On April 14, Fresno State Athletics announced that Ryan McCarthy will become the next head coach of the women’s basketball program and the 12th head coach in the program’s history. This follows the March 24 announcement of former head coach Jaime White’s departure.
McCarthy steps into the role with a bundle of experience, having spent 13 seasons as the women’s basketball head coach at the University of Alaska Anchorage, where he compiled a 309-67 record during his tenure.
While at the helm for the Seawolves, McCarthy earned Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Coach of the Year honors six times, guided the program to the third-best winning percentage and fourth-most total victories in NCAA Division II and also reached the Division II NCAA National Title Game in 2016.
Under McCarthy, six players earned All-American honors, three were named GNAC Player of the Year, 22 received first or second-team All-GNAC honors, 45 were recognized as Academic All-GNAC honorees and seven advanced to the professional level.
As a player and full-time starter, McCarthy played for GNAC rivals Northwest Nazarene University from 2002-06. He was the Nighthawks’—formerly known as the Crusaders—Orrin Hills Male Athlete of the year for the 2005-06 season and ranks third in program history with 256 career 3-pointers, setting the then-GNAC single-season record with 102 in 2005-06. McCarthy finished his career with 1,161 points for the Nighthawks.
Following his time with the Nighthawks, McCarthy played professionally for TuS Bramsche in Bramsche, Germany, in 2006-07. With TuS Bramsche, he led the league in 3-pointers and free-throw percentage. He also spent part of 2006 with the Central Oregon Hotshots of the International Basketball League, where he averaged 16 points, four assists and four rebounds per game.
McCarthy will join a Bulldog team that is coming off a successful Mountain West postseason run, upsetting No. 3 seeded Colorado State University before falling to No. 2 University of Wyoming in the semifinals.
McCarthy will also take over a revamped roster, with several players entering the transfer portal. Those being forward Mia Jacobs, who committed to the University of Oregon; guard Mariah Elohim, who committed to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; forward Kylee Fox; forward Maria Konstantinidou and guard Malaya LeSueur.
Among the players staying are guards Laney Amundsen, Alannah Chatfield, Alonia Oliver, Danae Powell and Taija Sta. Maria, and forwards Elif Dila Bayrak, Holly Griffiths, Avery Watkins and Rayna Williams.
McCarthy’s hiring marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Fresno State women’s basketball program.
