a 20-12 record.
In his two seasons at NU, where he also handled the recruiting duties, Theis helped guide the Wildcats to one of the biggest turnarounds in the nation. One of the youngest teams in the Big Ten in 2004, the Wildcats posted a record of 10-20, but improved to 20-12 in 2005 as Northwestern received an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship. In 2005, the Wildcats tallied three wins against top-25 opponents and received votes in the AVCA poll in five different weeks.
Before his two-year stay in Evanston, Theis was an assistant coach at Indiana University from 2002-03, where his primary duties included scouting and game plan coordination, in addition to running IU's camps and assisting in player development. The Hoosiers made the NCAA Championship in 2002 and finished just outside the top-25 in the AVCA poll. While in Bloomington, Theis also served as the Indiana men's club team head coach.
Prior to arriving in the Big Ten, Theis was the top assistant at Eastern Illinois from 2000-01, where he served as recruiting coordinator. In his final season, the Panthers won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament to earn the program's first trip to the NCAA Championship.
Theis played collegiate volleyball at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1996, but the program was discontinued after the season. He then served as the head coach while playing for the UW-Milwaukee club team from 1997-00, and was a two-time All-Midwest 10 selection as a setter and a three-time team captain. The UW-Milwaukee club team finished in the top-25 in three-consecutive seasons during Theis' tenure as coach. In 1999-00, he also worked as a student assistant for the women's scholarship team.
Theis earned his bachelor's degree in kinesiology at UW-Milwaukee in 2000 and a master's degree in athletic administration/sport management from Eastern Illinois in 2002.
A native of Madison, Wis., Theis and his wife, Jenny, reside in Gainesville.
Theis At A Glance
Hometown: Madison, Wis.
College Degrees:
* B.S. Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2000
* M.S. Athletic Administration/Sport Management, Eastern Illinois, 2002
Coaching Experience:
* Head Coach, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's club, 1997-00
* Assistant Coach, Eastern Illinois, 2000-01
* Assistant Coach, Indiana University, 2002-03
* Head Coach, Indiana University men's club, 2002-03
* Assistant Coach, Northwestern University, 2004-05
* Assistant Coach, University of Florida, 2006-Present
Playing Experience:
* University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1996
* University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee club, 1997-00
Two-time All-Midwest 10
Three-time All-Conference
Three-time team captain
Family
* Wife: Jenny
