Ryan Wildenhain enters his 10th year at Marymount University in the 2024-25 athletic season and holds the title of Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Development.
Wildenhain supervises Marymount SAAC and the SaintsStrong Leadership Academy while also providing sport oversight for the men's and women's basketball, men's and women's golf, baseball, and softball programs. He also supervises Marymount's sports medicine and strength & conditioning departments.
During the summer of 2024, Wildenhain was announced as one of 21 athletics administrators across all three divisions of the NCAA as a member of the 2024-25 Pathway Program. The program is a yearlong learning opportunity to help prepare participants for roles as athletics directors or conference commissioners.
Since starting at Marymount in July 2015, Wildenhain has held the title of Head of Sports Medicine and Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Performance. Under Wildenhain's guidance, the services by Marymount Sports Performance has increased yearly. Wildenhain continues to provide athletic training services on an as-needed basis, but directs more of his efforts towards administrative tasks.
Wildenhain comes to MU after a four-year stint in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference with Division III Randolph College as an assistant athletic trainer. While on staff, he provided athletic training services to 17 sports. Beyond his ability in athletic training, he supervised work-study students while also aiding in the clinical education of Liberty University and Lynchburg College athletic training students as a clinical preceptor. Through his efforts, he collaborated with key personnel to instill a Return-to-Learn protocol for students recovering from a traumatic brain injury.
Earning a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Illinois State University in 2010, Wildenhain continued his education at California University of Pennsylvania as a graduate assistant athletic trainer. With his capstone thesis on ‘Perceptions of lower limb injuries that occur on artificial turf versus natural grass,’ he graduated with a Master of Science in Athletic Training just a year later before making the move to Lynchburg, Va. Upon his graduation from CalU, he earned the Highmark Graduate Student Award, an award given to one graduate student at each Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) university which recognizes achievement in a health-related field.
Wildenhain is a member of various organizations including Virginia Athletic Trainers’ Association, Mid-Atlantic Athletic Trainers’ Association, and National Athletic Trainers’ Association.
Prior to making the career move to athletic training, Wildenhain was in the United States Air Force from 2003 to 2007 as a Tactical Aircraft Maintenance Journeyman and HVAC/R Apprentice. During his time with the Air Force, he was hand-selected for supplemental deployment to Kwang Ju Air Base, Korea while deployed at Kadena Air Base, Japan. He was honorably discharged in the fall of 2007.
Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, biking, fishing, and boating. He resides in Reston, Va., with his wife, Colleen, and their four children, Harrison, Savannah, Henry, and Hazel.
