Ryne Lightfoot begins his second season with the Chanticleers after spending the previous two seasons at Western Carolina.
He helped lead the Catamounts to a top four Southern Conference regular season finish and two appearances in the semifinal round of the SoCon tournament. The Catamounts also found post-season experience with an appearance in the College Basketball Invitation (CBI).
While with the Catamounts, Lightfoot’s main responsibilities included running, implementing, and developing the Catamount defensive system, which improved from last place in the league in 2021-22 to finishing third overall in 2022-23. He also worked directly with scouting and recruiting. His leadership in skill development helped three Catamounts – guards Vonteriuous Woolbright and Tre Jackson, as well as post Tyzhaun Claude – each earn postseason All-Southern Conference accolades following the 2022-23 season.
He also stepped into the acting head coaching role in Gray’s absence in his first season on the WCU staff, assuming the role the day before WCU’s road game at Tennessee Tech. Shifting into the head coach's seat, Lightfoot called the shots in guiding the Catamounts to a 75-65 road victory in Cookeville, Tenn.
Prior to coming to Cullowhee, Lightfoot spent the previous two seasons as the Director of Player Development at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Ariz. During his time with the Lopes, Lightfoot helped lead the squad to a combined 40 wins, the 2020-21 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) regular-season and tournament championships, and to the university’s first-ever appearance in the postseason with a berth in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
Before his time at Grand Canyon, Lightfoot spent the previous eight seasons on the coaching staff at his alma mater, Bethel University in Mishawaka, Ind. In his first six seasons, Lightfoot was an assistant coach under his father, Mike Lightfoot.
Then in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, the younger Lightfoot took over as the head coach, posting a record of 43-21 in those two seasons. His squad finished his final season ranked 20th in the NAIA poll and was advanced as high as No. 6 in the country in 2018. Throughout his coaching tenure at Bethel, the Pilots went 171-65 with three Crossroads League titles and a pair of appearances in the quarterfinal round of the NAIA national tournament.
Lightfoot played for the Pilots for four seasons, recording 2,075 points and 702 assists to rank 10th and fifth, respectively, all-time in the program record books. He added over 500 career rebounds. He was one of three players at the time with over 2,000 points, 700 assists, and 500 rebounds at the NAIA level, joining NBA Hall of Famer, Scottie Pippen and former Bethel guard Rico Swanson. Lightfoot was a five-time All-American and was awarded the 2010 NCCAA Pete Maravich Award, presented to the men's basketball student-athlete recognized for excellence in competition, skill, academics, and Christian service during his career. He was also a member of Bethel University’s 2018 Athletics Hall of Fame class.
Lightfoot graduated from Northwood High as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,673 points and is a member of the Elkhart County Sports Hall of Fame.
Ryne is originally from Wakarusa, Ind., and was married to his wife Justine in 2010.
