‘This is pretty special.’ Bo Ryan humbled by Hall of Fame nod
March 09, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Mike Lucas
Former Wisconsin coach honored to be inducted with 2017 class to National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame
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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — On Wednesday, Bo Ryan was competing, he was playing golf, like he does most days. Last week, he played six consecutive days. This week, he's scheduled to play five out of seven days. This is what retirement looks like for someone who won 747 games over 32 seasons as a college head coach.
"If I was sitting at home, I'd be going crazy," said the 69-year-old Ryan. "My release is to get out on the golf course, get outdoors, compete, get into the game. The juices in people like myself, or anyone else who has coached, just don't go away; they're always pumping over competition and what's next.
"Golf is a competitive game and you can lose yourself in the game. That's what I do … I lose myself in the game. So, I get done playing today (Wednesday) and I turn on my phone and oh, my God, there are all these messages."
There was a pause on the other end of the line from Palm Springs, California.
"I'm thinking, "What the hell happened?"
Another pause and a sigh.
"I guess they released the Hall of Fame list."
Ryan was not downplaying the moment or the significance of the achievement. On the contrary. He admitted to having a "tear in my eye" upon learning of his selection to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. His first thought was that Butch and Louise Ryan would have been so proud.
"I just wish my folks were still here," he said softly. "This is pretty special."
Congrats to Bo Ryan, who will take his rightful place among the legends of college hoops this fall. #OnWisconsin ?? http://go.wisc.edu/ux6s13
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) March 8, 2017
For years, he has told his wife Kelly that if he was ever fortunate enough to be considered someday for induction to another Hall of Fame, this one would be very meaningful. "Because," he said, "it's the COLLEGE Hall of Fame, the one that all of us college guys think the most of."
Ryan is already a member of five Hall of Fames (Wilkes College, Delaware County, Pennsylvania Sports, Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association and WIAC). He's also one of 14 finalists for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame which will announce its class on April 3 before the NCAA title game.
"That one in Springfield (Massachusetts)," he said of the Naismith HOF, "is fantastic."
Meanwhile, the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame's singular objective is to honor excellence in the college game. That's why Ryan is so honored — "I'm really tickled pink" — to be carrying the banner for the state of Wisconsin and basketball at UW-Platteville, UW-Milwaukee and UW-Madison.
"We coached in the southwest, southeast and central part of the state and had what we felt was an impact," said Ryan, who won four Division III national titles at Platteville and made two trips to the Final Four with the Badgers. "It's me representing three different colleges. That's a nice feeling."
As the only coach in the Class of 2017, Ryan realizes that he's in fast company.
"I looked at that list," he said, "and thought, 'Oh, my goodness, I'm going to get autographs.'"
With 27 postseasons, four titles and two Final Fours, he achieved coaching success at every stop. Welcome to the #CBHOF, Bo Ryan!
— CBHOF (@CBHOF) March 8, 2017
Tim Duncan is a HOF classmate and he was always known as the "Big Fundamental." Ryan has always been a stickler for details and fundamentals. "Tim Duncan never took a bad shot," Ryan cooed.
John Stockton is a HOF classmate and he had few peers as a distributor. Ryan has always stressed passing and ball security. "John Stockton didn't turn the ball over," Ryan enthused.
In sum, everyone on this HOF list had skills that Ryan coveted and developed in players. That goes for Duncan (Wake Forest), Stockton (Gonzaga), Paul Silas (Creighton), Jay Williams (Duke), the late Cleo Hill (Winston-Salem State), Scott May (Indiana) and Rick Mount (Purdue).
"If I had these guys," Ryan said, "I would have never lost a game."
(As it was, he had two undefeated seasons at Platteville.)
In the paint, he said, "You've got a tough sucker like Paul Silas, who was so fundamentally sound as a rebounder. And you've got Tim Duncan who can play the 5 with finesse."
On the wing, he said, "You've got Scott May and his mid-range jumper."
In the backcourt, he said, "You've got Cleo Hill who can score from anywhere on the floor. And you've got John Stockton who can get the ball to anybody."
Also in the backcourt, he said, "You've got Rick Mount coming off screens and you've got Jay Williams who can play the 2-guard or at the point."
Pondering the possibilities of such a lineup, Ryan said, "That's a helluva team."
With the exception of Hill, who passed away in 2015, Ryan has had previous contact with everyone else in this HOF class that will be inducted during a Nov. 19 ceremony in Kansas City.
Obviously, it's only fitting, too, that the Badgers will be in town to compete in the Hall of Fame Classic, a two-day event (Nov. 20 and 21) that will also feature Baylor, Creighton and UCLA.
As Ryan's phone was blowing up Wednesday from well-wishers, he began to recognize the magnitude of the accomplishment. Mostly, he was grateful to all the players that he coached.
In retirement, he also sounded grateful to have golf to fall back on, especially now that the calendar has turned to March when his competitive juices would always peak as a head coach.
"A guy asked me about that today on the tee," Ryan related. "I said, 'Thank goodness, we're doing what we're doing right now — playing golf — so that I'm competitive.'"
Asked if he's playing better, he chuckled and said, "Only when I have to. You play, you get into a routine and, then, when you get into a tournament, everything gets a little more amped up.
"I'm better when there's something on the line. It was the way I was raised."
