UIC head men’s basketball coach Luke Yaklich rounded out his staff for the upcoming 2022-23 season on Thursday, June 9, with the addition of Ryan Kapustka as the team’s Director of Basketball Operations.
“We are really excited about welcoming Ryan and his wife Maggie into our basketball program,” said Yaklich. “Ryan is a former manager who has a great work ethic and love for the game of basketball. He will be an incredible addition to our staff because of his ability to build relationships with our players and help them grown as students, athletes, players and young men.”
Kapustka joins the Flames after spending the last four years with Rice University’s men’s basketball program. After serving as a graduate manager for the Owls his first two seasons, Kapustka was elevated to the program’s Director of Operations for his final two years in Houston.
“I am very excited to be joining Coach Yaklich at UIC,” said Kapustka. “I am looking forward to working with our student-athletes, staff and administration to continue to grow UIC basketball. I want to thank Coach Pera for my time at Rice. It is a blessing to be able to come back to the Midwest and compete for Missouri Valley championships.”
In his role with Rice, Kapustka oversaw day-to-day scheduling, coordinating travel logistics and official visit procedures, serving as the liaison to compliance, facilities and other athletic programs. Additionally, Kapustka managed the budget and student-manager program while also overseeing the team’s student-athlete development. Under his watch, the Owls posted a program record GPA during the 2021-22 season.
During his two seasons as a graduate manager for Rice, Kapustka helped prepare scouting reports for the coaching staff and provided daily individual workouts for the team. He also assisted the Director of Operations in completing expense reports, team budgets, travel logistics, equipment organization, game day operations and scheduling for future seasons.
Kapustka and Yaklich will be reunited, as Kapustka was a four-year student manager at Michigan. Yaklich and Kapustka were on the bench together during the 2017-18 season in which the Wolverines captured the Big Ten Tournament title and advanced to the championship game of the NCAA Tournament.
A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kapustka earned his bachelor’s degree in spot management from the University of Michigan in 2018.
Ryan Kapustka Named UIC Director of Basketball Operations
