6.30.2011
FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University ninth-year men's basketball head coach Mike Gillian has announced the appointment of Ricky Yahn as a new Assistant Coach with the program. He served as an assistant coach at Cornell University during 2010-11, following a year as the video coordinator at George Mason University during 2009-10. Yahn will be involved in all aspects of the program, including on- and off-campus recruiting, opponent scouting and game plan preparation, coordination of team travel, player skill development, and assisting with practice preparation.
“I'm thrilled to have Ricky joining our coaching staff,” said Gillian. “He is a bright, young, up-and-coming talent in the coaching profession who brings additional positive energy and a tireless work ethic into our program. I know he will fit seamlessly into how we do things here at Longwood just as he has done on coaching staffs at George Mason and Cornell.”
Yahn was responsible for all team travel operations under Cornell head coach Bill Courtney, and prepared advanced scouting reports of opponents, while involved with player development as well. He served as director of Cornell's Basketball Camps, oversaw administrative functions and daily operations, coordinated the recruiting mail-out system with Scoutware, and supervised all student managers.
“In getting to know Coach Gillian, it became very clear how passionate he is about the University and the basketball program,” added Yahn. “I'm thankful to have this exciting opportunity to join his staff.”
At George Mason under head coach Jim Larranaga, Yahn managed technical software such as Scoutware and Synergy, prepared teaching DVD's for players, assisted with advanced scouting reports, assisted with team travel, was involved with administrative functions and daily operations, and supervised student managers.
Yahn also has previous coaching experience with Birmingham Athletics in England where he served as a player/coach during 2008, at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania where he was an assistant coach during 2007-08, and at Wheeling Jesuit where he was a volunteer assistant following his playing career in 2007. He has played professionally in both England and Buffalo, New York.
A native of Wheeling, West Virginia, Yahn earned his bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Wheeling Jesuit University in 2007. He was a four-year member of the men's basketball team, and two-year team captain, earning first-team All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) honors during 2006-07 when he earned Team MVP honors as well. Yahn helped WJU to a pair of NCAA Division II post-season tournament appearances, along with a WVIAC Championship in 2005, and finished his collegiate career with 1,467 career points that ranks eighth all-time at the school.
