I mentioned this one earlier today in the DAILY DIRT – here’s the official statement from NKU’s hiring of Ryan Peterson…
Northern Kentucky head men’s basketball coach Darrin Horn announced the addition of Ryan Peterson to the Norse coaching staff on Friday. Peterson, a former standout student-athlete and rising star in the coaching ranks, makes his way to Highland Heights by way of Baylor.
Peterson will be in charge of Player Development with the program.
“Ryan is going to bring so much to our team and will be a huge asset to our program as we seek to maximize our student-athletes’ full potential,” Horn said. “It is easy to see his love for the game, his energy, and his genuine care for developing student-athletes. He has been around championship programs as both a student-athlete at Lynn University and as a GA at Baylor University under Scott Drew and we are excited to bring a young coach with his ability onto our coaching staff.”
“I am very excited to be joining the Northern Kentucky men’s basketball family,” Peterson said. “I would like to thank Coach Horn for this opportunity, and I am truly honored to be a part of this championship program with an elite staff. Let’s get to work and Norse Up!”
Prior to NKU, Peterson most recently served as a graduate assistant with the Baylor men’s basketball program, a position he has held since July 2021. Over his three full seasons with the Bears, the team posted an overall record of 74-29 (.718) which included a mark of 36-21 (.632) in Big 12 play. Baylor also made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive years during Peterson’s time in Waco.
As a graduate assistant with the program, Peterson helped with individual student-athlete workouts and prepared scouting reports of opponents for the Bears coaching staff, to go with other video responsibilities.
Peterson also served as an assistant men’s basketball coach at St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Connecticut during the 2020-21 academic year and gained experience as both a basketball clinic supervisor at Wesleyan University and as a basketball camp counselor and coach at Cardinal Basketball School at Wesleyan.
Before his time in the coaching ranks, Peterson was a standout at both Pace University and Lynn University on the court.
While at Pace from 2015-17, Peterson was named to the NE-10 All-Rookie Team to go with three NE-10 Rookie of the Week honors and five ECAC Rookie of the Week awards. Over his two seasons with the Setters, Peterson averaged 14.1 points, 6,2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and nearly a steal per game. Off the court, he was also named to the NE-10 Honor Roll three times.
Following his time with Pace, Peterson transferred to Lynn University to conclude his studies and playing career. His highlight with the program came during the 2018-19 campaign in which the Fighting Knights advanced all the way to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16. Over his two years, he averaged 7.1 points, 3.0 boards, 1.2 helpers and nearly a swipe per contest.
Peterson earned his bachelor’s of science in sports management from Lynn University in 2019 and followed it up with a master’s of science in sports pedagogy from Baylor University in 2023.
