Mayville State names Ryan Carpenter as head women's basketball coach
May 7—MAYVILLE, N.D. — For the first time in nearly 20 years, the Mayville State women's basketball program has a new head coach.
Ryan Carpenter has been named Mayville State's next head women's basketball coach, replacing Dennis Hutter, who left the Comets after 19 seasons to become the top assistant at UND.
Carpenter has been head women's basketball coach at his alma mater, Lancaster Bible College in Lancaster, Pa. He starts his new job at Mayville State on May 16.
"I am excited for my family to make our way back to our Midwestern roots and honored to lead a Mayville State women's basketball program that is steeped in tradition and success," said Carpenter. "I thank President Brian Van Horn, Athletic Director Rocky Larson and the entire search committee for believing in me and providing me with this opportunity."
At Lancaster this past season, Carpenter led his team to the conference tournament for the first time in more than five years. Two of his players were United East all-conference selections, and one was an NCCAA East region selection.
Prior to being at Lancaster, Carpenter was assistant women's basketball coach at University of Minnesota Duluth (2022-23) and University of Jamestown (2021-22).
He was the head girls basketball coach at Rochester Mayo High School from 2018 to 2021.
Earlier, he was lead elementary physical education teacher for Rochester Public Schools from 2013 to 2021 and was assistant girls basketball coach at Rochester Century High School from 2009 to 2014 and at Lourdes High School from 2014 to 2018.
Carpenter has success in recruitment and has coached more than 30 all-conference selections in 15 years. He was lead camp clinician for Breakthrough Basketball in 2021 and 2022, and he has designed and led youth camps for the past 15 years.
"We are excited to have Ryan Carpenter join the Mayville State Family," said Mayville State Interim Athletic Director Rocky Larson. "He has big shoes to fill, and we believe he is the guy for the job. We look forward to working with him."
Hutter left Mayville State with a school-record 314 wins and seven 20-plus win seasons. He led the Comets to 13-straight winning seasons, three North Star Athletic Association regular season championships and four conference tournament titles.
This past season, Mayville State set a program record with 26 wins, including a victory over UND in Grand Forks.
The Comets advanced to the NAIA Sweet 16 for the second time under Hutter and finished a perfect 12-0 in Mayville.
