Chris Ryan has been the head coach of the Mercyhurst men's lacrosse team since 2001 after spending two years as an assistant coach for the Lakers.
The 2007 season saw Mercyhurst rise to new heights. The program was ranked No. 1 in the country for the first time ever on April 9 and held onto the spot for five consecutive weeks through the end of the regular season. Mercyhurst hosted an NCAA Final Four game for the first time, defeating New York Institute of Technology 13-10. The win sent the Lakers to the National Championship game for the first time after three losses in the semifinals. Despite a last-second loss to Le Moyne, Ryan was named USILA Coach of the Year, finishing the season with an overall record of 13-2.
Ryan has a seven-season mark of 75-22 and was named USILA Division II Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2007. In 2004 Ryan was chosen to coach the North Division I All-Star team in the Senior All-Star Game. He currently is the Division II USILA representative to the NCAA and is a member of the Central Regional Advisory Committee. Entering the 2007 season, his 62 career wins were the 10th most among active Division II coaches and his .756 winning percentage was third.
Ryan played two years at Monroe Community College, where he was a two-time Academic All-America, team captain and was selected to play in the Junior College North-South game. After two years at MCC, Ryan moved to Randolph-Macon College where he was a two-time Second Team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference defenseman and team captain in his senior year. Before assuming the head coaching duties after the 2000 season, Ryan served as Mercyhurst's assistant coach, working primarily with the defense and serving as the recruiting coordinator.
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