The day belonged to Virginia women's basketball coach Debbie Ryan. And that statement became even more true when Charlottesville Mayor Blake Caravati literally proclaimed it "Debbie Ryan Day" during pregame festivities that honored Ryan for her 25 years of service to the University as head women's basketball coach.
It would be remiss not to write about Ryan today, when she truly coached a victory out of her young Cavalier squad - it was the 559th such victory of her illustrious career.
Ryan truly is a master of coaching, one of the most over-criticized and under-appreciated vocations. A coach has an impact on everything her players do, from the execution of the game's fundamentals on the court, to the manner in which they carry themselves away from the arena.
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Ryan's record of career achievements reads like a long-winded grocery list. But this year's team particularly is noteworthy. With only one returning upperclassman player and five freshmen, it has been an uphill battle against low outside expectations for a Virginia team picked to finish eighth in the conference. With yesterday's win, however, the Cavaliers solidified their third-place standing in the ACC.
"I definitely think this year's team is one of her better jobs as a coach," Maryland coach Chris Weller said. "She does everything well. You aren't going to be successful for 25 years doing just one thing well. She's done a great job."
And why wouldn't Weller think that? In yesterday's contest against Maryland, Virginia led from the game's first possession when Anna Prillaman sunk a baseline three-pointer until the final buzzer, which ultimately was a 76-59 win.
The way yesterday's game started would make any coach proud. The Cavaliers jumped out to an early double-digit lead, 16-6, in under four and a half minutes of work. The team passed unselfishly, hustled after loose balls, took charges, helped out on defense and crashed hard to the boards for rebounds. These are all the basics on which coaches constantly must drill their players. Knowing how to do their coach proud on such an important day, the Cavaliers came out of the locker room with an emotion they had been lacking in the first halves of recent games.
"What better way to end 'Debbie Ryan Day' than with a 'W,'" freshman Brandi Teamer said. "It'd have been preposterous to lose after all of these festivities."
Certainly this team will not be confused with the Virginia teams of the early 1990s that reached the Final Four three consecutive years. Virginia showed its inexperience in stretches yesterday and forced too many passes, resulting in 22 turnovers. But Ryan remained patient and, per usual, deflected all the credit toward her players.
"I was just real proud with the way they handled the end of the game," Ryan said. "I have never scored one basket for this team. I would always prefer to have the spotlight on the players and on the program."
More than just a modest coach, Ryan is also a class act and a true champion - things that do not go unnoticed by her colleagues.
"She doesn't feel [coaching] is her occupation," said Weller, who is now in her 27th season with Maryland and has seen Ryan progress. "It's her life. That's how I think Debbie looks at it. She's a class professional. She beat pancreatic cancer. What can't she beat"
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