By Arlie Rahn
Arizona Daily Wildcat
April 7, 1998

Engineering a Program

Bill Ryden was at the crossroads 10 years ago.

He would work a nine-hour day as an engineer and then spend a good part of his evening heading a club gymnastics team. And while he enjoyed both jobs, he was burning out.

"I was reaching the end of my rope. The schedule was literally killing me," said Ryden, the current UA assistant gymnastics coach. "On my club team, five of the girls were graduating so I had resigned myself to continuing engineering and discontinuing the club practice. It was a matter of money and security versus what I felt I was meant to do."

But just as Ryden had begun to phase out a future in gymnastics, the best opportunity of his career appeared.

"One of my former gymnasts, Diane Monty, was performing at Arizona and the team had a meet in Colorado so I decided to go see her," Ryden said. "She had set up a dinner meeting with her, (UA head coach) Mr. (Jim) Gault and myself. It was then that I found out about the opportunity to get back into coaching and come to Arizona as an assistant."

Now eight years later, Ryden will be handed the reigns to one of the most successful gymnastics programs in the nation after Gault's retirement this season.

"Ten years ago I would never have imagined that I would be in this position," Ryden said. "I had to take a big pay cut when I came here, but I have been much happier. Engineering was becoming easy and this offered a new challenge."

While Ryden discontinued his practice as an engineer, his coaching style has many technical undertones.

"Bill has a very scientific mind and that's the way he approaches gymnastics," Gault said. "He's real good about the details of the sport and likes all the bases covered. If it were up to him, everything would run like clockwork."

Ryden also uses his background in physics and other sciences to help with different routines and avoiding injuries.

"When you think about it, gymnastics itself is the ultimate manifest of physics applied. When you perform you are using all of the principles of force and motion," Ryden said. "When you take this kind of a viewpoint, you can analyze different tricks and landings in a more scientific fashion."

Ryden's head coaching experience on the club level at Ryden Gymnastics in Littleton, Colo., from 1988-90 should also benefit him next season. He was also an Elite coach at the Denver School of Gymnastics from 1984-88, where he coached current UA senior Nancy Milberger.

"In terms of the skills coached, there isn't a huge difference between the club and collegiate level," Ryden said. "But there is a difference in the way you deal with the athletes. Here you are dealing with mature young women, not little girls like in club. Therefore you have to value their opinions and feelings in a much different way."

Gault has been another valuable learning tool for Ryden, as he has compiled one of the most successful track records in the nation over the last 16 years. Ryden has been coaching under him for eight of those seasons.

"The best thing for my coaching career has been the fact that I've been three feet away from Mr. Gault for the last eight years," Ryden said. "In addition to watching his coaching, he has also made me an integral part of the program. All three coaches have always been in the same office and we all discuss things together. It has really been a team coaching situation."

Ryden also intends to continue this same style when he takes over the head coaching duties in a couple months. And this time Ryden will be the leader and the protégé will be current assistant Karen Tierney.

"I really look forward to working with Bill. He is really good at giving each performer good individual attention," said Tierney, who last performed for Arizona in 1997. "It will be a great learning experience for me, but it will also be a big challenge when I am asked to take a greater role next season."

While Tierney is supportive of the decision to name Ryden head coach, perhaps the most vocal proponents of this move are the current Wildcat gymnasts.

"(Ryden) impressed me when I was recruited. You could just tell that he knew how things worked and that he would do everything to keep the team improving," UA freshman Kara Fry said. "After being here one season I think that he has many of the same traits as Mr. Gault. So I think next year will go well and there won't be any problems with a new coach."

Gault, who was also in favor of Ryden's promotion, offered a word of advice for the way Ryden approaches the situation.

"I think he has to look at it as this is Bill's program. It's not Bill assuming Gault's role," he said. "This will be a new page in Arizona gymnastics and I think it will be a successful one."

Ryden File

A look at bill ryden's success as an assistant gymnastics coach at arizona.

• Best known as a great technician and teacher for high-level skills
• Earned a reputation as one of the top spotters in the nation
• Member of the usa world university games coaching staff in 1993
• Named midwest region assistant coach of the year in 1992