Blackwell Returns As Director of Player Engagement
4/15/2026 11:58:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SYRACUSE, NY – Former Syracuse men's basketball standout Ryan Blackwell '00 has rejoined the program as director of player engagement.
He spent the past two years as an assistant coach on Syracuse Coach Gerry McNamara's staff at Siena College.
NEW ROLE
Blackwell will serve as the program's primary connector to its extended network of alumni and former student-athletes. He is charged with developing, assisting and supporting a comprehensive alumni and donor engagement strategy in coordination with the athletics development staff that aligns with department priorities.
He will lead in the planning and execution of engagement events, including mentorship and networking opportunities, alumni weekends, on-campus and student-athlete activations. Blackwell will ensure all engagement activities align with institutional, ACC and NCAA guidelines while reinforcing the program's brand and values.
BLACKWELL PLAYING CAREER
Blackwell was a four-year basketball letterwinner at Pittsford-Sutherland (N.Y.) for Coach Paul Mueller. When he graduated, he was the school's career leader in points and rebounds. Blackwell was a Parade High School All-American, a three-time All-State selection, and was twice the All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year. He was the 1995 New York State Class B Player of the Year. Blackwell subsequently had his number retired, and he was inducted into the Pittsford-Sutherland Hall of Fame in 2000. Blackwell was part of a gold-medal team in the 1994 Empire State Games.
He enrolled at Illinois and played in 30 of 31 contests for the Illini in 1995-96. Blackwell transferred to Syracuse after his freshman year and, after sitting out a season, played three campaigns for coach Jim Boeheim and the Orange. He started all 100 games of his Syracuse career and accumulated 1,175 points. He was named third team All-BIG EAST Conference as a senior. The Orange finished 26-9, 21-12 and 26-6 in Blackwell's three years and earned NCAA Tournament invitations each season. He graduated with a degree in child and family studies in 2000.
Blackwell played professionally for 10 years with stints in France, England, Portugal, Uruguay and Japan. He then began his coaching career in Japan and led Osaka Evessa to a 67-35 record and back-to-back second-place finishes in the Japanese B League. Blackwell also coached Gunma Crane for two seasons.
BLACKWELL COACHING CAREER
After completing his professional playing career and returning to the United States, Blackwell spent a year coaching at IMG Academy in Florida and as a youth and college skill development coach at Bellucci Basketball Academy (BBA) in Syracuse. He was hired as boys' varsity basketball coach at Liverpool High School in 2015. He guided the Warriors to a 26-0 record and the Class AA New York State Championship in 2018. Liverpool was 151-50 and won five sectional titles during his tenure.
Blackwell played a key role in the turnaround orchestrated at Siena. The Saints produced a 10-win improvement in 2024-25, Blackwell's first season with the program, and followed with a 23-12 campaign that included a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament title and NCAA Tournament berth.
This past year, the Saints ranked 15th in Division I scoring defense (65.8 ppg.) and led the MAAC in field goal percentage (.455). The Saints were second in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.32), scoring defense (65.8) and in scoring margin (+4.5).
BLACKWELL FAMILY
Blackwell and his wife, Keito, are parents of a daughter, LoElle.
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