WATERBURY, Conn. -- The spring season is just around the corner for Post University Women's Soccer and with it will come a new era to the program as Meagan Ryan has been named the ninth Head Coach in its history this week. Ryan replaces Head Coach Renato Topalli who departed at the end of the season following his second year at the helm and sixth season overall with the program. 

Ryan comes to Post after spending the last two seasons as an Assistant Coach for the Women's Soccer program at the University of Illinois Chicago. During her time there, the Flames made it to a pair of Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Semifinals games, while she was responsible primarily for building and enhancing the team's development plan as well as film review for players. She was also in charge of building relationships with local club teams to help strengthen UIC's recruitment pipeline, create scouting reports, and assist with training sessions with the team.

"We are thrilled to welcome Meagan as the new head coach of our Women's Soccer Program at Post University, said Athletic Director Karin Mann. "Her comprehensive plan for player development—encompassing on-field performance, academic achievement, and community involvement—along with her vision for the future, signifies an exciting time for our program. I am excited for the young women in our program and look forward to collaborating with Meagan and her staff to cultivate a culture of excellence and success, both on and off the field.

A 2018 graduate of Roanoke College, Ryan played four seasons on the college's Women's Soccer team, playing in 72 games as a midfielder and scoring five goals while adding 12 assists and totaling 22 points before graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management. After graduating, she would get her start in coaching as an Assistant Coach at Auburn University at Montgomery where she spent a season working with the Gulf South Conference's leading scorer Ruby Mendez while also creating scouting reports, leading film sessions, individual sessions, and team sessions. 

"To say I am excited to accept this position would be an understatement. I am appreciative for the opportunity to step into the role of Post University's next Head Women's Soccer Coach," said Ryan. "I feel that the strongest aspect that defines a place is the community and from my conversations with the administration, support staff, and the players, the support, passion, and belief surrounding the Women's Soccer team is clear."

While Ryan returned to her alma mater in Roanoke College to be an Assistant Coach for three seasons, helping lead the Maroons from a 7-6-4 record to a 13-6-1 record in 2019, she would also take over as the Head Varsity Coach of Salem High School for three years as well in that same stretch before her next gig at Eastern Kentucky University in 2021.

At Eastern Kentucky, Ryan spent the next year as a Forward Positional Coach, helping the team nearly double their goal-scoring from the spring to the fall season of 2021. That fall, she trained what would be the program's first-ever Atlantic Sun Conference Freshman of the Year, Nerea de Diego, who went on to be called up to the U19 Spanish National Team and helped the program reach their first-ever Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Semifinal that season as well. 

Before heading to UIC, Ryan headed to Auburn University for a year as a Graduate Assistant where she assisted in the day-to-day operations of the program which included practice planning, managing field set up, film analysis, and developmental planning for current and prospective athletes. She is currently finishing up her Master of Adult Education from Auburn University with an anticipated graduation date for this year. 

Speaking further about the future of the program, Ryan said, "The community I am entering already has the foundation for success. It is our job now to build upon that foundation through a united and consistent commitment to accountability, discipline, integrity, and teamwork. If we can embody that on and off the field, we will reach the success this group so clearly desires and is capable of reaching."

Ryan will officially take over the reins of the program on February 10th.