Following in the Footsteps of a Legend.. The Coaching Career of Ryne Derozan
Posted: 04 Mar 2026, 00:44
Ryne Derozan II is no stranger to the inside of a high school gym. From the day he was born he was watching his Dad, the legendary Ryne Derozan coach both high school and later college basketball..
From the age of 4 Ryne II had a basketball in his hands. R2 (nicknamed given by his Dad) loved the gym and shooting hoops with his dad. Despite being a multi-sport athlete all through Junior High, once his Freshman year game, R2 knew he wanted to focus 100% on Basketball. A growth spurt between his 8th grade and Freshman year saw R2 grow from 6 ft to 6’4. Now the tallest kid on his team his high school coach wanted him in the post but after talking it over with Dad,, they agreed he would transfer schools landing at a private catholic high school on the outskirts of Boise who already had 2 6’10 players on the roster opening the door for Ryne to play SF.. After a year playing most as a starter on JV and getting some garbage minutes on varsity, Ryne would see another growth spurt adding 3 more inches over the summer. Now at 6’7 R2 was a lock to start at SF for the BK Knights. Well Dad was busy coaching at Boise State, R2 was lighting up the scoreboards helping the Knights to the first of what would be 3 straight State Championships. Everyone assumed R2 would join his dad at Boise State, but an injury on a family vacation in Florida would derail R2’s college dreams. 2 years of rehab delayed any college basketball dreams. Instead R2 focused on school and helped his dad as a team manager.. He helped break down game film and helped scout players for the Broncos. Despite not being able to play, players loved him and his charisma.
Doctors would finally clear R2 to return to the court the summer of what would be his senior year.. After spending the summer playing ABL against some of the best high schoolers across the nation,, R2 knew his dreams of the NBA were likely over. Already with a degree in hand, R2 made a choice and at the age of 21 he left home and went overseas. Derozan would bounce around Africa working as a coach and as a scout for the next 4 years but at the age of 25, Derozan would get a call that would start the next chapter in his life.
Derozan was returning to the scene of his accident that derailed his playing career, but also the place that would launch his coaching career…
From the age of 4 Ryne II had a basketball in his hands. R2 (nicknamed given by his Dad) loved the gym and shooting hoops with his dad. Despite being a multi-sport athlete all through Junior High, once his Freshman year game, R2 knew he wanted to focus 100% on Basketball. A growth spurt between his 8th grade and Freshman year saw R2 grow from 6 ft to 6’4. Now the tallest kid on his team his high school coach wanted him in the post but after talking it over with Dad,, they agreed he would transfer schools landing at a private catholic high school on the outskirts of Boise who already had 2 6’10 players on the roster opening the door for Ryne to play SF.. After a year playing most as a starter on JV and getting some garbage minutes on varsity, Ryne would see another growth spurt adding 3 more inches over the summer. Now at 6’7 R2 was a lock to start at SF for the BK Knights. Well Dad was busy coaching at Boise State, R2 was lighting up the scoreboards helping the Knights to the first of what would be 3 straight State Championships. Everyone assumed R2 would join his dad at Boise State, but an injury on a family vacation in Florida would derail R2’s college dreams. 2 years of rehab delayed any college basketball dreams. Instead R2 focused on school and helped his dad as a team manager.. He helped break down game film and helped scout players for the Broncos. Despite not being able to play, players loved him and his charisma.
Doctors would finally clear R2 to return to the court the summer of what would be his senior year.. After spending the summer playing ABL against some of the best high schoolers across the nation,, R2 knew his dreams of the NBA were likely over. Already with a degree in hand, R2 made a choice and at the age of 21 he left home and went overseas. Derozan would bounce around Africa working as a coach and as a scout for the next 4 years but at the age of 25, Derozan would get a call that would start the next chapter in his life.
Derozan was returning to the scene of his accident that derailed his playing career, but also the place that would launch his coaching career…
