Kingsville - Former South Dakota Mines & Technology interim Head Coach Ryan Weiss is joining the Texas A&M - Kingsville women's basketball staff as an Assistant Coach, the TAMUK athletic department announced Monday.

After a historic career representing the Hardrockers on the court, Weiss returned to Rapid City, joining her alma mater's coaching staff as an Assistant Coach. In her two seasons in the role, Weiss helped coach Piper Bauer to a pair of All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selections, once as a member of the Second Team and once as an Honorable Mention. Weiss will join Head Coach Michael Madrid, rounding out the team's coaching staff ahead of the 2025-26 season. 

"We are thrilled to add Ryan to our coaching staff, she is an up-and-coming rock star in our profession," Madrid said. "Her knowledge of the South Central Region and Division II will add tremendous value to our program moving forward. She is a high IQ individual, extremely personable and eager to help our program move the needle."

Before beginning her coaching career, Weiss put her Master's degree in engineering management to use, spending time working as a Project Manager at EPIC, a software development company in Wisconsin.

"What separated her was her work experience off the basketball court," Madrid said. "She will be able to share this with our young ladies and help prepare them for life after basketball."

Weiss is set to join a program on the rise, as the Javelinas have won 18 games in two of their last three years, each of which tied the most single-season wins in the program's history since the '99-'00 season. They capped off their most recent season with an upset of No.5 UT-Tyler to grab their first Lone Star Conference Tournament win since 2016-17. 

"I am extremely grateful to Coach Madrid for the opportunity to be part of an outstanding program and community," Weiss said. "I'm excited to contribute to the development and growth of our student-athletes, both on and off the court."

Weiss' had quite the impressive career as a player as well. In her five years as a Hardrocker, she put together an extraordinary collection of accolades, including the 2021-22 RMAC WBB Academic Player of the Year award, two All-RMAC First Team Selections, and an All-RMAC Second Team nod. She totalled 1,364 points over her career and holds the program's all-time single-season record in both free throw percentage (91.3%), and three-pointers made (98). She also sits second on the all-time Hardrocker list of career three-pointers made with 276.

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