GREEN BAY, Wis. — Green Bay fired coach Will Ryan on Tuesday, three days after the Phoenix suffered their 11th consecutive loss.
Ryan, the son of former Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan, posted a 15-61 record in 2½ seasons. Freddie Owens, who had been an assistant coach on Ryan’s staff, will be interim head coach for the rest of the season.
“UW-Green Bay is committed to continuing its legacy as an outstanding Division I athletics program in the future, and Phoenix men’s basketball needs to help lead the way as we work to elevate all of our programs and be a shining light for this region and beyond,” athletic director Josh Moon said in a news release announcing the move.
Moon thanked Ryan and his family for their contributions to the program and said that “we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
Green Bay dropped to 2-19 overall and 1-9 in the Horizon League on Saturday with a 72-38 home loss to Robert Morris.
Ryan was hired by Green Bay after going 14-13 in his lone season as the head coach at Division II program Wheeling (West Virginia). Green Bay went 8-17 in Ryan’s debut season and finished 5-25 last year.
Ryan had taken over for Linc Darner, who went 92-80 and posted a winning record in four of his five seasons.