Ryan Van Zelst joined the Royals' coaching staff prior to the 2015-16 season. During his time with the Royals, he helped the team capture the 2017 Landmark Conference championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament two times (2016, 2017) including a first-round victory in 2017.
In August 2021, Van Zelst was named the Associate Head Coach for the program.
With the Royals, Van Zelst has been responsible for recruiting, scouting opponents, film study and editing, preparing practice plans and coordinating travel plans. His diligent work both on and off the court has helped Scranton go 100-44 (.694) during his six seasons on the coaching staff including an impressive 57-25 (.695) mark against Landmark Conference opponents.
In April 2017, Van Zelst was named to the 2016-17 Under Armour 30-Under-30 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. The 30-Under-30 recognizes a group of up and coming young coaches in men’s college basketball.
Van Zelst has mentored 15 Royals to All-Landmark Conference honors in his six seasons with the program including Brendan Boken, who was an All-American and All-Region selection while being the 2015-16 Landmark Conference Player of the Year, John Vitkus, a two-time Landmark Conference Defensive Player of the Year honoree (2016, 2017) and an All-Region selection in the 2016-17 season, Matt Mancuso, who was an All-Region selection in 2020, and Logan Bailey, who was the 2021 Landmark Conference Player of the Year and the 2019 Landmark Rookie of the Year and D3hoops.com Mid-Atlantic Region Rookie of the Year.
In addition to his coaching duities, Van Zelst has been in charge of Scranton's team academics - where the Royals have posted a 3.1 GPA during his tenure - and team managers. He has been a Student Leadership Coach for Scranton's Leadership Capstone Program, served as the director of the University of Scranton Elite Camp (2016-2019) and as the assistant director of the Carl Danzig Boys Basketball Camp (2016-2019).
Prior to coming to Scranton, Van Zelst served as an assistant at his alma mater, Albright College in Reading, Pa., for one season after serving as an assistant coach at York College (Pa.) from June 2012 through August 2014.
His primary responsibilities at both Albright and York College over those three seasons were recruiting, scouting, preparing individual workouts, tape exchange and video editing, and serving as position coach for the guards and wing players. He also served as assistant director of Albright College Skill Development Clinics in the summer of 2015 and as assistant director at the York College Boys’ Day Camp in the summers of 2013 and 2014.
In addition, Van Zelst is the co-founder of College Basketball Exposure Camps, which have attracted 100 high school prospects in each session over the last two years. He has also coached at the Hoop Group Elite Basketball Camp (2012-2020), was a staff member of the Hoop Group Bob Hurley Pocono Skills Basketball Camp in 2012 and 2013, and has also worked camps at Berks Catholic High School (2013) and Rider University (2012).
A 2011 graduate of Albright with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a management track, Van Zelst played three seasons on the Lions’ men’s basketball team and was a member of the 2010 team that captured the Commonwealth Conference championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament. He is also a graduate of Conwell-Egan Catholic High School, where he was a captain of the 2006 boys’ basketball team and three-year starter.Â
