Mika Ryan Named Color Analyst for MAAC Women's Basketball Television Games
MAAC Sports
Edison, N.J. ? Mika Ryan has been named the color analyst for the women’s basketball games on the MAAC Television Network.
Ryan is a 1977 graduate of the University of North Carolina, where she was a former captain of the Tarheel women’s basketball team and a member of the UNC marching band. After graduation, she went on to the University of Virginia, where she was the assistant women’s basketball coach as well as head coach of the softball team.
In 1981, she married Patrick Ryan and moved to New Jersey, where she was an assistant basketball coach at Rider University for a year before taking over as head coach at Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey) in 1984. Ryan led the Lions for nine successful seasons ending her career with a 147- 86 mark.
Ryan retired from collegiate coaching in 1993 in order to enjoy the growth of her three daughters Kate, Molly and Megan. In the ensuing years, she was very active with the Hopewell Valley YMCA and development of the youth basketball program.
In August 2005, she was selected to chair the Mercer Sports Organizing Committee. The MSOC was formed to promote the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament First and Second Round games played at the Sovereign Bank arena in March 2006. An experimental effort, this was the first time that the NCAA held women’s post-season basketball tournament games at a neutral site.
Under Ryan’s leadership the MSOC brought together the area’s business, academic, civic and public sectors in a comprehensive effort not only to promote the games but also to insure that the visiting eight teams enjoyed the Mercer County area during their stay. Building on a succession of public events including luncheons, a golf tournament and speaking appearances, Ryan and the MSOC raised their own operating funds, conducted promotional events and sold tickets throughout the community.
The games were an unqualified success both competitively and in attendance with praise for the organizing efforts and the community’s reception coming from all quarters. The ultimate judgment on the quality of the games and the MSOC efforts when the NCAA awarded the 2009 Division I Women’s Basketball Regional, and the 2010 Division I Women’s Basketball First and Second Rounds to the Sovereign Bank Arena.
Ryan was recently appointed President of the Mercer County Sports and Entertainment Commission, where she will continue working to help attract and support events that will have a positive impact on Mercer County, including the 2008 MAAC Baseball Championship at Waterfront Park. She remains active umpiring girl’s high school lacrosse games and volunteering with her pet therapy dog, Hank.