By Madeline Folsom on SwimSwam
Illinois State University announced the hiring of University of Kansas assistant coach Ryan Evans as their new head coach on Tuesday.
Evans joined the University of Kansas program in 2023 as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator following a stint as the head coach at Division II program, the University of Mary in North Dakota.
Illinois State Athletic Director Jeri Beggs said “We are excited to welcome Ryan Evans and his family to Normal and look forward to him leading the Redbird Swimming and Diving program. Ryan brings a wealth of experience with him as a Division I assistant coach at Kansas and New Mexico and as a head coach who led a successful Division II program. In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, he has a background coaching and running a swim club and as a high school head coach, which should aid him in the recruiting process finding future Redbirds. Ryan sold us on his intent for Redbird Swimming & Diving to be a program that competes for championships and has tremendous success, in and out of the pool. We are thrilled to have Ryan join our Redbird Family and know he will be a great asset to our department.”
Prior to his time at Kansas and the University of Mary, Evans spent a year as the assistant coach at the University of New Mexico, and three years as the head coach of the Reno Aquatic Club.
He is a University of Iowa alum, graduating from the program in 2009 after serving as team captain and receiving the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award and the Iowa Swimming Leadership award in his final year.
Evans said “I am thrilled to be named the next Head Swimming & Diving Coach at Illinois State University. I want to thank Dr. Jeri Beggs, Cindy Harris, and the entire Athletic Department for this incredible opportunity to lead the Redbird program. I’m especially grateful to my wife, Lauren, for her unwavering support throughout my career. I’ve been really impressed by the resources and commitment Illinois State provides its student-athletes, both in the classroom and in the pool. This is a place that truly supports excellence, and I’m excited to build a program that competes for Missouri Valley Conference championships. Lauren and I are also looking forward to raising our five kids in the Bloomington-Normal community. I can’t wait to connect with our current swimmers and divers, recruit the next generation of Redbirds, and engage with the program’s alumni. Roll Birds!”
Evans and his wife, Lauren, have five children: Alta (11), Michael (8), Andrew (4), Mary (2) and the newest addition, Matthew.
Clark Campbell, the University of Kansas head coach, said, “ISU made a slam dunk hire with Ryan. In his two years with us, he made profound impact on our program with his coaching, recruiting and leadership abilities. His skill set will match perfectly for the Redbird program. Most importantly, Ryan is ready to be a head coach and will lead his program to new heights.”
Illinois State is a women’s only team that competes in the Missouri Valley Conference. At the 2026 MVC Championships, they finished 7th out of nine teams. Former head coach Riley Hilbrandt resigned after two years with the program, and the job was listed with a target salary of $65,000-$80,000. Evans will be the program’s 4th head coach in five years.
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