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Canisius University Athletics

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Ryan Louis 2025-26 Headshot

Ryan Louis

In 2023, Louis' third season, he guided Canisius to a 9-4-5 record reaching the playoffs for the second straight year. Individually, the team was well recognized throughout the season. Emma Oliphant was tabbed to the All-MAAC First Team, while Jordan Spencer, Skylar Cornell, Meghan Heath and Jessica Whitaker were named to the All-MAAC Second Team. Lizzy Harkness and Sophie Chelini were also named to the All-MAAC Third Team.

The Golden Griffins once again had an outstanding season on the back line having the lowest goals against per game average in the MAAC with 0.71, and allowed a league-low 12 goals against, with a league leading 10 shutouts.

In his second season as head coach Ryan Louis became the second coach in program history to be named MAAC Coach of the Year, Louis was recognized after guiding the Golden Griffins to a berth in the MAAC Women's Soccer Championship for the first time in six seasons.

Louis also coached five All-MAAC players in 2022, with Emma Oliphant being named to the All-MAAC Second Team, while Tiani Finoti, Jessica Jones, Meghan Heath and Lizzy Harkness were tabbed to the All-MAAC Third Team.
 
The Griffs were among the stingiest defensive units in the league, finishing the regular season tied with Quinnipiac for the fewest goals allowed during conference play, as it surrendered just five tallies against. Canisius also recorded eight shutouts during the regular season, one clean sheet shy of matching the program standard of nine, established during the 2017 season.
 
Offensively, the Griffs relied upon a balanced offensive attack as 10 different players found their way onto the scoresheet during the regular season, including nine with multiple points. Six of Canisius' nine goal scorers registered their first collegiate tally during the regular season.

Ryan Louis was officially named the sixth head coach in Canisius women's soccer program history on April 30, 2021. Louis served as the team’s interim head coach for the 2020-21 academic year.

No stranger to the Canisius women’s soccer program, Louis served as an assistant on the Golden Griffins’ staff in 2018 and 2019. Prior to coming to Canisius, Louis was an assistant coach, first for the men’s program, then the women’s soccer team, at Buffalo State College, where he assisted with day-to-day operations, opponent scouting and on-campus recruiting. In 2017, he was named to the United Soccer Coaches East Regional Staff of the Year, as he helped lead the Bengals to their first trip to NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship tournament in 34 years.
 
At the club level, Louis formally served as the technical director for GPS Buffalo, where he designed and administered a club-wide player development model for U6-U18 programs. While at GPS, Louis was honored as the GPS - New York Coach of the Year in 2015, and he later went on to lead the Boys 2003 regional team to the USYS National Championship in 2018.

Louis received his USSF A Coaching License in 2023, while also receiving his UEFA B Coaching License in 2012 in England.

A native of Southport, England, Louis earned his bachelor's degree in sports coaching from the University of Central Lancashire. He earned his master’s degree in sport administration from Canisius in the fall of 2020.

Ryan has two children, Jackson and Elia, where he resides in Kenmore, N.Y.