By Mark Ambrogi
It might be his first head coaching job, but Ryan Osborn is convinced he is well prepared to take over the Carmel High School boys basketball job.
“It’s a great opportunity to come into a situation like this where I worked with coach (Scott) Heady for six years,” said Osborn, who was named head coach April 14. “I’m confident where the program is, not just the high school level but the program from second grade all the way up.”
During his tenure, Osborn said he has been able to develop relationships with people in the program, the schools and the community.
“Being here in the community is big, knowing the culture and what the expectations are,” Osborn said. “That’s something I can hit the ground running with.”
Heady left to take the Marian University head coaching job, but he will be around when he can. His son, Luke, was a sophomore guard on last season’s 22-5 team that reached the regional championship.
“He’ll be a huge asset,” Osborn said of advice from the elder Heady.
In Osborn’s six seasons under Heady, Carmel won five sectional titles and state championships in 2012 and ’13.
“We just feel you’re representing the high school and community, and your job is to compete and be good teammates, be good people and work hard,” Osborn said. “We feel the program is special and the kids buy into that. We’ve had success at a high level, but we look at it more as how are we playing. Are we playing hard? Are we competing? Are we getting better? Don’t settle, just compete every day. That’s the approach we take.”
Osborn, a 1999 Logansport High School graduate, teaches physical education at CHS. His wife, Megan, teaches at Carmel Middle School. He has two daughters, Ryan, a Clay Middle School sixth-grader, and Griffin, a first-grader at Mohawk Trails Elementary School.
Osborn, a former IUPUI player, spent two seasons as director of basketball operations at IUPUI. He then served as an assistant coach at Avon for five years.
