The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1952-01-04
Amazing Record For Ryan Teams
Not A Losing Season In History

Featured sports articles have Civ.
en- prominence to the records
chalked up by such names as Paul
Brown and his Cleveland Browns,
the New York Yankee baseball dy-
nasty. and even the Semi-pro Har-
lem Globetrotter basketball five,
in Columbus last week.
But, the funny thing, there's a
fellow here in Columbus who has
record on the high school level
that compares favorably with any
of the winning percentages of the
above elite.
He's Jack Ryan, head coach of
all sports at st. Charles prepara-
tory school, E. Broad Street, Co
lumbus.
Never in his l7-yesrs of
coaching has Ryan fielded .
team - in any sport - with
losing record on the season
tmore losses than vicforiesl.
Better yet, his teams have grab.
bed championships in every sport,
year in and out, with amazing con.
sistency.
In basketball alone, for example,
Ryan-coached teams stormed to an
overall victory percentage of bet
ter than 300 for his entire career.
Shades of Paul Brownl
It's incorrect to say that Ryan
has been completely overlooked
in these parts. Perhaps a dozen
high schools and colleges have ap.
preached him with coaching offers
from time to time. The list in.
cludeS top-ranking Catholic and
secular institutions.
But he has turned them all
down. He likes his job.
Started At Sacred Heart
He started his coaching career
with the elementary teams at Sa
cred Heart school, Columbus, in
the mid-thirties.
At that time, he was carrying
a full academic schedule at Ohio
State University, working part-timc
to put himself through school anC
coaching in his spare Cd time.
Just as later on, his greatest sue
cess while with the grade schoo
lads was on the hardcourts. Dur
ing a two-year period at Sacred
Heart, his basketballers engineer
ed AZ victories against only twt
defeatsl
His record there attracted al
tention and in 1887 he was offer
ed the position at st. Charles. HI
became head coach of all sport
the day he took over.
At st. Charles his teams wer,
just as monotonously good as ever
In the years from 1887 until tn,
start of World War II, the Carol
ians' reserve and varsity hooI
teams compiled an overall 900
plus slate.
Big Turnout
Ryan remembers we'll the au
tumn day in '37 when he firs
stepped onto the turf of the prep
ster football practice field to as
sumo his duties.
There we're exactly IA boys ou
for the team" he said.
In contrast, this year nearly hal
the school came out for the griC
squad.
In football. as in the othel
sports, the Ryan aggregations KEEP
on winning. Nothing as sensation
al as the court teams, but still
good.
One of the brightest gridiror
seasons at the East Broad schoo
came when, after a dismal pre-
vious year and with no returnin,
lettermen, his eleven compIetely
reversed form TO rack up an al
most all-victorious record.
No one can say that the CaroliaI
baseball teams weren't in ther,
pitching, either. The prepste,
mines made five trips to the dis
trict Journeys and twice journey
ed to the state tournament.
But turning TO the man himsel
for momentl
Now 35 years old, he was borr
in Columbus and attented Sacred
Heart Grade school. He went /,
Rosary high where he played al
varsity sports.
After he got his degree in Ply
sical Education at Ohio State ii
took till 1910 with the schedui,
he had to carry, he spent foul
years in the Coast Guard durinj
the war.
Sports connoisssvr
For sports preferences, he sait
he likes to watch football, coacl
basketball and play baseball" H,
still plays softball four nights
week during the summertime bu
confessed that Father Time il
catching up with him.
Asked why he decided to entel
coaching he replied Il guess
like kids, always have"
With his experience plus hi
family, he should know them a
well. He and his wife, Elaine
have four Youngsters. Ranpinl