Ryan Looney

Ryan Looney
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamIdaho State
ConferenceBig Sky
Record53–97 (.353)
Biographical details
Born (1975-11-08) November 8, 1975 (age 49)
Spokane, Washington, U.S.
Playing career
1996–1998Eastern Oregon
Position(s)Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1999–2001UW-LaCrosse (asst.)
2001–2002North Idaho (asst.)
2002–2004MSU-Moorhead (asst.)
2004–2009Eastern Oregon
2009–2016Seattle Pacific
2016–2019Point Loma
2019–presentIdaho State
Head coaching record
Overall383–229 (.626)
Tournaments3–2 (NAIA)
11–9 (NCAA DII)

Ryan Looney (born November 8, 1975) is an American college basketball coach and the current Head Men's Basketball Coach at Idaho State University.

Coaching career

Ryan Looney was formerly coach at Seattle Pacific University.[1] 2013-14 SPU finished with an overall record of 26–6, won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championship, won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament Championship, reached as high as second in the NABC national poll, and advanced to the NCAA II National Tournament. Looney was recognized as the 2014 GNAC Coach of the Year and the 2014 NABC West Region Coach of the Year. During the 2012–13 season SPU finished with the best overall record in program history at 27–4, won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament Championship, reached as high as second in the NABC national poll, and advanced to the NCAA II West Region Final.[2] In 2011-12 his team finished 23-8 overall and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division II National Tournament. SPU compiled a 20–10 record in 2010-11 en route to an NCAA Division II Tournament berth. The Falcons were the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's last team standing in the 2010-11 playoffs after upsetting fifth ranked Central Washington 76-63 during a first-round game in Ellensburg. The Falcons accomplished that despite losing All-American point guard Chris Banchero to a mid-season knee injury. The 2009-10 West Region Player of the Year, Banchero was averaging 22.4 points and 5.6 assists per game before being sidelined for the final 19 games.[3]

Looney led Seattle Pacific to a 22–6 record in 2009-10 and became the first coach to direct the Falcons to a conference championship in his inaugural season.[3] Looney, who led his alma mater Eastern Oregon University to the quarterfinals of the 2009 NAIA Division II Tournament, was hired May 26, 2009 as the coach at SPU.[4] He won his opening nine games on the SPU sidelines, the first coach to win more than his first three for the Falcons. Looney, 43, has a 330-131 (.716) career record, including a 164-51 (.763) at SPU.[5] He was voted the 2009-10 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. Looney compiled a 97-53 (.647) record in five seasons with Eastern Oregon and directed EOU to back-to-back NAIA Tournament appearances in 2008 and 2009.[3]

Looney and the Mountaineers had a breakout season in 2005–06, which produced the best record at EOU since 1969. The season was the second largest turnaround in school history. The 2005-06 Mountaineers also notched some memorable victories as well. During the 2006–07 season the Mountaineers finished with an overall record of 23–8, advanced to the finals of the 2007 Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament, and were ranked as high as 17th in the NAIA national poll. The 2007-08 Mountaineers put together the most memorable season in program history. They finished with an overall record of 26–6, won the school's first conference championship in 38 years, advanced to the NAIA National Tournament for the first time in school history, and were ranked as high as third in the NAIA national poll. For his efforts Looney was recognized as the 2007-08 Cascade Collegiate Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year. The 2008-09 Mountaineers did not disappoint either. They finished with an overall record of 25–8, won the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship, advanced to the Elite Eight of the NAIA National Basketball Tournament, and were ranked as high as sixth in the NAIA national poll.[3]

Looney was named the 10th Head Men's Basketball Coach at Eastern Oregon University in May 2004. He came to LaGrande after two seasons as the top assistant at NCAA Division II Minnesota State University Moorhead. After graduating from EOU with a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies, Looney spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at NCAA Division III University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. While at UWL, Looney also obtained a Master of Science in Athletic Administration.[6]

Ryan is married to former EOU cross country and track & field standout Julianna Morris. The two have a daughter Peyton Danielle Looney and a son Micah J. Looney.[3]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Eastern Oregon (CCC) (2004–2009)
2004–05 Eastern Oregon 6–20 3–15 9th
2005–06 Eastern Oregon 17–11 10–8 5th
2006–07 Eastern Oregon 23–8 12–6 4th
2007–08 Eastern Oregon 26–6 16–2 1st NAIA Second Round
2008–09 Eastern Oregon 25–8 15–5 1st NAIA Elite Eight
Eastern Oregon: 97–53 (.647) 57–36 (.613)
Seattle Pacific (GNAC) (2009–2016)
2009–10 Seattle Pacific 22–6 13–3 1st NCAA Division II First Round
2010–11 Seattle Pacific 20–10 12–6 3rd NCAA Division II Second Round
2011–12 Seattle Pacific 23–8 13–5 3rd NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen
2012–13 Seattle Pacific 27–4 16–2 2nd NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen
2013–14 Seattle Pacific 26–6 15–3 1st NCAA Division II First Round
2014–15 Seattle Pacific 24–8 13–5 2nd NCAA Division II Second Round
2015–16 Seattle Pacific 22–9 14–6 3rd NCAA Division II First Round
Seattle Pacific: 164–51 (.763) 96–30 (.762)
Point Loma (PacWest) (2016–2019)
2016–17 Point Loma 17–13 11–9 6th
2017–18 Point Loma 21–10 15–5 3rd NCAA Division II First Round
2018–19 Point Loma 31–5 20–2 1st NCAA Division II National Runner-Up
Point Loma: 69–28 (.711) 46–16 (.742)
Idaho State Bengals (Big Sky Conference) (2019–present)
2019–20 Idaho State 8–22 4–16 T–10th
2020–21 Idaho State 13–11 8–6 T–4th
2021–22 Idaho State 7–23 5–15 T–10th
2022–23 Idaho State 11–21 8–10 5th
2023–24 Idaho State 14–20 7–11 T–7th
Idaho State: 53–97 (.353) 32–58 (.356)
Total: 383–229 (.626)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. ^ Ryan Looney - Seattle Times Site
  2. ^ "SPU Men Meet WWU in NCAA Regional Final". SPU Sports Information. March 19, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.</
  3. ^ a b c d e Ryan Looney Profile - Seattle Pacific University Official Athletic Site
  4. ^ "SPU hires Ryan Looney as men's basketball coach". The Seattle Times. May 27, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2013.</
  5. ^ "SPU's Looney GNAC Coach of the Month for February". GNAC. March 16, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.</
  6. ^ Ryan Looney Profile - Eastern Oregon University Athletic Site
  • [1] Seattle Pacific University
  • [2] Great Northwest Athletic Conference
  • [3] Eastern Oregon University
  • [4] Seattle Times
  • [5] Cascade Collegiate Conference
  • [6] Oregonian
  • [7] USA Today
  • [8] Point Loma Nazarene University
  • [9] Seattle Times