Ryan Rupcich enters his first season with UC Santa Barbara as assistant coach after spending two years as a graduate assistant at DePaul University and  a year as an assistant coach at Loras College.

Rupcich brings experience in the pole vault and high jump, both as a student-athlete and as a coach. As a student-athlete, he cleared a height of 4.98m in the pole vault while competing at Cal State-Fresno. While coaching, he guided Loras College track standout Chris Buresh to All-American status in the high jump.  He also helped coach Joe Strawter at DePaul to the first round of NCAA’s in long jump. Although assisting with both cross country and track and field, he will focus on lending his expertise to the pole vaulters.

Prior to his collegiate career, Rupcich served four years active duty in the United States Marine Corp. Stationed several places all across the world, he was involved in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Sweeny. He remained on inactive duty in the reserves during his time at Cal State-Fresno and was honorably discharged in 2008. He has also completed, at the top of his class, Officers Candidate School (OCS) in Quantico Virginia. He unconventionally declined his commission to pursue his current coaching career.

Rupcich completed his M.A. in Education from DePaul. He graduated from Fresno State in 2008 with an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology.