Ryan Walthall has been named the assistant coach for the Penn State men's volleyball program, head coach Mark Pavlik announced.
“It’s great to have him back home,” said Pavlik. “Ryan was one of our better leaders during his days as a Nittany Lion. He was a member of the group that won the national championship in 2008 with his leadership. I think the 10 years he has spent coaching have served him well. He’s a bright guy, and I’m excited to get him in here and let him keep working towards the success he was a part of.”
Ryan Walthall comes to University Park from the University of California Santa Barbara women's volleyball coaching staff.
“I am truly excited and honored to return home to Happy Valley and once again be a part of the men's volleyball program. I want to thank Pavlik, Colin and the athletics staff for this tremendous opportunity," said Walthall.
Walthall was responsible for a number of responsibilities with UCSB. He served as the Gauchos' offensive coordinator, helped with recruiting, and handled on video analysis for both scouting and player development. Additionally, he was in charge of organizing team travel throughout the season.
Walthall arrived in Santa Barbara from Ohio University where he served as an assistant coach for the women's volleyball team. With the Bobcats, he was the team's defensive coordinator and also provided scouting analysis on Ohio opponents. Walthall found early success in Ohio, as his defense led the conference in both opponent hitting percentage (.172) and blocks per set (2.75), while also tallying the fifth-most digs (16.24/set).
Prior to his stint in Athens, Walthall spent three seasons as an assistant at the University of North Florida.
As the top assistant for the Ospreys, Walthall helped UNF to the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Championships in back-to-back seasons. In 2011, he coached a defense that boasted the league leaders in blocking, digs, and opponent attack percentage.
Walthall started his coaching career as a volunteer assistant coach with perennial power Nebraska for two seasons. While a member of the Cornhuskers' staff, he assisted with video scouting, film breakdown and team training during practices while also helping with day-to-day administrative office duties.
Walthall was a four-year winner at Penn State under Coach Mark Pavlik. With the Nittany Lions, he was a part of four national semifinal squads, including the 2006 season when the team competed in the National Championship match.
During his senior campaign in 2007, he ranked 15th in the nation and led Penn State in averaging 2.33 digs per set. While he served as a defensive and serving specialist during his first two seasons at Penn State, Walthall made the move to libero as a junior and helped the Nittany Lions to a 21-8 record and a national runner-up finish.
Walthall earned his bachelor's degree in recreation, parks and tourism management at Penn State in May 2007.
Originally from Irvine, California, Walthall attended Woodbridge High School where he was a Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selection and team MVP as a senior. At the club level, he competed for the LBC, helping the team to the 2003 Junior Olympic National Championship.