BROOKLYN, N.Y. — LIU Athletics announced the hiring of Ryan Mather as assistant coach for the men's volleyball team.

Mather spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons at Rutgers University as an assistant coach for the women's volleyball team in New Brunswick, New Jersey. In his first season with the Scarlet Knights, the program saw its first-ever All-Big Ten attacker, the most wins and best non-conference record since 2012, and a school-record attendance. Under Mather's guidance, the team set 12 entries into the rally-era individual season top 10 and 13 entries into the rally-era team top 10 records. The squad also recorded the most sets played, kills, assists, assists per set, digs, and solo blocks in conference play since joining the Big Ten in 2014.

Mather began his coaching career in August 2022 as an assistant at Lafayette College. In January 2023, he served as the interim head coach for four months.

Before coaching, Mather played professionally around the world. He earned MVP, best scorer, best server, and best opposite honors in the Volleyligaen of Denmark, where he recorded 45 points in a single match, the most in Danish league history. He also played in the CEV Challenge Cup with Chev-Diekirch in Luxembourg and was a member of Akaa-Volley in Finland.

Domestically, Mather played in the NVA and VLA volleyball leagues. He won a gold medal in 2022, a silver medal in 2021, and a bronze medal in 2020 with the Las Vegas Ramblers. After joining the Texas Tyrants in 2023, he earned a bronze medal. In the NVA, Mather was named best opposite in 2020 and 2021. In 2024, he earned a best-action award at the VLA Cup while playing for Team LVC.

Mather graduated from Grand Canyon University in 2015 with a degree in exercise science. He was a three-time all-conference honoree, a three-time all-academic team member, and was selected to the U.S. Junior National Training U21 Team.