MONROE - Former players for Bo Ryan when he was at UW-Platteville were startled when he announced he would step away from his post as the head coach of the University of Wisconsin men's basketball team before completing the season.
Ryan announced that he would retire immediately after the Badgers' 64-49 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Dec. 15.
Brad Stangel, 38, a Monroe High School alumnus who now lives in Valparaiso, Indiana, played for Ryan at UW-Platteville and was on national championship teams in 1998 and '99. Brad's brother, Bryan Stangel, also was on the '99 title team.
"I was surprised with the timing of his retirement," Brad Stangel said. "I would not have been surprised if he retired after or before the season."
Ryan racked up 747 career wins over three decades that included coaching stints at Division III UW-Platteville where he won four national championships, UW-Milwaukee and with the Badgers. Ryan, who took over for Dick Bennett for the Badgers, has the highest winning percentage of coaches in the history of Wisconsin's program (.737). He guided the Badgers to back-to-back Final Fours and a national championship game where they lost to Duke last season. He has the highest winning percentage in Big Ten history.
UW-Platteville had the winningest men's college basketball program in the 1990s out of all Division I, II and III programs going 266-26 with a .908 winning percentage. Ryan amassed a record of 352-76 in a 15-year stint at UW-Platteville. In 2007, the basketball playing surface at Williams Fieldhouse was renamed Bo Ryan Court.
Stangel appreciated the straight-forward coaching style Ryan implored.
"I always thought coach Ryan was very demanding and fair," he said. "When he told you where you stood he didn't sugarcoat it or lie."
At Monroe High School in southern Wisconsin, Stangel was used to playing for a hard-nosed football coach in Pat Martin who guided the Cheesemakers to state titles. Stangel played on the 1992 and '94 state championship football teams with the Cheesemakers. He looked at his college decision as a chance to continue the success.
"I chose UW-Platteville because Bo Ryan reminded me the most of Pat Martin at Monroe," Stangel said. "I wanted to go where I could win like I did in football in Monroe for Pat Martin."
Stangel, who was an assistant coach at UW-Platteville for five years, lauded Ryan for building a family-type atmosphere at Platteville in the 1990s.
"It didn't matter if you were the water boy, the towel boy or a booster; everyone felt like they were part of the program," Stangel said. "I think that was his biggest strength."
Now as a salesman for Lids Team Sports selling Nike apparel, Stangel still recalls his basketball days with Ryan.
"When I talk to people they will remember he (Ryan) coached at UW-Platteville," Stangel said. "It's a conversation starter."
Many of the high school boys basketball programs across the state run Ryan's swing and motion based offenses. Monroe boys basketball coach Pat Murphy played for Ryan on Platteville's first national championship team in 1991. Murphy has coached boys basketball at Monroe for 15 years. In 2009, Murphy was one of four candidates who interviewed for the head coaching position at UW-Platteville before Greg Gard's brother, Jeff Gard got the position.
Murphy developed part of his coaching philosophy by playing for Ryan. He often still talks with Ryan during Monroe Badger Booster Days, basketball camps and Ryan's golf outing.
"I'm proud to say I played for Bo Ryan," Murphy said. "He had a competitive spirit that was unmatched. I wasn't the most talented guy and I had to earn my playing time. People now want instant gratification. There is something to be said for paying your dues. He's the most loyal guy. He would do anything for his players and ex-players."
Murphy said the Badgers' run to the Final Four the last two years may have taken a toll on Ryan.
"He may have been tired," Murphy said. "He didn't have much of an offseason the last two years with two deep tournament runs."
Murphy texted Greg Gard when he was named the interim Wisconsin men's basketball coach when Ryan retired.
"I told him congratulations and it's well deserved," Murphy said.
Murphy said he has not talked to Gard about becoming an assistant coach for the Badgers.
"If Greg Gard called me up I would listen," said Murphy, whose daughter Paige is a senior and will graduate in the spring. "It's not something really on my radar. There are so many things that go into being an assistant coach for a Division I program. It's such a steep learning curve with recruiting and academic standards."
Ryan announced that he would retire immediately after the Badgers' 64-49 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Dec. 15.
Brad Stangel, 38, a Monroe High School alumnus who now lives in Valparaiso, Indiana, played for Ryan at UW-Platteville and was on national championship teams in 1998 and '99. Brad's brother, Bryan Stangel, also was on the '99 title team.
"I was surprised with the timing of his retirement," Brad Stangel said. "I would not have been surprised if he retired after or before the season."
Ryan racked up 747 career wins over three decades that included coaching stints at Division III UW-Platteville where he won four national championships, UW-Milwaukee and with the Badgers. Ryan, who took over for Dick Bennett for the Badgers, has the highest winning percentage of coaches in the history of Wisconsin's program (.737). He guided the Badgers to back-to-back Final Fours and a national championship game where they lost to Duke last season. He has the highest winning percentage in Big Ten history.
UW-Platteville had the winningest men's college basketball program in the 1990s out of all Division I, II and III programs going 266-26 with a .908 winning percentage. Ryan amassed a record of 352-76 in a 15-year stint at UW-Platteville. In 2007, the basketball playing surface at Williams Fieldhouse was renamed Bo Ryan Court.
Stangel appreciated the straight-forward coaching style Ryan implored.
"I always thought coach Ryan was very demanding and fair," he said. "When he told you where you stood he didn't sugarcoat it or lie."
At Monroe High School in southern Wisconsin, Stangel was used to playing for a hard-nosed football coach in Pat Martin who guided the Cheesemakers to state titles. Stangel played on the 1992 and '94 state championship football teams with the Cheesemakers. He looked at his college decision as a chance to continue the success.
"I chose UW-Platteville because Bo Ryan reminded me the most of Pat Martin at Monroe," Stangel said. "I wanted to go where I could win like I did in football in Monroe for Pat Martin."
Stangel, who was an assistant coach at UW-Platteville for five years, lauded Ryan for building a family-type atmosphere at Platteville in the 1990s.
"It didn't matter if you were the water boy, the towel boy or a booster; everyone felt like they were part of the program," Stangel said. "I think that was his biggest strength."
Now as a salesman for Lids Team Sports selling Nike apparel, Stangel still recalls his basketball days with Ryan.
"When I talk to people they will remember he (Ryan) coached at UW-Platteville," Stangel said. "It's a conversation starter."
Many of the high school boys basketball programs across the state run Ryan's swing and motion based offenses. Monroe boys basketball coach Pat Murphy played for Ryan on Platteville's first national championship team in 1991. Murphy has coached boys basketball at Monroe for 15 years. In 2009, Murphy was one of four candidates who interviewed for the head coaching position at UW-Platteville before Greg Gard's brother, Jeff Gard got the position.
Murphy developed part of his coaching philosophy by playing for Ryan. He often still talks with Ryan during Monroe Badger Booster Days, basketball camps and Ryan's golf outing.
"I'm proud to say I played for Bo Ryan," Murphy said. "He had a competitive spirit that was unmatched. I wasn't the most talented guy and I had to earn my playing time. People now want instant gratification. There is something to be said for paying your dues. He's the most loyal guy. He would do anything for his players and ex-players."
Murphy said the Badgers' run to the Final Four the last two years may have taken a toll on Ryan.
"He may have been tired," Murphy said. "He didn't have much of an offseason the last two years with two deep tournament runs."
Murphy texted Greg Gard when he was named the interim Wisconsin men's basketball coach when Ryan retired.
"I told him congratulations and it's well deserved," Murphy said.
Murphy said he has not talked to Gard about becoming an assistant coach for the Badgers.
"If Greg Gard called me up I would listen," said Murphy, whose daughter Paige is a senior and will graduate in the spring. "It's not something really on my radar. There are so many things that go into being an assistant coach for a Division I program. It's such a steep learning curve with recruiting and academic standards."
