Education: 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, 2006-08 Head Coach, Ohio University, 2008-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 Children: Carter
Individual Bobcat Honors Under Ryan Theis One athlete with two All-America honors One athlete with two AVCA All-Mideast Region honors Six athletes with 11 All-MAC honors One athlete with two MAC Player of the Year awards One athlete with one MAC Freshman of the Year award Five athletes with six MAC All-Tournament honors Three athletes with three MAC Tournament MVP awards Seven Academic All-MAC honorees earning a total of 11 awards
It hasn't take long for Ryan Theis to make an impact on the Ohio University volleyball program, capturing three-consecutive Mid-American Conference Tournament titles and leading the Bobcats to the NCAA Championship Tournament in his first three seasons on the bench.
Named the 11th head coach in program history on March 17, 2008, Theis immediately translated his reputation as both a superior tactician and one of the nation's premier recruiters into positive results. He is the third head coach in school history to post a winning record during each of his first three seasons. His current overall record of 73-28, including a 38-10 record in MAC regular season play, also features consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament Second Round for only the second time in program history. In 2008, Theis became only the second coach to win the MAC Tournament and take Ohio to the NCAA Championship in his initial year at the helm. He was also only one of three head coaches nationally to lead his team to a berth in the NCAA Champtionship during his first season in charge.
In addition to the team success that Ohio has achieved under Theis' direction, the Bobcats have also garnered a host of individual awards during his short time with the Green & White.
Outside hitter Ellen Herman turned in one of the most decorated careers in program history, capturing AVCA All-America and All-Mideast Region honors, as well as being named two-time MAC Player of the Year and All-MAC selection, and MAC Tournament MVP in two seasons under Theis. This past season, Sue Jacobi, Michelle Jantsch and Katie Post were named as All-MAC selections and Lexie Hartnett was named the conference's Freshman of the Year. In three seasons, Theis has had 11 All-MAC selections, a conference Freshman of the Year and 11 All-Academic MAC selections. He has also had three different players (Herman, Sarah Petrulis and Mandy Nichols) named MAC Tournament MVP.
Not content to measure the success of his program solely by its on-court accomplishments, Theis has also made academic achievement a priority for the Ohio volleyball team. In 2008, the Bobcats placed a program-record and league-high five student-athletes on the Academic All-MAC team. In 2009, the team's overall GPA during the academic year was 3.58. The team has also achieved a top-10 APR score during the first three years of Theis' tenure, earning them multiple AVCA Team Academic Awards. This past season, everyone on the team achieved a GPA above a 3.2 and once again, led the MAC with three individuals being named to the All-Academic Team.
The Madison, Wis., native has also committed to the Ohio volleyball program to play an active role in the Athens community. In addition to holding youth clinics at the Athens Community Center and sponsoring a local youth baseball team, the team also participates in the Little Bobcat Club during the season as a means of giving area youth an opportunity to interact with Ohio players and enhance their volleyball skills. During the spring of 2010, the team also held a day clinic for the Future Women of Appalachia. The team also participates in numerous university and athletics initiatives like Rufus Reads, a program that helps educate the youth of Athens' local community.
The Bobcats also joined in the fight against breast cancer, donating over $9,000 to the Side-Out Foundation the last three years. Fans routinely pack The Convo for Ohio's Dig Pink Night and it is always one of the most well-attended sporting events on the Ohio Athletics calendar. This season, the team raised $3,700 and for their work off the court, the team was awarded a philanthropic award by the Side-Out Foundation.
Prior to his arrival in Athens, Theis accumulated eight years of Division I women's volleyball coaching experience and more than a dozen seasons of overall coaching expertise. In addition to his coaching duties, he spent six of those years in the role of recruiting coordinator at three different institutions.
Theis spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at the University of Florida, where he left an indelible mark on one of the most storied college women's volleyball programs. During his two years in Gainesville, the Gators compiled a record of 59-6 (38-2 Southeastern Conference), won two SEC titles and advanced to the NCAA regional semifinals twice.
Already known for its high-powered attack, UF took its offensive game to another level with Theis on the bench. The Gators broke the school record for kills per game in each of his two seasons on staff, recording an average of 16.94 in 2006 and shattering that mark with a clip of 17.49 the following year. Florida ranked among the nation's top five teams in hitting percentage in both of Theis' years with the program, while the Orange and Blue also led the SEC in kills per game, hitting percentage and assists per game in both campaigns.
In his time at UF, Theis also continued to cultivate his reputation as a top-notch recruiter. His first recruiting class at Florida, which comprised the Gators' freshman class in 2007, included two of the nation's top 30 high school players and rated among the 10 best classes in the country. Theis was also critical in the signing of the Gators' 2008 class, which featured four players in the national top 30, including the top overall recruit, and was named the nation's No. 1 class by PrepVolleyball.com.
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 - Florida, Northwestern, Indiana and Eastern Illinois - Theis helped guide teams to NCAA Championship berths.
Theis was an assistant and handled recruiting duties at Northwestern for two seasons, helping guide the Wildcats to one of the most successful campaigns in school history in 2005. NU was just 10-20 in 2004, but finished 20-12 in 2005 and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship, where Theis and the Wildcats advanced to the second round.
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 head coach of the Indiana men's club team.
Prior to arriving in the Big Ten, Theis was the top assistant at Eastern Illinois from 2000-01, where he also served as recruiting coordinator. In his final season, the Panthers won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament to earn the program's first-ever trip to the NCAA Championship.
Theis began his collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1996, but the program was discontinued after the season. He then served as 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 AT A GLANCE
ree seasons, Theis has had 11 All-MAC selections, a conference Freshman of the Year and 11 All-Academic MAC selections. He has also had three different players (Herman, Sarah Petrulis and Mandy Nichols) named MAC Tournament MVP. 
