Women's Basketball

Ryan Pippins comes to Kansas following a stint as a men’s basketball graduate assistant coach at NCAA Division II Southern Arkansas.

While in Magnolia, Pippins helped guide a Mulerider men’s hoops program to new heights under head coach Logan Quinn. SAU won 33 games during Pippins’ time on the bench which included an NCAA-era 22 wins, the program’s first Great American Conference Tournament title, and an NCAA postseason berth in 2022-23. Of those 33 wins, 26 were against GAC foes and 17 came at home inside the W.T. Watson Center. Perimeter shooting and rebounding highlighted the ’22-23 Muleriders in Pippins’ first year as an assistant. Southern Arkansas held top 40 marks in Division II in three pointers per game (9.3), and three point attempts per game (25.8) and dominated the glass on the offensive end of the floor leading the GAC and ranking 26th nationally in offensive rebounding (12.63) and rebounding margin (4.7). This past season, the Muleriders ranked eighth nationally in rebound margin (8.0) and held the 19th-highest offensive rebounding average (13.38) in the country in addition to a top-50 mark in rebounding (38.52).

Pippins, who starred at Little Rock Parkview under SAU Sports Hall of Famer Al Flanigan, began his collegiate playing career at Division I Arkansas-Little Rock where he spent four seasons with the Trojans, before playing his final two years at Division II Pittsburg State. In two seasons with the Gorillas, Pippins played in 48 of the team’s 50 games making 37 starts and averaging 29.4 minutes per game and leading team in minutes played both seasons. In 2021-22, Pippins led PSU in scoring six times and in rebounding three times, while averaging 8.6 ppg and 3.7 rpg in addition to leading the squad in free throw shooting at 83.6% behind a team-high 61 makes, in assists (46) and in points scored (233). While with his hometown Trojans, Pippins played in 52 games with 13 starts at 18.3 minutes per game. In all, Pippins was a part of 71 wins during his collegiate career. He shot 38% from the floor, including a 35% success rate from three-point range and he made 77% of his free throw shots.

Pippins graduated from Arkansas-Little Rock in May of 2020 with his Bachelor of Science in Health Education Promotion with a minor in Health and Sport Management. In May of 2023, he earned a Master of Science in Health, Human Performance and Recreation with an emphasis in Sport and Leisure Service Management. Pippins was an MIAA Academic Honor Roll recipient.