Former Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan named to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2024

Former Wisconsin basketball coach Bo Ryan has been selected as a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2024, the organization revealed on Saturday morning.

Ryan spent 14-plus years at Wisconsin, where he led the Badgers to 364 wins. But his overall coaching tenure extends well past just his Wisconsin days.

The now legendary coach spent 32 seasons as a head coach at the college level before retiring.

His puts together an overall record of 747-233 (.762), which left him in 26th on the NCAA’s all-time wins list at the time of his retirement. He has the most wins in Wisconsin history and the best winning percentage in Big Ten history.

Suffice it to say, his inclusion was well warranted.

“When I got the news about entering the Naismith Hall of Fame, my thoughts instantly went to the countless people who have been a part of this journey with me,” Bo Ryan said in a press release. “I’m grateful and humbled by an honor like this, but I sincerely believe that this is a reflection of the contributions of so many people that have helped me in my career.

“I can’t express how thankful I am for the support of my wife, Kelly, and my family, being on my side for this journey. I wish I could thank all of the players I’ve had the privilege of coaching, all the coaches I’ve worked alongside, the staff and administrators who had a hand in our success and the thousands and thousands of fans who have supported us.”

A number of Wisconsin dignitaries chimed in with their support of Bo Ryan following his inclusion into the Hall of Fame.

“My congratulations go out to Bo for this incredible honor,” former Wisconsin athletics director Barry Alvarez said. “As a fellow coach at Wisconsin and later as director of athletics, I had a front-row seat to see the Badger men’s basketball program rise to new heights under Bo’s direction. His teams were talented, tough and fundamentally sound. They were a pleasure to watch. I am very pleased that Bo will be joining the greats of the game of basketball in the Naismith Hall of Fame.”

In receiving the recognition, Bo Ryan had a lengthy list of thank yous that started with family and extended all the way into the coaching ranks.

He offered them freely, now officially set to become a member of the Hall of Fame.

“There is no doubt that my roots in Chester, Pennsylvania shaped who I became as a coach,” Ryan said. “My parents were incredibly supportive role models for me and I’m forever indebted to my high school and college coach, Ron Rainey, for helping lay the foundation for later success.

“I’m proud that this honor will represent all the places I’ve coached, starting with Brookhaven Junior High to Sun Valley High School to Dominic College and coach Cofield to Wisconsin as an assistant to UW-Platteville to UW-Milwaukee and then back to the Badgers for an incredible run.

“Thank you to the Hall of Fame committee and everyone who helped along the way.”