The Ithaca College Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on October 17, 2024 the hiring of Ryan Ciotoli '02 as first-ever head coach of women's wrestling. Ciotoli returns to South Hill and will begin the recruiting process as the women's wrestling program gears up for its first competitive season in 2025-26.
Since graduating from Ithaca in 2002 with a degree in health and physical education, Ciotoli has worked with multiple wrestling clubs and programs and in mixed martial arts. From 2002-08, Ciotoli was an assistant coach at Ithaca and mentored 10 All-Americans during that time, while the team finished within the top 10 at the NCAA Division III Championships twice.
Overlapping with his time as an assistant coach, Ciotoli also founded BombSquad Athletics LLC/Ultimate Athletics and managed that organization from 2006-19. He managed two gyms where he designed and implemented training programs for amateur and professional athletes. Ciotoli also oversaw marketing and promotional initiatives that significantly boosted memberships and revenue.
He has also served as a wrestling club coach for BombSquad Wrestling from 2013-19 where he developed comprehensive training programs focusing on technique, strength, and conditioning for young athletes. Since 2021, he has been the club coach at Integrity Wrestling and the assistant coach at Independence High School in Virginia.
Independence High School finished second at the state championship in 2024 with less than five years of existence as a program.
Ciotoli wrestled five seasons at Ithaca and posted overall record of 91-22, including a perfect 17-0 in dual bouts as a junior in 2001. He was a three-time All-American and was a four-time ECWC champion in the 149 and 157-lb. weight classes.
In his first All-American season as a sophomore, Ciotoli went 25-4 overall and finished second at the NCAA Championships. He followed that up with a 33-2 mark as a junior and was the national runner-up once again at 157 lbs.
Despite an injury-plagued senior campaign, Ciotoli went 12-4 and finished sixth in the country.
At the time of his graduation, Ciotoli ranked 14th all-time in victories and is just one of a handful of three-time All-Americans in the program's decorated history. Out of his 91 career victories, 13 came by major decision, 12 by fall and seven by technical fall.
He was inducted into the Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017.
