Donna Ryan Head Coach: Fifth season at Southeast

Donna Ryan is entering her fifth year as the head tennis coach at Southeast Missouri State University. In her four prior years, Ryan has faced adversary due to losing top players to injury and graduation and constantly fielding young teams. All of those factors have lead to some less than desirable team records. And again this season Southeast with be faced with a young team, but this time around Ryan is ready for the challenge and believes this year Southeast will finally make a dent in the OVC competition.

Ryan took over in January of 1998 as an interim coach and quickly led the Otahkians to a 6-8 mark and sixth place finish at the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. The term interim was quickly dropped from her title and Ryan became head coach at the end of the season. In 1999, Ryan’s squad, which included several top veterans, was plagued with injuries all season long and finished 0-11. The 2000 squad was comprised of four freshman and their inexperience was a factor in the team finishing 3-15. Last year, injuries once again forced the team’s number one and two players to the sidelines for stretches, which lead to no wins in the OVC. This season, the Otahks only have one upperclassman although in total, four people return from a season ago.

Ryan has been director of tennis at Universal Health and Fitness in Cape Girardeau since June of 1990. At Universal, Ryan has been active in starting junior tennis leagues for local youths, high schools, and women’s leagues. Prior to joining Universal, Ryan served as an assistant tennis professional at Terrell Mill Tennis Center in Marietta, Georgia for eight years. Ryan is also a member of the United States Professional Tennis Registry (USPTR) and is a certified professional tennis instructor.

Ryan graduated from Texas Christian University in 1965. As a tournament player from 1977-88, she held top rankings in both doubles and mixed doubles in Georgia, was ranked second in the Southern Section of the United States and represented Georgia in the Southern Senior Cup in 1998 where sent was undefeated.

On the Season: “Although we are a young group, we are experienced, physically fit and anxious to prove that we can be much more successful on the court. This is a hard-working team, focused on learning now, so they will succeed in their matches.”