NORMAL – Illinois State Athletics has announced the hiring of former University of Kansas assistant coach Ryan Evans to lead the Redbird Swimming & Diving program as head coach.
"We are excited to welcome Ryan Evans and his family to Normal and look forward to him leading the Redbird Swimming & Diving program," Beggs said. "Ryan brings a wealth of experience with him as a Division I assistant coach at Kansas and New Mexico and as a head coach who led a successful Division II program. In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, he has a background coaching and running a swim club and as a high school head coach, which should aid him in the recruiting process finding future Redbirds. Ryan sold us on his intent for Redbird Swimming & Diving to be program that competes for championships and has tremendous success, in and out of the pool. We are thrilled to have Ryan join our Redbird Family and know he will be a great asset to our department."
Evans comes to Normal from Lawrence, Kansas, where he was a member of the Jayhawks staff as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for two seasons. While there, Kansas became one of the first women's swim and dive programs in the country to take advantage of the new NCAA rule allowing the expansion of coaching staffs.
"I am thrilled to be named the next Head Swimming & Diving Coach at Illinois State University," Evans said. "I want to thank Dr. Jeri Beggs, Cindy Harris, and the entire Athletic Department for this incredible opportunity to lead the Redbird program. I'm especially grateful to my wife, Lauren, for her unwavering support throughout my career. I've been really impressed by the resources and commitment Illinois State provides its student-athletes, both in the classroom and in the pool. This is a place that truly supports excellence, and I'm excited to build a program that competes for Missouri Valley Conference championships. Lauren and I are also looking forward to raising our five kids in the Bloomington-Normal community. I can't wait to connect with our current swimmers and divers, recruit the next generation of Redbirds, and engage with the program's alumni. Roll Birds!"
A successful head coach of a NCAA Division II program and a USA swimming club team, Evans was hired as an assistant swim coach at the University of Kansas in 2023. In his first season at Kansas, Evans helped the Jayhawks to a 5-2 record, which included a seventh-place finish at the 2024 Big 12 Championship and a 32nd-place finish at the 2024 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championship. He also helped lead Kansas to a 25th-place finish at the 2025 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championship.
Prior to Kansas, Evans was the head coach of the University of Mary, a NCAA Division II program in Bismarck, North Dakota. As the head coach, Evans helped the Marauders move up in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championship, had a student-athlete named conference Swimmer of the Year, earned team Academic All-American status and multiple UMary records were set.
While at UMary, Evans coached Victoria Murillo to the NCAA Division II National Championships, where she earned a First Team All-America distinction with her eighth-place finish in the 500 freestyle, marking the first award in program history.
Before his time at the University of Mary, Evans was an assistant coach at the University of New Mexico. With the Lobos, Evans' primary responsibility was the sprint group, where he saw most of his swimmers achieve personal bests throughout the 2021-22 campaign.
Prior to moving into the college coaching ranks, Evans was the head coach of Reno Aquatic Club from 2018-21. When he started with RENO, the team only had 80 swimmers, and he doubled the size of enrollment in three years. During this time, Evans developed an Olympic Trials qualifier, several collegiate swimmers and multiple swimmers qualified for USA Swimming Junior National, Futures, and Sectionals. For the 2020-21 season, RENO earned Bronze Level recognition in USA Swimming's Club Excellence Program, a program that recognizes the top teams in the country who produce elite 18 & under athletes.
Originally from, Reno, Nevada, Evans graduated from and swam at the University of Iowa, where he was named team captain for the 2008-09 season, as voted on by his teammates. He also received the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award and the Iowa Swimming Leadership Award in 2009.
Evans' wife, Lauren (Tomory) Evans, played collegiate tennis and ran cross country at Furman University. They have five children: Alta (11), Michael (8), Andrew (4), Mary (2) and the newest addition, Matthew.
What They Are Saying About Ryan Evans:
Ryan Berryman, Vice President/Director of Athletics at the University of New Mexico
"I am incredibly excited for Ryan Evans and his opportunity to become the next head coach of the Illinois State Swimming & Diving program. Ryan has always impressed me with his professionalism, work ethic, and ability to connect with student-athletes. I always knew that he would be a future D1 Head Coach — and I look forward to following along to see what he accomplishes with the Redbirds."
Clark Campbell, Head Swimming Coach at the University of Kansas
"ISU made a slam dunk hire with Ryan. In his two years with us, he made profound impact on our program with his coaching, recruiting and leadership abilities. His skill set will match perfectly for the Redbird program. Most importantly, Ryan is ready to be a head coach and will lead his program to new heights."
Nathan Mundt, Head Swimming and Diving Coach at the University of Iowa
"Ryan's ability to connect with athletes is outstanding, and he will bring energy and enthusiasm to the pool deck every day to help them improve. Ryan will be a tremendous leader for the Illinois State Swimming & Diving program, and I'm excited to see the program grow under his direction!"
Eleni Kotzamanis, Former Swimming Student-Athlete at the University of Kansas
"Ryan was such an important coach in my college career as he helped me re-develop the love and passion I have for this sport. From day one, he always greeted everyone as they walked on deck and said goodbye as they left, making his swimmers feel seen. Ryan's unique background in club coaching gives him a great eye for recruiting, which is evident based on classes that he recruited during his time at the University of Kansas. The team at Illinois State will be in great hands with Ryan at the helm."
Steve Paska, Former Illinois State Head Swimming Coach
"As someone who has been involved with the Illinois State swimming and diving program as a swimmer, graduate assistant, head coach, proud alumni and fan for 46 years, the hire of Ryan Evans is very meaningful to me. Ryan brings energy, experience, and a relationship-centered leadership style that I believe will lead the Redbirds to tremendous success. In addition, Ryan will emphasize the building of lasting relationships with the student-athletes, creating trust and caring from each other while pushing everyone to maximize their abilities."
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