With 42 years of dedicated service to Eckerd College, Tom Ryan has built a lasting legacy as a student-athlete, hall of famer, championship-winning coach, and Director of Athletics.

Administration

Ryan was named Acting Director of Athletics in May 2017 and formally appointed the college’s fourth Director of Athletics in October 2018. Now entering his ninth year in the role for the 2025-26 year, he continues to lead the department through record-setting progress in academics, fundraising, facilities, student well-being, and competitive success.

Under his leadership:

• Eckerd achieved back-to-back historic years academically with a record 3.45 department GPA in 2023-24, followed by shattering the record with a 3.52 GPA in 2024-25. 
• The Tritons have earned the NCAA Presidents’ Award for Academic Excellence for 14 consecutive years, one of just seven schools in DII to do so. EC’s ASR of 91 percent in 2024, ranked tied for 28th nationally. 
• The Tritons made 20 NCAA/ICSA postseason appearances over his tenure. He led Eckerd to highlights in the 2022-23 season, inducing the first-ever women’s golf appearance, women’s basketball to the Sweet 16, as part of the second most appearances in a year by the department.  
• 15 All-Americans and 12 Conference Players of the Year, highlighted by tying the most All-Americans by the department in a year in 2022-23.  
• Eckerd expanded to 16 teams with the revitalization of men’s and women’s cross country in the fall of 2025. 
• Fundraising reached all-time highs, including:
  • Record breaking marks each month of giving for the Triton Family Challenge, with $129,832 raised from 575 donors most recently in November 2024.
  • Record-setting numbers at the annual Tritons Dinner Auction in 2023 and 2024, and over $200,000 in each of the last two years
  • Launching the James R. Harley Athletic Endowment.
  • Record participation in the Matthew T. McDermott Annual Golf Scholarship Tournament for the past four consecutive years
• Ryan completed major facility upgrades:
  • $3.5 million renovation of the McArthur Center with a new entrance, sports medicine facility, locker rooms for volleyball and basketball, and lounge for all student-athletes, new navy bleachers, sound system, branding, new court design, and an upper-level viewing deck. 
  • $600,000 renovation of the Baker Beach Volleyball Complex in 2024 inducing an expansion to four-varsity courts, berm seating, and live streaming. 
  • $100,000 enhancements to the weight room for new equipment and branding
• Eckerd student-athletes continue to spend countless hours in the community, participating in numerous events, including the holiday reading tour, MLK Parade, hurricane clean-up, first-year move-in, Be The Match, National Girls and Women in Sports Day event, and much more.   
• He established numerous programs to aid student-athlete growth, leadership, well-being, and retention, including the Triton Together Peer Mentoring program, cardiac screening for all student-athletes, launching the Morgan's Message chapter for mental health, and the Athletic Diversity Action Committee (ADAC). ADAC was a 2022 finalist for the NCAA Division II Award of Excellence.
• In the tenure of his administrative role, Ryan has also increased scholarships for all of Eckerd's programs. 

Coaching Career

Before moving into administration, Ryan served 23 seasons as head coach of the Eckerd men’s basketball team, retiring in 2019 as the program’s all-time wins leader with 434 victories.

Career highlights include:

• 11 NCAA Tournament appearances as head coach
• Elite Eight appearance in 2003
• Two Sweet 16 Appearances (2007, 2018)
• Five SSC Championships 
• SSC regular season and tournament champion in 2016
• Three SSC Coach of the Year honors (1998, 2001, 2016)
• Four All-Americans, one SSC Player of the Year, one SSC Freshman of the Year  
• NABC National Coach of the Year 2001
• NABC South District Coach of the Year in 2001
•  447-233 overall record

He was only the second man in Eckerd history to stand on the sidelines of the McArthur Center hardwood, following the legendary Jim Harley.  Ryan surpassed his mentor as the program's all-time wins leader on February 21, 2018, with his 421st victory.

Ryan served as top assistant to legendary coach Jim Harley from 1987–1996.

Athletic Background & Education

Ryan has previously served as the athletic department’s facilities director and compliance officer. He was an assistant athletic director from 1989-2004 before being promoted to associate athletic director.

Ryan was a standout point guard for Eckerd from 1983–87, helping lead the Tritons to 66 wins. 

He graduated with a B.S. in Management in 1987 and later earned a Master’s in Education from Nova Southeastern University in 1994.

He was inducted into the Eckerd Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.

Personal

Ryan remains active in the community, co-organizing the annual “Christmas for Kids” event with his family and local partners—retired Dean of Students Lena Wilfalk, and local businessmen Billy Hume - help families in need in the St. Pete community with toys, food, and household items. Through the work of "Christmas for Kids," Eckerd has been named a finalist for the Division II Award of Excellence three times. 

A native of Fort Lauderdale, Ryan resides in St. Petersburg with his wife, Kristy (Eckerd ’91). They have four children: Thomas Joseph IV, Delaney Shaye, Colton Michael, and Collin.

Head Coaching Record