Wayne Ryan promoted to become next boss of West Virginia high school sports and activities

A longtime coach and administrator, at all levels, Ryan succeeds retiring David Price as WVSSAC executive director starting in July

Wayne Ryan takes over as WVSSAC (West Virginia) executive director starting July 1 of 2025 / Photo courtesy of WVSSAC

Wayne Ryan has been a teacher, athletic director, assistant principal and state championship girls basketball coach at the high-school level.

And with the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC), he's served as an in an assistant-director role since 2016.

Now, Ryan has completed his ascent: He was named as the new WVSSAC executive director, replacing David Price, who is retiring after just one year leading the association.

Ryan will assume his new duties July 1.

“I appreciate the board of directors’ confidence in me,” said Ryan in a released statement through the WVSSAC. "It is an honor to serve in this position, and I am humbled by this opportunity. I am looking forward to working with the board and all stakeholders to continue to serve our student-athletes and our member schools. Our staff will work very hard to better serve and support our member schools and help advance the mission of education-based athletics."

It was former WVSSAC executive director Bernie Dolan (2016-23) who brought Ryan on in 2016 as an assistant director, overseeing baseball, basketball, football, track and field and wrestling.

Before that, Ryan was the president of the state's athletic director association and was a member of the WVSSAC board of directors. The former six-time girls basketball championship coach also was a member of the WVSSAC basketball coaches advisory committee and basketball restructuring committee.

His girls basketball program at Summers County won six West Virginia Class AA state championships, including five in a row from 2007-11. It also holds the state record for longest winning streak - 105 games (2008-12).

A 1982 graduate of Hinton High School (which later became new-school Summers County), Ryan was a school hall-of-fame athlete who went on to play NAIA baseball at now-defunct Alderson Broaddus.

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