Ryan McDonough '19, a four-year member of the Elmira College men's volleyball program as a student-athlete, enters his third season as head coach of the program in 2024-25.
In 2024, the Soaring Eagles would finish 9-14 (1-6 UVC), taking on eight nationally-ranked opponents during the season. One of Elmira's biggest victories of the season came at home for the second consecutive season against #13 ranked New York University, as Elmira took the match in straight-sets. Edwin Sosa '25 would earn third team All-UVC honors during the season, while Sosa (First Team), Max Cohen '25 (Second Team), and Alex Vega '26 (Second Team) each earned Empire 8 All-Conference honors.
McDonough took over as head coach of the men in 2023, helping lead the Soaring Eagles to the UVC Playoffs in his first season at the helm after a 13-9 (2-4 UVC) effort. Elmira's 7-1 start to the season boasted to be one of the best starts in program history, while Elmira picked up a thrilling UVC victory against #10 ranked New York University inside Speidel Gymnasium. Additionally, McDonough helped the duo of Oscar Munoz-Trinidad '23 and Alberto Mauricio to All-UVC honors, while five Soaring Eagles' earned Empire 8 All-Conference accolades. McDonough would mentor Mauricio to becoming the fifth All-American in program history, while Munoz-Trinidad earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors, along with being named the 2022-23 Empire 8 Co-Male Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year.
In his lone season serving as the head coach for the women's program in 2022, McDonough helped the Soaring Eagles to an 8-20 record (2-7 E8), while the team also earned the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award for the 11th consecutive season.
McDonough returned to his alma mater as a coach after wrapping up one of the most successful careers on the court in program history. He spent two seasons as the volunteer assistant coach for the women's and men's volleyball programs before earning the title of associate head coach for the 2021-22 academic year.
"I envision great things for our men's volleyball program under Ryan's leadership," said EC Director of Athletics Rhonda Faunce. "Ryan aligns extremely well with our mission, vision, and philosophy, and we are expecting great things as the program evolves over time. Ryan brings a wealth of experience as a Division III student-athlete along with his time here at Elmira as a coach."
The Lindenhurst, New York, native, was a four-year starter for the Soaring Eagles and a two-time All-United Volleyball Conference (UVC) honoree. McDonough transformed into one of the most successful attackers to don the Purple and Gold, finishing his career ranked first in aces (175), third in kills (1,197), and fifth in kills per set (2.51).
He brings previous coaching experience after working with the Long Island Boys Volleyball Club 14-U team. As a Soaring Eagle, McDonough also assisted in running a plethora of skills camps with youth from the Southern Tier.
"I'm extremely honored to have this opportunity to take over a program that has given so much to me as a student-athlete," McDonough stated. "Being able to lead this group of young men at my alma mater is a dream come true for me. This program is very important to me, and I am determined to continue its success for years to come."
McDonough was integral in overseeing the men's volleyball team qualify for its first United Volleyball Conference Tournament since 2018 as the 2022 squad finished with a 17-13 record with historic wins against NCAA DII member D'Youville and nationally ranked St. John Fisher.
The Soaring Eagles opened the 2022 season by tying the best record to open a year (6-1) in program history following a 3-0 win over DII Independent D'Youville, while hitting over .300 as a team on 13 occasions throughout the season, a mark the Soaring Eagles accomplished over the four previous seasons combined. The Purple & Gold also set the single-season program record for hitting percentage (.268) and recorded the second-most kills in a season with 1,216.
McDonough graduated from Elmira in the spring of 2019 with a bachelor's degree in Psychology. He is currently working on attaining his master's degree in Education in June from Elmira.
