LIBERTY, Mo. – William Jewell College has announced the hiring of Emma Ryan as the eleventh head softball coach in program history.
Ryan comes to the Cardinals from Avila University where she helped the Eagles to a 32-21 overall mark and third place finish in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference in 2025. She mentored the 2025 KCAC Freshman of the Year, two Gold Glove winners, five All-Conference players, one All-Region performer, and 16 Daktronics Scholar-Athletes.
As a graduate assistant at Ottawa University, she helped lead the Braves program to more than 40 wins and second place finish in the conference along with a trip to the NAIA National Tournament First Round. In her time with OU, she coached six All-Conference players.
A standout on the field herself at MidAmerica Nazarene University, she spent four seasons with the Pioneers, where she made 119 starts behind the plate and earned three All-Heart of America Athletic Conference selections. She utilized her fifth season of eligibility at Ottawa University where she helped the Braves capture the 2023 KCAC championship.
A native of Kansas City, Kansas, she earned her undergraduate degree in English education in 2022 from MidAmerica Nazarene and is a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.