Former Boston University field hockey player Liz Ryan has returned three years later as an assistant coach for the storied and successful program.
“Culture drives a team, and that’s why it’s so great to be back at BU with a culture that drives what happens and what we can accomplish,” Ryan said.
Ryan discovered field hockey at 12 years old, initially as a way to connect and play with her older sister. The sport then took the Hoosick Falls High School graduate to Division I college athletics. She spent two seasons at the University of Albany, where she scored one goal and one assist.
She then transferred to BU’s field hockey program, led by head coach Sally Starr and associate head coach Tracey Paul, for her junior and senior seasons. As a Terrier, Ryan recorded six goals and one assist to total seven goals and two assists in her career.
“She plays with joy, she plays with energy and she goes through life that way as well,” Starr said. “I really enjoyed coaching her for the two years we had here at Boston University.”
Following her graduation with a degree in international relations from the College of Arts and Sciences in 2021, Ryan set her sights abroad. Her coaches at BU connected her with David Passmore — now USA Field Hockey National Women’s Team head coach — who, at the time, was coaching club hockey in Ireland.
In England and Ireland, a club system allows field hockey players to continue playing after university in their late 20s and 30s. Outside the national team setup, the same opportunities for post-college play are few and far between in the United States.
“Part of the reason I went over[seas] is because I didn’t want to stop playing,” Ryan said of her move to Ireland.
Ryan pursued coaching accreditations through Hockey Ireland and England Hockey. There, she gained a broad range of experiences in both coaching and playing.
Ryan, a key player at Catholic Institute, helped the team claim its first title in the Women’s Irish Senior Cup. Through the Elite Performance Masters Program at Dublin City University, she was a visiting sports fellow at Oakham School, a secondary school in England where she worked in the sports department.
“From the coaching dynamic, you get coached by multiple different coaches,” Ryan said. “It wasn’t just fixated on learning from the only field hockey coach you’re around.
Ryan’s addition to the BU coaching staff was a last-minute development. The move comes after former assistant coach Tori Roche left the team just a week before preseason began to coach softball at her alma mater Babson College.
“Liz was one of the first ones that came to our mind, and we’re really grateful and fortunate that she was available and able to join us,” Starr said about searching for Roche’s replacement.
A lifelong student of the sport of field hockey, Ryan has carried her dedication and excitement for the sport across locations and roles. These traits have helped her slot seamlessly into what Starr and Paul have meticulously crafted — a program driven by joy and passion.
“She brings that joy and that passion to every training session and to work every day,” Starr said.
Ryan said she valued the opportunity just as much as Starr and Paul.
“The moment I came to BU as a 20-year-old in 2019, I felt that [Starr] was going to help me develop as a human being and give me opportunities,” she said. “She really develops the individual and teaches them how to have respect and how to carry yourself.”
Going forward, Ryan said what surprised her most about the transition to coaching for BU are the dynamics a player never thinks of, like tactics and management.
“In the meantime, I’m really learning the way of all the things that go into a field hockey season,” Ryan said. “Really, [Starr and Paul] are still my teachers.”
Ryan brings a new approach to a staff rich with experience. Together, Starr and Paul tally up 65 years coaching at BU. In such a collaborative environment with veteran colleagues, Ryan is looking to absorb all the knowledge she can from her coaches.
“I think that’s what really drew me back to the program,” she said. “I knew I’d be supported in every way when they called me.”
