Sean Ryan took the reins of the Montana Tech men’s and women’s golf program in the spring of 2019.
During his time as Montana Tech’s coach, Ryan has coached the Digger men to the 2021 Frontier Conference championship, two Frontier Conference Tournament individual champions, nine individual tournament victories, five men’s tournament victories, and multiple all-conference and academic all-conference honors. As the women’s golf coach, Ryan has coached the Orediggers to two tournament victories (the first and second in school history), numerous team and individual scoring records, their lowest scoring averages in school history, and multiple all-conference and academic all-conference honors.
In his time guiding the Tech Golf, Coach Ryan’s Orediggers have rewritten the record books time and time again. Taking over after the unfortunate passing of the late Coach Lee LaBreche, Coach Ryan guided the Orediggers through their spring schedule in 2019 which featured a runner-up finish at the Frontier Conference Championships at Papago Golf Course in Phoenix by the Oredigger men and a third place finish by the women. Montana Tech senior Sean Benson became the first Oredigger in school history to win the Frontier Conference Individual Championship qualifying him for the 68th NAIA National Tournament later that spring.
In his first full season, Ryan led the Oredigger men to their first tournament victory in over ten years at the Argo Invitational at Eagle Falls Golf Club. The Orediggers overcame a 12-stroke deficit and saw Sean Ramsbacher take home the individual title. The Orediggers were unable to compete for the Frontier Conference Championships in the spring of 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Three Orediggers were selected All-Conference and eight Orediggers were named Academic All-Conference.
In 2020-2021, Ryan’s Oredigger men won three of the four Frontier Conference events in the fall and captured the school’s first Frontier Conference regular season title in history. During the season, the Orediggers posted team victories at the Montana Tech Invitational, the Carroll College Invitational, and the Old Works Invitational with an Oredigger also taking home the individual title. The Diggers finished the season at the Frontier Conference Championships taking second place on both the men’s and women’s side. Sean Ramsbacher became the second Oredigger to capture the Frontier Conference Individual Championship in school history and Tanna Campbell finished second in the women’s tournament, the highest finish ever by an Oredigger women’s golfer. Three Oredigger men were named the Frontier Conference’s First Team All-Conference and two men were named Second-Team All-Conference. Three women were named to the Frontier’s All-Conference team with Tanna Campbell being named First Team and Skyler Martin and Reyla Williams earning Second Team honors. Eight men and three women were named Academic All-Conference. Ryan was named the Frontier Conference’s Men’s Golf Coach of the Year. The Montana Tech Men’s Golf team was also ranked as high as No. 22 in the NAIA National Golf Coaches’ Poll throughout the season, their first ranking in school history.
In 2021-2022, Ryan’s Orediggers saw success again with both teams finishing second or third in each tournament in the regular season and the men’s program receiving votes in the NAIA National Golf Coaches’ Poll that fall. Senior Sean Ramsbacher went back-to-back at the Montana Tech Invitational winning the tournament at 207 (-3). The Oredigger men finished second and the women finished third in the Frontier Conference Championships at Banbury Golf Course in Eagle, Idaho. The Oredigger women posted numerous school records including firing a 319 team score in the second round of the Battlin’ Bear Invitational in Billings. The women’s program also set a school record making the most birdies in a season. The Oredigger men finished the season with the second best scoring average in school history (297.2) and set the school record for eagles made by the team with eight. Sean Ramsbacher was named the Frontier Conference’s Player of the Year and named First Team All-Conference along with Teammate Isaiah Weldon. Jace Rhodes was named to the men’s golf Second Team. Franchi Ceartin was named the First Team All-Conference for the women while Sami Benson and Emily Kelly were named Second Team.
In the 2022-23 season, the Orediggers continued their success for both the men and women setting records including team scoring average (343.1), low 36-hole total (648), and a host of individuals placed in the school record books for low rounds, low 36-hole total, low scoring average, and birdies made in a season. Freshman Emma Woods set the school record for low tournament round with an even par 72 at Marias Valley Golf Course. The Oredigger men had a strong season finishing the year with one of the top-10 best scoring averages in team history (305.2). Both the Oredigger men and women finished second at the Frontier Conference Championships at Reflection bay with two men, Gabe Witham and Matt Hobbs taking home All-Tournament honors, and sophomore Emma Woods placed fourth to earn All-Tournament honors. The Orediggers led the Frontier Conference with five men and five women earning Academic All-Conference honors. The Montana Tech Golf second place finish at the Frontier Conference Championships helped Montana Tech Athletics secure their first Frontier Conference Bandy All-Sports Award in 30 years.
In the 2023-24 season, the Oredigger men finished the year with another solid scoring average (307.3), highlighted by Freshman Tyler Avery winning the Yellowjacket Fall Invitational in Billings finishing the three round tournament at 209 (-7). On the women’s side, the Orediggers did something that hadn’t been accomplished in it’s history by winning the Dickinson State Spring Invitational having four players finish in the top-10. This was the first win for the Montana Tech Women’s Golf Team in school history. The Montana Tech women finished the season with a 321.9 scoring average, setting a new school record. The Diggers finished their spring at the Frontier/Red River Golf Championships in Victoria Texas where the men finished fifth out of nine teams and the women finished fourth out of six teams.
Ryan golfed for the Orediggers from 2012-16 under coach LaBreche and was a three-time Academic All-Conference selection, and two-time Daktronics Scholar-Athlete. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Professional Technical Communications in 2016 and a master's degree in Technical Communication in 2019. Ryan also earned a Master of Science in Sport Administration from Arkansas State University in 2021.
Ryan's graduate school project was titled, "Montana's Longest Drive: Using a Technical Communication Skillset to Design, Develop, and Promote Golf in Montana". During the summer of 2018, Ryan traveled the entire Treasure State playing and walking every golf course in Montana in an 87-day, 8,507-mile, and 429-over-par adventure. The journey was documented on a website which received over 60,000 hits from over 50 different countries.
Prior to his time in Butte, the Great Falls Central product was the runner-up at the Class C state tournament in 2012 and an all-state performer all four years.
In addition to coaching golf, Ryan works as the Director of Alumni Engagement for the Montana Tech Foundation.
Ryan lives in Butte with his wife, Sara, their daughters, Piper and Murphy, and their dog, Binx Ronald.
