Basketball Statistics Blog

Books Review: September 2008 eBA Best Seller

Bo Ryan: Another Hill to Climb
By: Bo Ryan & Mike Lucas

"Bo Ryan is not only one of the great coaches in our game, he is also one of the great personalities. I have tremendous respect for him and really enjoy his perspective on college basketball and student-athletes. He's the kind of person you could enjoy your son playing for." Roy Williams, Head Coach, University of North Carolina

"Bo Ryan is one of the game's finest coaches, and he has come up the ranks the hard way, and the right way. Ryan is substance over flash, and has developed his skills and philosophy outside of the spotlight. Because of his success, Ryan now lives in the spotlight. Ryan is proof positive that a steadfast belief in core principles and an enduring will to compete can carry you to the top. Ryan is really talented, too, a fact that is too often overlooked. Bo Ryan is the real thing." Jay Bilas, ESPN college basketball analyst

Book Description
Bo knows hoops. As a member of the exclusive 500-win club, University of Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan has the second highest winning percentage among active coaches (with at least 500 victories) in college basketball, second only to North Carolina's Roy Williams. Ryan's formula for success can be traced back to UW-Platteville, where he won four national championships during a memorable 15-year run punctuated by two undefeated seasons. But there was still another hill to climb for Ryan, the all-time winningest coach in Division III history.

After a short layover at UW-Milwaukee, where he coached the Panthers to their first back-to-back winning seasons in eight years, Ryan welcomed the challenge of proving himself all over again at the Big Ten level. And it didn't take long for Ryan to make his mark with the University of Wisconsin basketball program. In his first season, he guided the Badgers to their first share of the conference title in 55 years.

Since then, Ryan has raised the bar to unprecedented heights, leading the Badgers to the four winningest seasons in school history. Ryan's first six teams averaged 23.7 wins per season, capped by the program's first ever No. 1 national ranking and a school record 30 victories in 2006-07. The victory record was broken the next year as the 2007-08 team finished 31-5.

Ryan's competitive fire, attention to detail and commitment to executing the fundamentals has been at the core of his success, along with his signature Swing offense. And it all serves as a valuable road map for young coaches. In his autobiography Another Hill To Climb Ryan talks about the many people who have influenced his journey, beginning with his formative years in Chester, PA., where the 'street-smart'' Ryan nurtured his point guard mentality.

Known as a fascinating storyteller, Ryan also talks about the hurdles and the highlights that accompanied each step, and the importance of developing a plan that will transcend any level of competition.

Hardcover: 230 pages
Publisher: KCI Sports Publishing; 1 edition (September 15, 2008)
Language: English

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