Bo Ryan has been named a finalist for the Naismith Hall of Fame three years in a row, and on all three instances he has struck out.
One day, Bo Ryan will finally be selected to the Naismith Hall of Fame. It didn’t happen last year. It didn’t happen the year before that. And unfortunately for the former head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers, it will not happen in 2017 either.
Told by a source that former Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan misses election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 2017 class
— Benjamin Worgull (@TheBadgerNation) March 31, 2017
On Saturday, the Class of 2017 was announced. You did not see the name Bo Ryan unless people were talking about how once again he did not make the cut.
Ryan’s resume is nothing short of amazing. Beginning his head coaching career at Division III UW-Platteville, Ryan had a record of 353-76 and won four national championships. In 2007 the court at Williams Fieldhouse in Platteville was renamed “Bo Ryan Court.”
After a brief, two-year stint at UW-Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Badgers named Bo Ryan their new head coach in 2001.
In 14-plus seasons with the Badgers, Ryan became the winningest coach in the program’s history with a 364-130 record. The Badgers made the NCAA Tournament in his 14 full seasons as head coach and finished no worse than fourth in the Big Ten. Under Ryan, the Badgers won four regular season conference championships and three Big Ten tournament championships.
Bo Ryan was also named Big Ten Coach of the Year four times. Nationally, he won the Clair Bee Coach of the Year award in 2007 and Jim Phelan Coach of the Year in 2008.
Not only that, Ryan elevated the program to a higher level and is a key factor in the success it has today. While not missing an NCAA Tournament, Ryan led the Badgers to seven Sweet 16’s, two Final Four appearance, and one championship game.
The resume is great, but a selection into the Naismith Hall of Fame was eluded the decorated former head coach. Will Bo Ryan finally make the cut? I don’t see why not. I thought it would have happened a couple of years ago after making it to two Final Four’s and a national runner-up. Then maybe I thought it would happen after he called it quits. Instead it’s one more year we will have to wait to see if he finally makes the cut.
Highlighting the 2017 class is Tracy McGrady, former UConn star Rebecca Lobo, and Kansas head coach Bill Self. The rest of the inductees can be found here.
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It’s not a total wash for Bo Ryan, however. He is among eight members inducted to the National Collegiate Hall of Fame November 19th. The Badgers will take part in the Hall of Fame Classic on November 20th and 21st in Kansas City, MO.