Ryan Van Zelst will enter his first season as the men's basketball head coach at Drew University in 2025-26.
The 17th head coach in the 96-year history of Drew men’s basketball, Van Zelst brings a deep level of Division III experience to The Forest, including head-coaching stops at both Cabrini University and Penn State Abington. He also served as the associate head coach at Landmark Conference rival University of Scranton, where he spent seven years with the Royals. He picked up additional Division III experience as an assistant coach at both York (Pa.) College and his alma mater, Albright College.
Most recently, Van Zelst held the post of associate head coach at Division II Millersville University during the 2024-25 campaign, when he helped Millersville to a 19-12 record, including a 13-8 mark in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division. In the postseason, the Marauders took Gannon University, the No. 1 seed in the PSAC West, to overtime in the semifinals of the PSAC Championships.
Prior to his time at Millersville, Van Zelst served as the head coach at Cabrini University. Just weeks after accepting the position, the university announced it would close in the spring of 2024. However, Van Zelst held the team together, and the Cavaliers ranked first in the Atlantic East Conference in 3-point field goal defense. In the team boosted its GPA from 2.3 to 3.0.
In 2022-23, Van Zelst served as the head coach at Penn State Abington, where he led the Nittany Lions to their most wins as a Division III team, set a program record with 11 conference wins, and reached the United East Conference championship game for the first time in school history. His squad finished 18-9 and ranked No. 1 in the United East in scoring defense, allowing just 65 points per game. Off the court, his team’s GPA improved significantly, and the program partnered with Team IMPACT.
At Scranton, Van Zelst was a member of the 2021 Landmark Conference Coaching Staff of the Year, helped Scranton to NCAA tournament bids in 2016 and 2017, a conference title in 2017, and title game appearances in 2020 and 2021. During his tenure in the Electric City, the Royals posted a 113-55 record, including a 64-32 mark in Landmark Conference play.
In 2017, Van Zelst was named to the NABC 30 Under 30 Team, and he was a part of the NABC Mentor Circle Program in 2021.
Van Zelst coached the 2014-15 season at Albright and helped York to an NCAA tournament berth during his stint from 2012-14.
As a student-athlete, Van Zelst played three seasons at Albright and was a member of the 2010 team that captured the MAC Commonwealth Conference championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Albright and later earned a master’s degree in business administration accounting from Scranton.
