Ryan Hilyer
Ryan Hilyer

Bio

  • Ryan Hilyer enters his 9th season as the head coach in the 2023-24 season. 

 

  • He coached two of Bethany's All-Time Leaders with Clay Yingling and Andrew Smith. Yingling finished his career with all-time records with career goals (108), career shots on goal (254), and career shots (408). 
  • Arguably one of the best goalies in Bethany and Division III history, Smith finished his career with 1,112 career saves best for third all-time on the NCAA Divsion III career saves list. 
  • The Bison finished 5-10 (0-8 PAC) in 2023. 
  • In 2022 season the Bison reached the most wins in a single-season finishing 6-8 (1-6 PAC).
  • In 2021, Hilyer led the Bison to their first PAC Tournament appearance since rejoining the league where they faced Grove City
  • The 2020 season was suspended due to the COVID-19 virus
  • In 2019, the Bison earned four wins including an inaugural PAC Conference win against Franciscan
  • Bethany posted four wins and had four Honorable Mention All-Ohio River Lacrosse Conference (ORLC) selections under Hilyer during the 2018 season
  • Midfielder Bryan Uth ranked second in the ORLC with 125 groundballs and graduated as the all-time leader in faceoffs won and groundballs in school-history
  • The Bison earned three wins in 2017, while six players earned All-ORLC honors at the conclusion of the season
  • Hilyer was influential in the development of three-time ORLC selection Jake Holland, who finished his Bison career as the program's all-time leader in goals, assists and points
  • Hilyer helped lead the Bison to a trio of wins in his first season, including a pair against ORLC foes, Defiance and Westminster. Hilyer captured his first-career victory, leading the Green & White to their highest-scoring performance in program history with a 23-1 win over the Yellow Jackets. Six different players were named to All-ORLC teams at the end of the year 

 

  • All-PAC First Team (1): 2021: Andrew Smith (GK);
  • All-PAC Second Team (3): 2023: Andrew Smith (GK); 2022: Andrew Smith (GK); 2021: Andre Currie (M);
  • All-PAC Honorable Mention (11): 2023: Clay Yingling (A), Maurice Plummer (M); 2022: Clay Yingling (M), Dillion Davenport (FO), Christian Funari (D); 2021: Josh Allegra (A), Aarin Burton (A), Tyler Britton (M), Clay Yingling (M), Christian Funari (D); 2019: Andrew Smith;
  • All-ORLC Second Team (3): 2017: Jake Holland, Dominic Halstead, Shaka Conteh; 2016: Dom Halstead, Jake Holland; 
  • All-ORLC Honorable Mention (7): 2018: Bryan Uth, Shaka Conteh, Majied Bey, Caleb Staudenbaur; 2017: Cody Bergman, Caleb Staudenbaur, Will Gatling; 2016: Steve Pluas, Bryan Uth, Jake Shiffer, Sean Rhodes; 

  • Hilyer came to Bethany after serving three seasons as an assistant coach at fellow Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) school, Thiel
  • In just two years as the defensive coordinator, Hilyer helped Thiel decrease their goals against average from 10.31 to 7.47 in 2015. With that came a 2015 record of 10-5 for the Tomcats in the first year of the ORLC

  • Plays for the Pittsburgh Gnomes in the IBLA (Interstate Box Lacrosse Association)
  • Played for the Pittsburgh Octane (IBLA)
  • Attended Mercyhurst North East before transferring to Slippery Rock University

  • Is the Director of Lacrosse and Head Coach at the Highlands Sports Complex in Wheeling, W.Va
  • Graduated from Slippery Rock University in 2013 with a Bachelors in Professional Studies and a minor in Coaching
  • Hilyer and his wife Courtney reside in Bethany, W.Va