Carmel's Ryan steps down, for now

To celebrate turning 60 today, John Ryan and some family members, including his five grandchildren, are planning to spend the weekend at Lake Lawn Resort in southern Wisconsin.

"We're going to swim around in the swimming pool and have some fun," Ryan said.

"I don't know if (the grandkids) are going to blow out 60 candles," he added with a laugh. "We might have to call the fire department."

Come next high school basketball season, Ryan figures to have a lot more time to spend with his grandchildren, and he plans to do that, he said.

The veteran coach is taking a one-year "sabbatical" from coaching. He recently completed his ninth season as head coach of Carmel Catholic's girls basketball team.

"I'm going to take some time off and smell the flowers and reevaluate after a year," Ryan said. "I've been doing this for 35 years. I figured there's nothing wrong with taking a year off from it."

Ryan, who plans to continue as a counselor at Carmel, guided the Corsairs to a 14-14 record this past season. He said he had some concerns about his physical health during the season, though those issues were not life-threatening.

"It took me a little longer to recoup this year (after the season ended)," Ryan said. "I had some health issues, and I'm working on those. So I said I'd take a year off and see where I'm at with it all."

Ryan clarified that he's not resigning. He said he told athletic director Andy Bitto that if he decides to coach again the following winter and the head varsity position is not available, that he might accept a position on the lower levels.

"I haven't lost my passion for it, my love of the game," Ryan said. "But I need some time off."

Before coming to Carmel, Ryan served as the head boys basketball coach at Immaculate Conception in Elmhurst. He also coached at DePaul University as an assistant to women's basketball coach Doug Bruno (the Blue Demons made the NCAA Tournament in two of the three years Ryan was there).

Before that, he coached eight seasons at St. Joseph under legendary boys coach Gene Pingatore.

Led by guard Jenny Eckhart, Carmel won 26 games and a regional championship in the 2004-05 season under Ryan. The Corsairs captured 27 wins and a regional title the previous year.

Ryan said the thought of turning 60 had not been easy for him to accept. The only other birthday that disturbed him , he said, was his 30th.

"It was like, 'Oh, my God. I'm an adult now,' " Ryan said. "Now turning 60, it's been a little bothersome for me."