Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, John T. Ryan forever changed the lives of thousands of students during his fifty years of teaching and coaching at Saint Charles Preparatory and Bishop Hartley High Schools. Known to most as Mr. or “Coach” Ryan, he dedicated his career to high school coaching and teaching.
Mr. Ryan began his career at Saint Charles Preparatory School in 1936 where he taught health and science and coached baseball, basketball, and football. In 1942, during World War II John T. Ryan enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, upon his return from his tour of duty in 1945, Mr. Ryan resumed his teaching and coaching career at Saint Charles until 1964. It was then when John T. Ryan began his twenty-five career at Bishop Hartley where he retired from in 1989.
John T. Ryan is the only coach inducted into the Ohio Coaches Hall of Fame three times (baseball 1974, football 1988 and basketball 1992). In 1989, Bishop Hartley named their football stadium in his honor. In 1999, Saint Charles named their fitness and training facility in the coach’s honor. Both schools also have a memorial scholarship named in his honor. In 2000, John T. Ryan was named the Coach of the Century (Columbus Dispatch This Week).
It is said that the only thing that John T. Ryan loved more than teaching and coaching was his wife Elaine of 51 years, his five children Kathleen, Patty, Jackie, Jimmy, Joe, and his grandchildren.