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Mark Gregory Ryan (born January 21, 1957) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a defender in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League. He was the head coach of the United States women's national soccer team from 2005 to 2007. He was previously the head coach at University of Wisconsin–Madison, Southern Methodist University, and Colorado College, and was an assistant with the national team.
The national team finished first in first-round group play in the 2007 Women's World Cup held in China. In the quarterfinals, the team defeated England 3–0. Heading into the semifinal match against Brazil, Ryan decided to bench regular goalkeeper Hope Solo in favor of veteran goalkeeper Briana Scurry. The team subsequently lost to Brazil 0–4 (the worst defeat in the team's history) and Ryan received considerable criticism for the sudden lineup change as well as defensive-minded substitutions made when the team arguably needed more offensive players to compete against the Brazilians. On Monday, October 22, 2007, U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati announced that Ryan's contract would not be extended past its December 31, 2007, expiration date.
Ryan accepted the position of head coach for the University of Michigan women's soccer team on February 1, 2008. He became the second head coach in the program's 14-year history. After the team posted losing seasons in his first two years at the helm, the Michigan women's team qualified for the NCAA tournament in 2010 but lost in the first round. In 2012, they advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, and in 2013, they made it to the Elite Eight. Through seven seasons at Michigan, Ryan's record is 75–46–23. After the 2018 season, Michigan and Ryan parted ways.
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