WISCONSIN (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- Will Ryan was formally introduced as the new head coach of the Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball team Thursday afternoon. The 41-year-old Will Ryan played for his dad Bo at UW-Platteville and UW-Milwaukee.

Now he returns to Wisconsin as a head coach of another state school -- Green Bay.

“My dad and I were talking and he said, you may have set a record. You’ve now been at four of the institutions in the state. Platteville, UW, Milwaukee, and now Green Bay. I don’t know when that’s going to sink in. I think it’s pretty special. Just coming home and the call and the texts, I can’t keep up."

Ryan's Wisconsin connections run deep. He coached the Wisconsin Swing AAU team and his wife Emily is from the Fox Valley.

Ryan spent the last year as head coach at Division II Wheeling in West Virginia. His resume includes over a decade as an assistant to Saul Phillips--another Bo Ryan disciple at North Dakota State and Ohio University.

“The state of Wisconsin is obviously very near and dear to me. There’s a lot of good basketball players in the state. A lot of hungry basketball players. Great high school coaches that have developed these kids. Very good AAU coaches. Everybody says you’ve got to put a fence around the state. Well that’s the goal but you also have to have a gate too. You’ve got to welcome in other kids from different areas."

At Green Bay, Ryan replaces Linc Darner, who was let go despite a winning record and only one losing season in five years at the helm.

“This all happened so fast. I’m trying to wrap my head around all of it. I’m just so excited to get started. This has been a whirlwind but come July 1st when we’re supposed to arrive back on campus. When the players arrive the plan is to be ready, ready to hit the ground running. Now the fun begins.”

Ryan says he's a teacher first and wants his players to be coachable.