Ryan Whalen was named as an assistant coach for men's basketball at Saint Peter's under Shaheen Holloway in the summer of 2018.
With Whalen on Holloway's staff, the Peacocks have thrived in recent seasons. The program has secured back to back 10+ MAAC win seasons (2019-20 and 2020-21) for the first time since 2015-16 and 2016-17 and posted consecutive seasons with 10 or more MAAC wins with an overall winning record for the first time since 2009-10 and 2010-11. Additionally, the squad's third place finish in 2020-21 combined with 2019-20's second place finish, secured the highest back to back rankings in consecutive seasons since 1987-88 and 1988-89, while also leading the team to the MAAC semifinals for the first time since 2018. Whalen has also coached three MAAC major award winners and seven all-conference players during his tenure in Jersey City.
Whalen joined the Peacocks men's basketball coaching staff after two seasons at Eastern Kentucky. While on the EKU staff, Whalen helped develop some of the top talent in the conference which included a first team All-OVC member, and an OVC All-Newcomer team selection.
Whalen joined EKU following six seasons on Kevin Willard's staff at Seton Hall, where he and Holloway worked together. While with the Pirates, Whalen served in various roles. He was the Director of Basketball Operations during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, including when the Pirates won the 2016 Big East Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 6 seed. He previously served as the Pirates' Director of Player Development and Coordinator of Basketball Operations, where he primarily aided in the development of scouting reports for opponents, film breakdown and exchange, and managing the program's extensive recruiting database. Whalen served as the Pirates' video coordinator during the 2010-11 campaign, while also assisting with the program's day-to-day operations. Over the summers, Whalen organized and served as a lead administrator for the Kevin Willard Basketball Camp.
Before Seton Hall, Whalen worked in the same capacity under Willard at Iona in 2009-10.
A 2008 graduate of Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Whalen played two years of junior varsity basketball for the Hawks before being named a student assistant coach by head coach Phil Martelli.
Whalen first landed a spot as an administrative assistant and video coordinator at Towson University under head coach Pat Kennedy in 2008-09. He was responsible for coordinating game tape exchange and managing the Tigers' student managers.
Having developed a broad basketball background, Whalen has also had stints with the Hoop Group and the Philadelphia 76ers. He served as a part of the staff for a number of Hoop Group events before being named the Assistant Director of Elite Camps in 2009. In this role, Whalen helped recruit campers, organize and run a camp that included 70 high school teams. As an intern for the 76ers in the summer of 2007, he assisted coaches, players and team executives with day-to-day operations and during the NBA draft process.
Whalen's camp experience includes time as a counselor at the Duke University, Saint Joseph's University and Bob Hurley basketball camps. He has also worked closely with his father, Joe Whalen, a long time area high school coach in running his own camp.
Whalen is a graduate of Shore Regional High School in West Long Branch, N.J. where he lettered in basketball (shooting guard) and football (wide receiver and defensive back). He also was a member of a Jersey City Boys Club AAU basketball team that won five straight New Jersey state titles.
Ryan and his wife Amy, were married in 2012 and have two sons, Colin and Christopher, and a daughter, Emma.
