Howie Ryan Position: Assistant Coach Experience: 26th Year Alma Mater: Houston, 1967

Howie Ryan is in his 26th year as the men's cross country head coach and men's track and field assistant coach at the University of Houston.

As head cross country coach, Ryan coached 2000 NCAA qualifier Mike Olague, who finished second at the Conference USA Championships and ninth at the NCAA District meet.

Ryan guided the Cougars to a third-place finish in the 1996 Conference USA Cross Country Championships. Houston also finished fifth at the 1997 C-USA Cross Country Championships and seventh at the 1998 C-USA championships.

Before Houston joined Conference USA in 1996, Ryan guided the Cougars to four third-place finishes at the Southwest Conference Championships. He led Houston to second-place at the 1979 and 1980 NCAA District VI Championships. In 1985, Ryan coached Houston's only Southwest Conference individual cross country champion, Anthony Smith.

He also coached 1990 NCAA cross qualifier Matt Fontaine, and All-C-USA cross country runners Frank Porreco in 1996, and Vance Reyes in 1997.

Ryan coached eight-time 800-meter champion Karim Alston, who holds the league's indoor and outdoor 800-meter records.

He also tutored 1997 Conference USA 1,500-meter champion Ron Pascucci and Vance Reyes, who finished second in the 5,000 meters at the 1997 C-USA Indoor Championship, third in the 3,000 meters at the 1998 conference meet and fifth in the 10,000 meters at the 1997 and 1999 C-USA Outdoor Championships.

Before he began his career as a collegiate coach, Ryan qualified for the 1972 Olympic Trials in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. As a collegiate runner at Houston, Ryan helped lead the Cougar cross country team to an eighth-place finish in the 1964 NCAA championships.

A native New Yorker, Ryan began his coaching career in 1970 as the track and cross country coach at Alexander Hamilton High School in Westchester County and John F. Kennedy High School in Somers, N.Y. before returning to Houston. Ryan received his undergraduate degree from UH in 1967. His wife, Sandy, is also an UH graduate, and they have three children: Laura, Scott, and Katie.