New Mexico State University Athletics

Ryan McAdams begins his fourth season as assistant coach in 2020-21.

The 2019-20 season ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Aggies advanced to the semifinals of the WAC Tournament when the season was called.

Under McAdams tutelage, Soufia Inoussa was named to WAC All-Newcomer team while Gia Pack was named First-Team All-WAC. Pack also ended her career fifth on NM State’s all-time scoring list. 

In 2018-19, McAdams helped guide NM State to its fifth-straight WAC regular-season championship and fourth WAC tournament title in the last five years. NM State also won 26 games, matching a program record.

He helped coach Brooke Salas to her second-consecutive WAC Player of the Year honor as well as the WAC Defensive Player of the Year award. Also under McAdams’ tutelage, Gia Pack was named First-Team All-WAC while she earned WAC Tournament MVP after breaking the tournament scoring record. Pack also became the 24th Aggie to score 1,000 points. 

In 2017-18, McAdams helped lead the Aggies to their fourth consecutive WAC regular-season championship. McAdams coached NM State to their fourth straight postseason appearance as well, with the program's first bid to the WNIT since 2010. The Aggies finished 2017-18 with an overall record of 18-13 and an 11-3 mark in Western Athletic Conference action to win the league.

McAdams and NM State earned six postseason individual accolades in the WAC in 2017-18. Head coach Brooke Atkinson led the way with the WAC Coach of the Year award in her first season as the head coach. Meanwhile, McAdams helped coach star junior Brooke Salas to WAC Player of the Year honors. Salas was also placed on the WAC All-Defensive Team and was named First Team All-Conference for the second straight season. Gia Pack earned First Team All-Conference honors and Monique Mills was named to the WAC All-Newcomer team. 

McAdams helped guide Salas to become the 23rd member of the 1,000 point club in program history. Salas accomplished the feat in a home win against Chicago State on January 6, 2018.  

Under McAdams' watch, NM State led the conference in field goal percentage (.426) in 2017-18. Individually, Salas paced the league in scoring average (19.1), point guard Zaire Williams led the league in assists per game (5.1) and Salas put together the best free throw percentage (.835) in the conference. 

McAdams came to NM State after seven successful years as the head coach of Eastern Arizona. 

The Gila Monsters reached the national tournament in three of the last four seasons under McAdams.
 
EAC completed the 2016-17 campaign with an overall record of 20-11, including a 17-6 record in conference play which was good for third. The team advanced all the way to the region semifinal before falling to Arizona Western College.
 
The 2015-16 season saw the Gila Monsters (25-9 overall) win the region I championship and make the second round of the national tournament, both program firsts. They finished the season ranked No. 21 in the country.
 
During the 2014-15 campaign, EAC was nationally ranked for 12 weeks and reached as high as No. 5. The squad tallied 27 overall wins and 20 conference victories, good for a share of the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference title. McAdams’ group were region I runner-ups and notched three wins over top-20 teams.
 
In 2013-14, the Gila Monsters made the program's first trip to the national tournament after earning region I runner-up honors and finished with a 23-9 overall record.
 
While at the helm for seven years, McAdams saw EAC named runner-up NJCAA Academic Team of the Year with the second-highest team GPA out of 181 schools, twice. Every two-year player under McAdams transferred to four-year schools under his watch.
 
The Gila Monsters had three All-Americans, 11 all-region I, and 11 All-ACCAC players during McAdams' tenure. Five players were also invited to the NJCAA All-Star Weekend in Niceville, Fla., an event for the top-40 junior college players in the country to showcase their talents on a national stage.
 
Before moving to the women’s side, McAdams spent eight years as a men's assistant - including his final two at EAC (2008-10) under current men's coach Maurice Leitzke. While on Leitzke's staff, the Gila Monsters were named NJCAA Academic Team of the Year and advanced to the region I semifinal in 2009. During McAdams' two years on staff, EAC sent three players to NCAA Division I and three to NCAA Division II programs.
 
Before joining the Gila Monsters staff, McAdams spent two seasons under Leitzke at Cameron University (2006-08), an NCAA Division II program in Lawton, Okla. In 2006, they defeated four top-25 teams for the first time in school history.
 
Prior to his stint at Cameron, McAdams spent four years on the central coast in San Luis Obispo, Calif., working in men’s basketball – one under Rusty Blair at Cuesta Community College (2002-03) followed by three as a volunteer assistant under Kevin Bromley at Cal Poly (2003-06).
 
McAdams is a native of Northern California. He received a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Cal Poly.
 
He and his wife Stacy have two daughters, Rylee and Ellie, and son Caden.