Episode 201

Episode 201: Ryan Pedon, Head Coach, Illinois State

Published on: 29th September, 2025

On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we welcome Ryan Pedon, Head Coach of Illinois State. Pedon began his career as a graduate assistant at Miami (OH) before moving into full-time roles at Kent State and Toledo. He then spent time at Illinois as Director of Basketball Operations, gaining valuable Big Ten experience. Pedon later served as an assistant at Butler, helping guide the Bulldogs to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances. From there, he joined Chris Holtmann’s staff at Ohio State, where he helped recruit nationally ranked classes and compete at the highest level. In 2022, Pedon was named head coach at Illinois State, taking on the challenge of rebuilding the program. In his first three seasons, he has focused on culture, player development, and implementing an up-tempo offensive system. His leadership has sparked excitement within the program and positioned Illinois State for future success. In this episode we discuss how his early coaching struggles shaped him, how he has changed the program in three years, and the core values he instills in his team.

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About the Podcast

The Rising Coaches Podcast
From young assistants to head coaches, Rising Coaches sits down with some of the brightest minds in basketball to talk about their rise through the profession and what they are working on now.

About your host

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Rich Czeslawski