Overview
- Iowa State announced Thursday that head coach Bill Fennelly has elevated Emily Ryan from graduate assistant to a full-time assistant coach for the 2026-27 season.
- Ryan served as a graduate assistant in 2025-26 after a five-year playing career from 2020-25 in which she set the school record with 993 assists and finished with 1,632 points.
- The promotion fills a vacancy created this offseason when associate head coach Jodi Steyer retired and assistant Latoja Schaben accepted a job at Texas State, while Caroline McCombs was named associate head coach earlier.
- Ryan mentored Cyclone point guards last season and earned All-Big 12 and all-defensive honors as a player, credentials Fennelly said will help teach the program’s style and standards.
- By promoting an alumna with deep program ties, Iowa State aims to keep continuity for player development and recruiting and to strengthen the team’s coaching pipeline from former players to staff.