Bio

On February 3, 2022, Carnegie Mellon University named Ryan Larsen as its 19th head football coach. Larsen came to Carnegie Mellon from Columbia University, where he served as quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. Larsen, who has achieved offensive success at every one of his coaching experiences, has also worked at Stevenson University, Rhodes College, Wabash College and Indiana University.

In Larsen's first season at the helm of the Tartans, he led the Cardinal and Gray to an 11-1 overall record and an 8-0 mark in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC). The Tartans captured the PAC title and the league's automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Division III Championship, which was the eighth all-time in program history. The Tartans advanced to the second round of the 2022 Division III NCAA Football Championship after defeating DePauw University at home to open the tournament. The 10-0 regular season record marked the seventh time in program history that a team went undefeated in the regular season. The 11 wins tied the school record for the program's most victories in a season. The team ended the season ranked 14th in the D3football.com poll, the highest D3football.com ranking in program history. The Tartans also ended the year ranked 14th in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III Coaches' Poll to mark the highest ranking in the AFCA Division III poll for the program.

Larsen was named 2022 In The D3FB Huddle National Coach of the Year, AFCA Regional Coach of the Year for Region 2 as well as PAC and ECAC Coach of the Year at the conclusion of his first season. Carnegie Mellon had a program-record five football athletes selected to the 2022 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America football team as it was also the 10th time that at least three have been recognized in the same season. The program now has 66 total Academic All-Americans, ranking first in Division III and third among all of college football across Divisions I, II, III and NAIA.

While at Columbia, Larsen helped lead the Lions to a 7-3 record in 2021, its third-highest win total since joining the Ivy League in 1956. On their way to seven wins, the Lions were the only Ivy team to beat Dartmouth. Larsen mentored Quarterback Joe Green who was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year and became the first Lions’ quarterback to earn a postseason award since 1982.

In June 2021, Larsen was selected as a participant and attended the NFL/NCAA Football Coaches Academy. In Columbia’s athletic department, Larsen served on the We Roar Together Committee on Diversity, Racial Justice, Equity, and Inclusion.

As offensive coordinator at Stevenson, Larsen helped guide the Mustangs to four straight postseason appearances, a Middle Atlantic Conference Championship in 2016 with a No. 12 national ranking, three first or second place finishes in the MAC, a 32-12 overall record and three seasons of eight or more wins. During those four seasons, 37 offensive school records were set or re-established, 21 Stevenson Offensive players earned all-conference honors, and Quarterback Dan Williams was the 2017 Offensive Player of the Year for the Middle Atlantic Conference.

Larsen coached at Rhodes from 2012-2014 and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2014. He helped the program to a 22-7 overall mark during his tenure, with a Southern Athletic Association Championship in 2013. In 2011, he was wide receivers coach for a Wabash program that went 12-1, were North Coast Athletic Conference Champions, and reached the NCAA Quarterfinals finishing No. 7 National Ranking. He spent two seasons on the staff at Indiana University from 2009-11. Indiana ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten Conference and No. 13 nationally in total passing with Larsen working with both the quarterbacks and wide receivers in 2010. He was one of 30 young coaches to participate in the NCAA Future Football Coaches Academy in 2010.

Following Stevenson’s recent 2018 season, Larsen was named the Head Coach for USA Football’s Under 18-Select Team, which played against the Panama National Team as part of the 10th annual International Bowl Series. The game took place in January 2019 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. In January 2018, Larsen served as Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach for the same team against UANL of Mexico.

A two-year starter at quarterback at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS), Larsen earned a degree in literature and leadership studies from Claremont McKenna College. He was the recipient of the 2009 Dickinson Student-Athlete Award for leadership, academic achievement, sportsmanship and services to the CMS Athletics Department. In 2010, he graduated with a master’s degree in athletic administration from Indiana.

A Chicago, Ill. native, Larsen and his wife Megan have two daughters, Charlotte and Ellis and reside in Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.