POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (May 29, 2018) – Vassar College Director of Athletics and Physical Education Michelle Walsh announced Wednesday morning the hiring of Ryan Mee as the 13^th head coach of the Brewer men's basketball program. Mee replaces BJ Dunne, who left to take the head coaching position at Gettysburg College back in April. 
 
"I'm excited to welcome Ryan to the Vassar family," said Walsh. "Ryan has extensive coaching experience at the Division III and Division I levels and has been an integral part of building championship programs at multiple academically rigorous institutions.  His personal philosophy of trust, commitment, and care are in line with our mission here at Vassar and I look forward to the positive impact he will have on our student-athletes."
 
"It is an honor to be named the head men's basketball coach at Vassar College," said Mee. "I'd like to thank Director of Athletics and Physical Education Michelle Walsh and the search committee for trusting me to develop our student-athletes to play an exciting style of basketball that will make the Vassar fans proud."
 
Mee comes to Vassar College for his first head coaching position, after serving as an assistant coach at five prior destinations over many different levels. Since 2012, Mee has served as an assistant coach at Division I Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina under legendary head coach Bob McKillop.
 
While at Davidson, Mee helped in the recruiting efforts, while also focusing on day-to-day coaching responsibilities, player development, game and practice preparation, on-court coaching, social media management, scouting report preparation and community outreach.
 
During his time at Davidson, the Wildcats earned three NCAA Tournament bids along with being part of a staff that earned Atlantic 10 Coaching Staff of the Year in 2014-15. Mee helped mentor 14 Wildcat players that earned either Southern Conference or Atlantic-10 yearly honors, while also helping assist three conference Players of the Year and an A-10 Rookie of the Year this past season in Kellan Grady.
 
Prior to Davidson, Mee was an associate head coach at his alma mater, the University of Rochester from 2009-12. While at Rochester, Mee assisted will all aspects of the basketball program including scheduling, budget management, conditioning, and weight training in addition to his coaching responsibilities.
 
Mee was part of a staff in 2011 that saw its head coach Luke Flockerzi earned D3hoops.com East Region Coach of the Year, while helping the Yellowjackets to a University Athletic Association (UAA) title. Mee helped recruit athletes from all over the nation, bringing in student-athletes from Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan and New York. He also helped the team to a Division III Sweet 16 appearance in 2010-11.
 
Other coaching stops along the way for Mee include one at another Liberty League school, as he was the assistant coach at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York from 2008-2009. Mee also was an assistant at Elmira College in Elmira, New York from 2006-2008 while serving as an assistant at Hilbert College in Hamburg, NY from 2005-2006.
 
As an undergraduate, Mee was a four-year varsity letter winner at Rochester, serving as team captain in 2004-05. He helped the Yellowjackets to four NCAA Tournament appearances as his squads went a combined 97-17 over his four seasons as part of the winningest class in the program's history.
 
Mee earned Honorable Mention UAA honors in 2003-04, and helped the squad to the national finals in 2005, finishing his career seventh in 3-pointers made. Mee earned his bachelor of arts from Rochester in economics in 2005, while also acquiring a Master's from Elmira in 2006.
 
Mee and his wife, Haniya, have two children, Trotter and Capucine.
 
"My experiences at Division III as a player and as a coach helped me understand how incredibly talented these student-athletes are both on and off the court," said Mee. "That well-rounded student athlete is exactly what we are looking for at Vassar."
 
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT MEE:
 
Bob McKillop, Head Coach, Davidson College: "Ryan has been a valuable and vital part of our coaching staff and he made a consistently significant impact on our program as we transitioned to the Atlantic 10 Conference. He is insightful and analytical with a remarkable ability to communicate and to teach. Players will love playing for him. Colleagues will enjoy working with him. Vassar will be proud of the way he represents excellence to the entire Vassar College community."
 
Luke Flockerzi, Head Coach, University of Rochester: "Coach Mee has an excellent and diverse coaching background, working at academically elite institutions for legendary coaches in Bob McKillop (Davidson) and Mike Neer (Rochester). He has a tireless work ethic and a true passion for the student-athlete experience. He forms amazing bonds with his players and will undoubtedly drive them to excel in all facets of their experience at Vassar. He's the total package and I look forward to tracking the success of Vassar Basketball moving forward."
 
Stephen Palecki, Junior, Vassar College: "I am extremely excited to learn that Coach Mee will be our new head coach. His time playing basketball at the Division III level, his time spent coaching in the Liberty League, and his most recent six years spent at Davidson under legend Bob McKillop are all valuable experiences he brings to our program. I can't wait for our team to start the new season with Coach Mee!"
 

Coaching Career

School	Position	Season	Years
Hilbert	Assistant Coach	2005-06	1
Elmira	Assistant Coach	2006-08	2
Skidmore	Assistant Coach	2008-09	1
Rochester	Associate Head Coach	2009-12	3
Davidson	Assistant Coach	2012-18	6