JOHN GIANNINI (LA SALLE) GOES ONE-ON-ONE WITH BO RYAN
(WISCONSIN)
November
21, 2008
I
have known Bo Ryan for many years so it is no surprise to
me that he has enjoyed a great deal of success at the
University of Wisconsin. Bo put together an impressive
resume at the University of Wisconsin Platteville. He
built that program into a division III powerhouse before
moving on to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In his
brief time at Milwaukee he elevated the program, helping
to set the table for their run to the Sweet Sixteen.
While he has spent virtually his entire career coaching in
the state of Wisconsin, Bo is actually a Philly guy. He
can tell some great stories about his beloved Eagles and
Phillies. His passion for his Philly teams is surpassed
only by his passion for his job and his family. Bo Ryan is
truly one of the great people in our profession and I
proud to call him a friend.
Recently I had a chance to catch up with Bo at the
Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
JOHN GIANNINI: What is the toughest thing you have
ever had thrown at you in the course of a game that you
were able to work through?
BO RYAN: I have tried to prepare for everything. We
have had cases where we have practiced playing against a
zone in preparation for an opponent that played
exclusively man-to-man. We have worked on a lot of those
types of scenarios so I don’t think I would say I was ever
surprised by something the opposition did during a game.
But there is one thing that does stand out, but it
occurred before the game.
When I was coaching at Platteville we arrived 90 minutes
before the start of a game and the baskets were all the
way up in the rafters. We were literally sitting around
twiddling our thumbs waiting for the custodian to show up
and lower the baskets. That was something I had not
anticipated. The following year it was the exact same
scenario, but this time we were prepared. We brought own
basketballs with us and worked on some ball-handling
drills.
By the way we won both games so the tactic didn’t work
(laughing).
JOHN GIANNINI: Name one coach who you don't know
personally, but you have admired from afar?
BO RYAN: A lot of guys fall into that category. One
guy that I really admire is Charlie Manual (Philadelphia
Phillies manager). He really persevered during some tough
times. As you know Philadelphia can be a tough town when
things are not going well, but Charlie never wavered. He
never panicked and he believed in his players. If you
followed that team you would see how the player responded
to him. They had a lot of respect for him and his
approach.
I really admired the way he hung in there. He showed that,
like me, he’s more than just another pretty face
(laughing).
JOHN GIANNINI: By nature we are all creatures of
habit. After so many years of coaching has your game day
routine and approach changed in any way?
BO RYAN: I always get a workout in, at which time I
will watch some game tape. It’s not always tape on that
day’s opponent. I have pretty extensive library of
different situations, just as reminders of all the things
that can happen during the course of game. That’s really
become a game day ritual, but nothing has more routine
than my wife, Kelly, driving me to every game. In all my
years of coaching she has only failed to drive me to game
once. And that was because she was giving birth to our
daughter, Brenna who is now a college freshman.
JOHN GIANNINI: What is the best thing about the
University of Wisconsin?
BO RYAN: The fact that they are committed to doing
things the right way. It starts with the Board of Regents
and the Athletic Board, but everyone involved with the
University has the same mission. The decisions the board
makes are not always popular, but the intentions are
always to maintain a level of excellence. The people here
really want to make the world a better place. A lot of
people talk about doing great things, but here they
actually do them.
JOHN GIANNINI: Okay Bo where were you when the
Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays to win the second World
Series in club history?
BO RYAN: (Laughing) I was signing autographs. We
had just finished our Red-White scrimmage, which had been
scheduled a month in advance. It was funny because the
game was on the television in the concourse, but we had
our own things going on so I was unable watch at all. Just
as the final out was recorded, someone yelled over to me
from press row. I told the kids that they would have to
excuse me for one moment. I walked over to see the
celebration on TV and then went back to sign some more
autographs. My son, Matt, was taping the game so I could
watch it later that night.
I
have known Bo Ryan for many years so it is no surprise to
me that he has enjoyed a great deal of success at the
University of Wisconsin. Bo put together an impressive
resume at the University of Wisconsin Platteville. He
built that program into a division III powerhouse before
moving on to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In his
brief time at Milwaukee he elevated the program, helping
to set the table for their run to the Sweet Sixteen. 