Ryan Held

Title

Head Football Coach/Quarterbacks & Tight Ends
Email

heldr@unk.edu
Phone

(308) 865-8033
Bldg/Location

Cope Stadium 2nd Floor, Room 225
Twitter

@CoachRHeld

Ryan Held was named the 19th head football coach in Nebraska Kearney school-history on Dec. 20, 2022. In 2025, he'll coach the tight ends and quarterbacks.

"I can't tell you how fired up I am to be the next head football coach at UNK. The opportunity to return to Nebraska and lead the Loper football program, which has tremendous tradition and is committed to winning championships, is something I can't wait to take on," said Held. "The MIAA is one of the toughest football conferences in the country, and UNK is right there at the top with a strong foundation in place." Coach Held

The Lopers beat Northeastern State, Lincoln and Washburn in 2023 with seven players earning All-MIAA honors. UNK also suffered three losses by a combined 11 points, had six Academic All-District qualifiers and 59 named Academic All-MIAA. Finally, the program expanded its recruiting base into Georgia, Oklahoma, the Kansas junior college ranks and a renewed emphasis in Lincoln and Omaha.

UNK went 5-6 in 2024 with all nine of its league games decided in the fourth quarter. That included a walk-off win at Missouri Western State and a last second defensive stop a Washburn. Earlier in the fall, the Lopers beat rival Chadron State on the road and then bested longtime power Northwest Missouri State at home. UNK finished had All-MIAA picks with end Quillan Felton being the fourth Loper d-lineman in the D2 era (since 1990) to earn All-American status.

Held spent 2022 as interim head coach and offensive coordinator at FCS-member North Alabama. Before that, he was an assistant/running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at Nebraska (2018-21) and assistant/running backs coach at the University of Central Florida (2016-17). He was twice named one of the nation's top 25 recruiters by Rivals.com while at Nebraska.

A coaching veteran with 15 years of head coaching experience, Held climbed the coaching ladder as a junior college, NCAA Division II and NAIA head coach before joining the Division I ranks. He had head coaching stints at junior colleges Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and Highland (Kan.) Community College, Division II Southwestern Oklahoma State and Oklahoma Panhandle State, and NAIA Peru State College.

HC Ryan Held

He he has a career head coaching record of 68-102 (43-69 at 4-year schools; 25-33 at junior colleges) with four winning seasons and another .500 campaign. At 26-years old, he was the nation's youngest head coach while at Peru State in 2001. He guided the Bobcats to a second place finish in the league and then helped turn around OPSU. The independent Aggies had won only two games in the previous three years but Held led them to back-to-back winning seasons in 2003 and 2004.

Next, he helped SWOSU tie for the 2007 North Division title in the tough Lone Star Conference (LSC). A year earlier Held was named the North Division Coach of the Year. At Highland, he took over a program that hadn't had a winning season since before 2000. In 2013, Highland made the playoffs for the first time in the modern era. Finally, Held coached 22 all-league players at NEO over the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

"Ryan has created a strong reputation for leading, recruiting and developing players," said Bauer. "His focus goes beyond the game, aimed at elevating players to become the best version of themselves on and off the field.

"Equally important, Ryan believes in the Division II model. Not only does he have plans to guide and continue to elevate the program, but also create a culture driven by our mission, complemented by our core values and efforts to contribute to our campus and community."

Held's other coaching stops include Butler (Kan.) Community College and the University of Tennessee, where he was a defensive graduate assistant in 1998-99, helping the Volunteers win the 1998 national championship. At Butler, Held was offensive coordinator for a Grizzlies team that went 11-1 and finished with the second ranked offense in the country.

"We have a great opportunity to build on recent success," said Held. "There are a lot of really good players returning. We're going to add more moving forward and build on recent successes in the great MIAA conference.

"I look forward to meeting all the great alumni, boosters and community members who make it possible to build our program." UNK Football

Recognized as an outstanding recruiter and for developing players, as well as being an offensive-minded coach, Held's running backs at Central Florida rushed for more than 2,500 yards in 2017 when the Knights went 13-0 and won the American Athletic Conference (AAC) title.

At Nebraska, Held's running backs produced impressive results in his first season in 2018. The group helped the Huskers rush for more than 2,500 yards, as Nebraska boasted the third-most-improved rushing attack in the country, averaging 209 yards per game.

His 2022 North Alabama squad was among the ASUN Conference leaders in multiple offensive categories, with running back ShunDerrick Powell's 1,508 rushing yards the fourth-best total in the nation.

"Our players will be disciplined, detailed and tough. That's our culture and what we stand for, on and off the field. That encompasses everything it means to be a Loper football player," said Held.

He said his recruiting strategy at UNK will be to heavily recruit Nebraska high schools and players from across the Midwest and Florida, including junior colleges in Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

"We will recruit impact players from winning programs who fill immediate needs – smart, tough, physical athletes who love to compete," he said. "I look forward to working with all the great Nebraska coaches. We want Nebraska high school players to be Lopers. That will be paramount to our success."

A native of Overland Park, Kansas, Held was a reserve quarterback and split end at Nebraska from 1993-96, when the Huskers won two national championships, posted a 47-3 record and won three conference titles.

He and his wife, Katie, have two sons, Jacob and Greyson. Held also has a daughter, Rhylan

Meet Ryan Held
Coaching Experience

University of North Alabama, offensive coordinator / interim head coach (2021-Present)
University of Nebraska, assistant coach / running backs and recruiting coordinator (2018-21)
University of Central Florida, assistant coach / running backs (2016-17)
Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, head coach (2014-15)
Highland (Kan.) Community College, head coach (2012-13)
Butler (Kan.) Community College, offensive coordinator (2011)
Southwestern Oklahoma State, head coach (2005-08)
Oklahoma Panhandle State, head coach (2002-04)
Peru State College, head coach (2001)
University of Tennessee, graduate assistant (1998-99)
University of Nebraska, undergraduate assistant (1997)

Age: 50

Personal: A native of Overland Park, Kansas, Ryan and his wife, Katie, have two sons, Jacob and Greyson. Held also has a daughter, Rhylan.

Education: Bachelor's degree in community health, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1998. Master's degree in sport management, University of Tennessee, 2001.

Playing Experience: Reserve quarterback and split end at Nebraska from 1993-96, when the Huskers won two national championships, posted a 47-3 record and won three conference titles.

High School: All-state wide receiver, kicker and defensive back his senior year at Blue Valley North High School in Kansas. … Scored 11 touchdowns on 46 receptions his senior year, totaling 843 yards. … Earned all-league honors in football, baseball and basketball