RYAN THEIS

HEAD COACH

Marquette head coach Ryan Theis will begin his 10th season at the helm of the Golden Eagles in 2023 and was named the fifth head women's volleyball coach in Marquette University history on Feb. 14, 2014.

Theis (pronounced TICE) is in the top 15 among active NCAA Division I head coaches in winning percentage (.746; 355-121 career record) and has a 212-67 record at Marquette. In his 15 years as a head coach he has never had fewer than 21 wins in a full season with a career-best 29 victories with the Golden Eagles in 2022. He also led Marquette to 28-win seasons in both 2018 and 2019 and trips to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2018 and 2022.

Theis holds the highest winning percentage among head coaches in MU history (.760) and has guided Marquette to NCAA appearances in all eight of his full seasons in Milwaukee. Over the past five seasons, the Golden Eagles rank among the nation's very best in both total wins (121) and winning percentage (.818) and have averaged nearly 28 wins over the last four full seasons.

The Golden Eagles made their second trip to the NCAA regional semifinals in 2022 by sweeping then-No. 13 Georgia Tech in the NCAA Second Round at the Al McGuire Center. In total, MU went 29-4 in 2022 and its lone losses came at BIG EAST rival Creighton (twice), at then-No. 6 Wisconsin and to the No. 1 and eventual national champion Texas Longhorns in the Sweet 16. The Golden Eagles earned the top seed in the BIG EAST Championship with a sweep of then No. 11 Creighton on Nov. 19 to claim a share of their second BIG EAST regular season crown in as many years.

MU's success in 2022 came with seven newcomers on the roster and an entirely new coaching staff. The Golden Eagles returned less than a third of their 2021 totals in most statistical categories and newcomers Yadhira Anchante and Aubrey Hamilton led MU in assists and kills, respectively. Anchante was an AVCA All-American during her first season in Division I and earned BIG EAST Setter of the Year honors. Middle Blocker Carsen Murray joined Anchante as a unanimous All-BIG EAST selection after leading the league in hitting percentage and ranking ninth nationally (.416). Anchante, Murray, Hamilton, Jenna Reitsma and Hattie Bray each earned all-conference accolades while Ella Foti joined Bray on the league's all-rookie team.

Marquette made its 10th NCAA tournament appearance in 2021 while earning a share of its first BIG EAST Conference regular season title since 2013. The Golden Eagles went 26-6 overall and 16-2 in league play, while winning early season tournaments at Hawaii, Illinois State and their own Marquette Invitational. Graduate students Hope Werch, Savannah Rennie and Taylor Wolf each earned All-BIG EAST Team recognition for their play, while Wolf was BIG EAST Co-Player of the Year and an AVCA All-America honorable mention.

Theis guided Marquette to a 28-6 record in 2019, including a mark of 16-2 in BIG EAST action and a high ranking of No. 7 in the AVCA Coaches Poll during September. The Golden Eagles advanced to the NCAA Second Round by sweeping Dayton in West Lafayette, Indiana before falling to Purdue, 3-1. MU was led by BIG EAST Player of the Year Allie Barber, who became the all-time kills leader in program history and was the first player ever at MU to earn AVCA All-America recognition three times. Barber capped her record-setting career by earning CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year honors as well as being named a Senior CLASS Award First Team All-American.

Marquette began the 2019 campaign with wins at No. 9 BYU, 3-1, on Aug. 31 and a five-set victory at No. 4 Wisconsin on Sept. 5. The victory over the Badgers, which came in a nationally televised appearance on FS1, was the first for Marquette and came in the 21st meeting in series history.

The 2018 season was a banner year for Theis and Marquette as the Golden Eagles earned an eighth consecutive NCAA tournament berth and were seeded nationally (No. 14) for the first time in program history.  A pair of sweeps in the first and second rounds over High Point and Cincinnati, respectively, sent Marquette to its first-ever Sweet 16 appearance and a program-best final ranking at No 15. Barber was named to the AVCA All-American second team, Martha Konovodoff an honorable mention All-American and the Golden Eagles earned the AVCA team academic award. Barber was the AVCA East Coast Player of the Year, while along with Konovodoff, Jenna Rosenthal and Anna Haak, earned All-BIG EAST honors.

Theis guided Marquette to 22 wins and a 15-3 BIG EAST record in 2017, while reaching the finals of the 2017 BIG EAST Championship.  He led the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year, while Barber was selected as BIG EAST Player of the Year and Hope Werch earned league freshman of the year honors. In addition, three Marquette players (Barber, Rosenthal, Lauren Speckman) earned All-BIG EAST honors. The Golden Eagles earned a seventh-consecutive NCAA tournament berth, falling in the first round to Wisconsin.

The 2016 campaign saw the Golden Eagles earn a sixth-straight NCAA tournament appearance, while four Marquette players earned all-conference honors in Theis' third season on the bench.  Barber was named Co-BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and earned All-BIG EAST first team honors with Rosenthal, Taylor Louis and Meghan Niemann. Rosenthal earned her first AVCA All-East Coast Region award in her career with Louis, while Niemann was an honorable mention honoree and Louis repeated as an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention.

The first year was a success under Theis' tenure as Marquette earned its fourth-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament with a 24-9 overall record and 14-4 mark in the BIG EAST. Autumn Bailey, Lindsey Gosh and Niemann were selected to the BIG EAST All-Conference first team, while Bailey was named the Player of the Year. Bailey and Gosh also earned AVCA All-East Region honors.

Theis' second year on campus was also a success, as his Marquette squad finished the regular season with a 22-12 record overall and a 12-6 mark in the BIG EAST. Following the strong regular season showing, MU made its fifth-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Behind Theis, the Golden Eagles advanced to the tournament's second round after defeating UNI in opening round play. Taylor Louis and Meghan Niemann were recognized with BIG EAST All-Conference honors, and Louis was named an AVCA All-America Honorable Mention.

Theis, a 2000 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee graduate, returned to Milwaukee after a six-year tenure at Ohio University, where he led the squad to a record of 144-54 (.727). That mark placed him third in the history of the Mid-American Conference.

Under his leadership, the Bobcats made four NCAA Championship appearances, including a pair of trips to the second round (2009 and 2010), and claimed four MAC tournament championships. Both NCAA second round defeats came at the hands of seeded-hosts in pivotal fifth sets.

A two-time MAC Coach of the Year (2009 and 2013), Theis mentored three AVCA All-Americans during his tenure in Athens and helped 13 players earn all-conference accolades, including three conference player of the year selections.

Theis, a native of Madison, Wis., left Ohio tied with Ohio State head coach Geoff Carlston, whom he replaced in 2008, for the most victories in Bobcats' history with 144. He compiled a 79-17 (.823) record in league action at Ohio while winning three regular season league titles (six East Division championships) and was a combined 28-4 over his final two conference campaigns.

His 2013 team, which featured AVCA All-Americans Abby Gilleland and Kelly Lamberti, finished 27-6 overall, swept No. 8 Oregon and No. 21 Western Kentucky, and climbed as high as 18th in the AVCA Coaches' Poll. The Bobcats also ranked 23rd nationally in attendance in 2013 as an average of 1,719 fans packed the Convocation Center.

Theis also placed a great deal of emphasis on his student-athletes' success in the classroom as his squad's collective grade point average never dipped below a 3.28 during his final five years at Ohio and multiple players earned Academic All-MAC honors each season.

The team also achieved a top-10 APR score during the first four years of Theis' tenure and earned multiple AVCA Team Academic Awards.

Prior to his arrival in Athens, Theis accumulated eight years of NCAA Division I coaching experience at various stops. 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 at the University of Florida (2006-07) as offensive and recruiting coordinators. During his two seasons in Gainesville the Gators compiled an overall record of 59-6 (38-2 Southeastern Conference), won a pair of conference titles and advanced to the NCAA regional semifinals.

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.

He also helped teams at each of his previous assistant coaching stops - Northwestern, Indiana and Eastern Illinois - to NCAA tournament appearances.

Theis began his collegiate playing career at 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. In 1999-00, he also worked as a student assistant for the women's scholarship team while earning his bachelor's degree in kinesiology.

Theis and his wife, Jenny, have three sons, Carter, Caleb and Colby.