Rich Fisher

By: centraljersey.com
PRINCETON – When Mika Ryan accepted the job as Princeton Day School girls basketball coach last summer, she had just one request.
"I told (interim Athletic Director) Scott Bertoli ‘I’ll play anybody in the country except Hopewell because it’s just too hard for me," Ryan said. "I avoided playing Hopewell all year."
Some things can not be avoided, however, as Ryan learned on Wednesday, Feb.16. The luck of the draw pitted the Bulldogs against the Panthers and PDS walked off with a 60-44 victory in the Mercer County Tournament quarterfinals.
For Ryan, who has lived in Hopewell Township with husband (and HoVal High grad) Pat since 1982, it was like defeating her own kids. That’s because her own kids went to HVHS and Ryan worked with many of their friends while running the Hopewell Valley YMCA league.
"It was a no-win situation," Ryan said. "It was really hard. I probably haven’t been that emotional about a game since I can’t remember when. I’ve been to the NCAAs, I’ve coached the WNIT, the ACC Tournament. But I never had the emotions I had for this game.
"One, I wanted my team to win and I always felt we were a better team but you never know, you have to prove it on the court. But I have friends there and I know those players. My heart still is with Hopewell Valley athletics."
Ryan’s team, which lost to Trenton in the semifinals but played Rutgers Prep in Wednesday’s NJISAA Prep B championship game, played outstanding against the Bulldogs. The coach was delighted, but that wore off quickly.
"It was hard," she said. "After it was over, I was happy. But the whole next day I was heart sick. It was really odd. I got up thinking I would feel wonderful, but I didn’t.
"One of the kids we really tried to shut down in that game was Sarah Gronet. I love her to death but I knew what we had to do. To me she’s the heart of their team and I knew we had to stop her. Saying it and being successful at it, it was good for our team, but. . .I was just heartsick the next day."
Had she lost, she would have been heartsick for her own players. It truly was a no-win situation.
But Ryan’s return to coaching after an 18-year hiatus has been a win-win for herself and the Panthers. After serving as a University of Virginia assistant under future sister-in-law Debbie Ryan, Mika had a strong run coaching Trenton State College (now TCNJ) from 1984-93.
She retired to raise her family, but always kept her hand in the game. First with the YMCA, which had over 500 participants, then as a TV color analyst for MAAC games.
"I call that coach’s retribution," she said with a laugh. "You sit there and comment and have your own opinion and it doesn’t matter who wins or loses."
But the burning desire to coach and teach never left. Over the years she would get phone calls from former Athletic Director John Levandowski about who to hire for a girls’ basketball coach. His first question to Ryan would be "How about you?" but she was busy raising her family.
After Jessica Katz left to go to London, Levandowski called again last summer and it was Ryan asking the question.
"I said ‘How about me?’" she said with a laugh.
Thus, Levandowski got his gal.
"I have always wanted to return to coaching. . .always," said Ryan, who has a Hopewell resident on the team in Molly Rubin. "It’s what I am. It’s just what I do. I missed it terribly, I tried to keep my hand in it in different ways. "Once our youngest daughter went off to college I thought if the right opportunity presented itself I’d like to return to coaching. When this opened, I put in my application and was very intrigued. I didn’t know anything about the school and I fell in love with it."
Ryan guided the Panthers to a 16-8 record entering the Rutgers Newark game.
"I just love teaching the game and nothing else really satisfied me," Ryan said. "It’s been remarkably fun. You get the normal coaching headaches. But I love the challenge."
Her biggest challenge to date has been trying to feel good about winning an MCT game against her friends.