South Arkansas College has named John Thomas Ryan as its new head women’s basketball coach.
An Arkansas native, Ryan most recently was an assistant women’s basketball coach and junior varsity head basketball coach at NAIA Crowley’s Ridge College. Prior, he was an assistant at John Brown University during that school’s 2024 NAIA National Tournament run, following a conference championship and 27-game winning streak.
Ryan, who is a graduate of Arkansas Tech University with a master’s degree in liberal arts and of Ouachita Baptist University with a bachelor’s degree in business management, also had coaching stints at NCAA Division III University of the Ozarks and NCCAA Ecclesia College.
He brings a deep passion for student-athlete development, competitive excellence and community engagement, according to athletic director Jenny Sanders. She added that with coaching experience across multiple levels of play, he has built a strong foundation in program building, recruiting, player development and scouting.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Ryan to the SouthArk family,” Sanders said. “His commitment to integrity, academic excellence and performing competitively aligns perfectly with the vision we have for our women's basketball program. We believe he will lead with both heart and discipline.”
Ryan will begin officially on July 1, Sanders said, focusing on recruitment, community engagement and season preparation.
“I am excited and honored to be given the opportunity to serve as the head women’s basketball coach for South Arkansas College,” Ryan said. “I look forward to building a program based on respect, hard work and a competitive spirit that will make SouthArk and El Dorado proud.”
Ryan, who will be the fifth women’s basketball coach in SouthArk history, replaces Jon Piggott, who coached the Stars in the 2024-2025 season.