MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama head softball coach Becky Clark recently announced the hiring of assistant coach Mark Ryal. He will replace former assistant Jimmy Kolaitis, who took a similar position at the University of Oregon after the 2013 season.

Ryal joins the Jaguar staff from Auburn, where he served as an assistant coach from 2009-12, giving direction to a Tiger club that reached the NCAA Regional Tournament each year of his employment. Prior to several other coaching stops, Ryal played 16 years of professional baseball, touring throughout the Minor and Major Leagues, as well as Japan Central League Baseball.

"Mark has an extensive knowledge of the game and will be a huge asset to our program moving forward," Clark stated. "In addition to his professional contributions, he is a person of character and a strong family man. I believe he is a great complement to our current staff and will work tirelessly to help move our program forward and win at the highest level."

Ryal helped the 2012 Auburn offense record the fewest strikeouts since the 1999 season. The 2012 Tigers averaged fewer than five strikeouts per game while racking up the third-best home run total in program history with 46.

Ryal also helped senior shortstop Lauren Guzman to All-SEC Second Team honors and outfielder Branndi Melero to SEC All-Freshman honors in 2012.
In 2011, Auburn set program top-five marks in batting average (.279/5th-best), runs scored (272/5th-most), RBI (235/5th-most), doubles (97/2nd-most), triples (8/3rd-most) and walks (160/2nd-most).

Ryal spent 10 years in Major League Baseball and he brings more than 12 years experience as a coach and professional scout. In 2011, Auburn was ranked in both the ESPN and NFCA top 25 polls, spending 12 weeks in the NFCA poll and reaching a high of 21st. Auburn also registered its first-ever series win over a top-five team, taking two-of-three games from No. 4 Georgia that year.

Additionally, Ryal helped utility player Morgan Estell earn Freshman All-SEC honors in 2011, the first Auburn player to earn freshman honors since 2007. Estell tied for the fifth-best single-season batting average in Auburn history (.376), recorded the fourth-most doubles in a single-season (18) and the third-best on-base percentage (.478) in 2011.

In 2010, Ryal helped the Tigers establish four-year highs in home runs, RBI, hits and batting average. Kyndall White earned Second Team All-SEC honors in 2010, recording the second-most home runs (14) and ninth-best batting average (.356) in a single-season in Auburn history. Ryal also helped 2009 senior outfielder Myesha Finney earn SEC All-Defensive Team and All-SEC Second Team honors.

Ryal joined the Tigers' staff in 2009, after spending the previous season as the head coach at Carl Albert State College in Poteau, Okla. Prior to that, Ryal served as head coach of the Inola (Okla.) High School softball program from 2003-2006.

Ryal began his collegiate coaching career as the hitting coach for the University of Oklahoma in 1995, helping the Sooners to the College World Series. Oklahoma finished second in the Big Eight Conference in hitting in 1995.

As a player, Ryal broke into Major League Baseball in 1982 with the Kansas City Royals after beginning in the Royals' minor league system in 1978. Ryal was drafted in the third round of the 1978 draft.

Ryal also played for the Chicago White Sox (1985), California Angels (1986-87), Philadelphia Phillies (1989) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1990).

Ryal hit .375 in 13 games as he helped the Angels to the American League Western Division title in 1986. The following year, Ryal led the American League in pinch-hits with 20, and drove in 18 runs with five home runs in 100 at-bats for the Angels.

His final year in MLB came in 1990, as he helped the Pittsburgh Pirates win the National League Eastern Division title.

Ryal also served one season as a scout for the Royals in 2005. He earned his bachelor's degree from East Central Oklahoma State University in 1997.

Ryal and his wife Renae have three children: one son, Rusty, and daughters, Kacie and Karlie.

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