Coach Ryan has been the Head Coach of the Lynchburg YMCA Swim Team since 2015.  With 25 years of coaching experience at a variety of club and collegiate positions, Ryan is a veteran coach with a challenging and creative approach to training. He emphasizes proper technique with focused training as the path to swimming excellence.

In Ryan's time at LY, Piranha swimmers have won 7 individual and 1 relay YMCA National titles. LY was named a USA Swimming Club Excellence Silver Medal Team (top ~2% in the country) in 2023, and a Bronze Medal team (top ~5% in the country) twice, in 2021 and 2022.  LY swimmers have achieved National recognition as Scholastic All-Americans on many occasions and qualified for Olympic Trials, USA Nationals, and Junior Nationals. At YMCA Nationals, LY has become a consistent force with multiple top-10 team finishes. In 2023, Ryan was selected to be the Head Coach for Virginia Swimming's Eastern Zone Age Group Championship Team. In 2025, Ryan was named by ASCA and Fitter & Faster as one of USA Swimming's Top Age Group Coaches.

Before coming to Lynchburg, Ryan was the Head Coach of the Parkland Area Aquatic Club in Allentown, PA from 2011 to 2015.  There, he mentored multiple Olympic Trials, National, and Jr National qualifiers and guided dozens of swimmers who went on to swim collegiately.

At the North Carolina Aquatic Club in Chapel Hill, NC from 2007-2010, Ryan guided his swimmers to many state championships including the team's first LSC title in 2008.  NCAC produced many Jr National qualifiers, an Olympic Trials qualifier, Scholastic All-Americans, and during Ryan's tenure and was repeatedly awarded the Silver Medal for Club Excellence.  Ryan also served as an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina, helping the team to multiple ACC team runner-up finishes and NCAA All-American honors.

Ryan holds a Bachelor's degree in Exercise & Sport Science and a Master's degree from the University of Florida, where he got his start in coaching.  He was the Head Coach for Gator Swim Club and developed multiple Olympic Trials, National, and Junior National Qualifiers during his time there. Assisting with the perennial national power Florida Gator Swimming & Diving, Ryan helped with all aspects of the program that produced numerous NCAA Champions, Olympians, and Olympic gold medalists.

Ryan is also known in the coaching community for his Swimming Wizard blog that he has maintained since 2009.

In his spare time, Ryan enjoys running, writing, and reading.  He and his wife Abby (LY Assistant Director of Competitive Aquatics) have three children and live in Lynchburg.

Email Coach Abby: [email protected]

Coach Abby returned to LY in August 2015.  She got her first taste of swimming at age 7 at Falling River Country Club and joined the YMCA swim team that fall. Abby was an excellent LY and E.C. Glass swimmer and still holds a couple of records around the area. She continued her career at Davidson College where she was part of the school record-setting 800 free relay and a conference meet finalist on multiple occasions.
  Abby started her coaching career in 1995 at the Peakland Pool teaching swimming lessons and eventually becoming Head Coach. She later coached with the famed Mecklenburg Aquatic Club (MAC) during the summer and earned a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Davidson College in 2001.
   Moving to the University of Florida in 2004, she worked as the manager for the UF swim team, taught swim lessons, and became the Head Age Group Coach, Head Masters Coach, and Business Manager of Gator Swim Club. She earned her Master's degree in Sport Management from UF in 2006.
   In 2007 Abby and Coach Ryan moved to the North Carolina Aquatic Club in Chapel Hill, NC. Abby served as the Head Age Group Coach and business manager of the club until the summer of 2009 when she made the decision to stay at home with her first child.
   Abby spent the previou six years before coming to LY as a full-time mom to three children and is thrilled to be getting back into the “swim of things.". She is currently Assistant Director of Competitive Aquatics and plans to be back on the pool deck more and more over the next few years. Abby firmly believes that there is no greater sport than swimming, and she loves sharing her passion for the sport with young swimmers! Most of her free time is spent shuttling her kids around to various activities, but she still enjoys swimming, running, reading, movies, and having new adventures with her family.

Kevin grew up in Lynchburg swimming for LY. A YMCA National Qualifier as a sprint freestyler, he went on to compete at Indian River (FL) Community College and spent 25 years working in a variety of positions in the film and tv industries. He returned to coaching in 2014 at H2Okie Aquatics in Blacksburg and most recently coached at Machine Aquatics in Maryland. He is returning to Lynchburg to be near family and we are excited to add to our staff his experience and ability to connect with swimmers of all ages.

Savannah has been part of LY for many years, first as a swimmer and now for two years as a coach. She grew up swimming for LY, Hill City, and the LCA Bulldogs. Her positive attitude and strong work ethic served her well in the pool and now do the same on the deck as she coaches our young Piranhas.  She is an excellent mentor, teacher and coach and has made an impact with so many swimmers on our team. In addition to coaching, Savannah is currently a student at Liberty University.