After a national search for a varsity basketball coach, La Salle College High School has chosen Ryan Ansel, a name that will be familiar to many within the Explorer community. Ryan’s grandfather, older brother, and countless uncles and cousins walked the halls of La Salle College High School and now one of their namesakes will lead the basketball program. Ansel replaces Mike McKee who resigned in March after compiling a 69-42 record in five seasons at the helm of the Explorers.

La Salle’s Athletic Administrator, Bob Zanneo, commented, “I am ecstatic to have Ryan Ansel as our next head basketball coach at La Salle College High School. He is a forward-thinker who is well-connected with basketball in the local area. As an administration, we believe he will bring a style of play and mindset that will help our student athletes and basketball program take the next step forward in the Philadelphia Catholic League and PIAA.”

Ryan played at Davidson College and graduated in 2014. In his time at Davidson, the Wildcats captured three conference championships and earned two trips to the NCAA tournament. Ryan continued his playing career in Northern Ireland as a Victory Scholar (2014-15), earning a Master's degree in Sports Management, whilst coaching and working with young people learning to live with the legacy of the Troubles.

Upon returning home to Philadelphia, Ryan joined the men’s coaching staff at Swarthmore College. In his first year on staff in 2015-16, the team broke the program record for wins. In subsequent years Swarthmore made the program’s first NCAA tournament appearance (2017), advanced to the Elite Eight (2018), and competed in the National Championship game (2019). In the 2019-20 season, Swarthmore was 28-1 and ranked No. 1 in the country before COVID canceled their season prior to the Sweet 16. Ryan played an integral role in the program's success in his five seasons as he helped recruit and coach four All-Americans, eight All-Conference players, and played a vital role on the staff that was recognized with four Centennial Conference Coach-of-the-Year honors and one National Coach-of-the-Year award (2020). While at Swarthmore, he started Ryan Ansel Basketball LLC, a basketball training business. Ryan served as the head coach at Barrack for the 2021-22 season, where he led the Cougars to an 11-5 record and a division title with a record of 7-1. In 2021, Ryan started Next Play Basketball, a program with the mission to teach, coach, and inspire young athletes to be great teammates and leaders on and off the court. Next Play Basketball runs camps, clinics and a summer league, in addition to having teams compete throughout the fall, spring, and summer. Ryan is married to Meghan McCullough Ansel, a former University of Pennsylvania women’s basketball player.

Ryan Ansel added, “I am excited and honored to be named the Head Basketball Coach at La Salle College High School. La Salle has been very important to my family, as it is a special community that fosters the growth of young men through service and leadership. We will build a winning culture and program that strives for excellence on and off the court.”