Rich Ryerson is a former U.S. soccer midfielder who spent three seasons in the American Professional Soccer League, one in the National Professional Soccer League, one in the Eastern Indoor Soccer League and four in the Continental Indoor Soccer League. He also played in the Swedish second division and was the head coach for the UNLV Rebels men's soccer team for eleven years.[1]

Rich Ryerson
Personal information
Full name Richard Ryerson
Date of birth c. 1965 (age 58–59)
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s) Midfielder
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1983–1986 UNLV Rebels 84 (20)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988–89 Kinna IF
1990 California Emperors
1991 Salt Lake Sting 11 (0)
1991 Maryland Bays 2 (0)
1993 Los Angeles Salsa 20 (0)
1993–1994 Cleveland Crunch (indoor) 23 (3)
1994 San Jose Grizzlies (indoor) 21 (13)
1995 Washington Warthogs (indoor) 0 (0)
1995 San Jose Grizzlies (indoor) 23 (8)
1996 Indianapolis Twisters (indoor) 28 (5)
1997Indiana Twisters (indoor)
1997 Anaheim Splash (indoor)
1998 Baton Rouge Bombers (indoor)
Managerial career
2008–2009 UNLV Rebels (assistant)
2010–2021 UNLV Rebels
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Youth

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Ryerson, brother to Rob Ryerson attended Oakland Mills High School. He then attended UNLV where he played on the men's soccer team from 1983 to 1986. He finished his career holding the school's records with 84 career games. He graduated in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in business administration.

Professional

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In 1990, Ryerson played for the California Emperors in the American Professional Soccer League.[2] The Emperors folded at the end of the season and Ryerson spent time with two teams, the Maryland Bays and Salt Lake Sting during the 1991 APSL season.[3] In 1993, he played twenty games with the Los Angeles Salsa of APSL, losing to the Colorado Foxes in the league championship.[4]

In 1993, Ryerson was with the Los Angeles Heat of the APSL. On October 28, 1993, the Heat loaned Ryerson to the Cleveland Crunch of the National Professional Soccer League.[5] In the summer of 1994, Ryerson played for the San Jose Grizzlies of the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL). In 1995, he moved to the Washington Warthogs before ending the season back with the Grizzlies. In 1996, he played for the Indianapolis Twisters. At the end of the season, the Twisters were renamed the Indiana Twisters. Ryerson began the season with Indiana, but suffered a concussion after only two games. In July, the Twisters traded him and Terry Rowe to the Anaheim Splash in exchange for Paul McDonnel and a 1998 first round draft pick. Ryerson had played only two games with Indiana this season due to a concussion.[6] In 1997, he also played for the U.S. national futsal team. Ryerson finished his career in 1998 with the Baton Rouge Bombers in the Eastern Indoor Soccer League where he was named the EISL Defender of the Year. He also played for Kinna IF for two seasons in the Swedish Second Division in 1988–89.

Coach

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Beginning in 1994, Ryerson served as an athletic director and physical education teacher for various schools in Rancho Mirage, California, namely Marywood-Palm Valley school. On June 14, 2008, Ryerson became an assistant coach at the UNLV.[7]

References

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  1. ^ Kantowski, Ron (November 14, 2021). "Rich Ryerson quietly coaches his final soccer game at UNLV". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  2. ^ 1990 California Emperor
  3. ^ 1991 APSL stats
  4. ^ 1993 Los Angeles Salsa
  5. ^ October 28, 1993 Transactions
  6. ^ Splash’s Lilavois Named an All Star
  7. ^ Ryerson Returns to Rebels