MSU Athletics

Ryan Miner is entering his ninth season (2025-26) as head coach of the Minot State women's hockey program after joining the team prior to the 2017-18 season. Along with his duties as a head coach in the Beaver Athletic Department, Miner also serves as the Director of Financial Operations for Minot State Athletics.
 
Last season, the Beavers went 25-10-0-1 under Coach Miner, scored victories over all five teams ranked in the Top 5 nationally, advanced to the WMCH Tournament title game and to the ACHA National Tournament where their season ended in pool play with a 1-1 record. During the season, Jillian Ackerman and Paige Kozak each earned All-WMCH honors and Jillian Ackerman, Liberty Miller, Erica Fijala, and Olivia Opheim were named to the WMCH All-Tournament Team. Jillian Ackerman also was named an ACHA 1st Team All-American at goalie and Journey Miller was named to the ACHA All-National Tournament Team.

During the 2023-24 season, Coach Miner guided Minot State to the ACHA Division I Championship Game as the Beavers finished as ACHA Runner-Up National Champions for the second straight year, marking the program’s 6^th National Tournament Appearance. Miner also coached defense, Paige Ackerman, and goalie, Haylie Biever to WMCH All-Conference honors, had seven players named ACHA Academic All-Americans – Matayah Metz, Anna German, Haylie Biever, Makena Welby, Gillian Gervin, Aspen Cooper, & Paige Ackerman - and saw Makena Welby, Aspen Cooper, and Haylie Biever earn ACHA National Tournament All-Tournament Team honors.

During the 2022-23 season, Coach Miner led the Beavers to wins over every team ranks in the ACHA Top 5, and guided Minot State to the ACHA Division I Championship Game as the Beavers finished as ACHA Runner-Up National Champions. Miner also coached forward Jordan Kulbida to ACHA All-American honors, had seven players named ACHA Academic All-Americans - Ensley Fendelet, Megan Norris, Sydney Spicer, Alisha O'Hara, Riley Ball, Aspen Cooper, and Anna German - and saw Kulbida, Norris, and Haylie Biever earn ACHA National Tournament All-Tournament Team honors.

Miner recorded career win No. 100 on Oct. 30, 2021, a 3-2 victory for the Beavers over Concordia College. He enters his eighth season as head coach with a career record of 143-37-4 at Minot State.

Along with scoring career win No. 100, Minot led the Beavers to a No. 2 ranking in the ACHA during the 2021-22 season. The Beavers also finished the year with a 26-7-1 overall record and advanced to the ACHA National Championship semifinal game for the second straight year.

In his first four years with the program, Miner led Minot State to a 93-18-3 record and led the women's hockey program to four ACHA National Tournament appearances (2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, & 2020-21) and two ACHA National Championship game appearances (2017-18 & 2018-19). He was also part of the team's transition of joining the Minot State athletic department, the transition from ACHA Division 2 to Division 1 in the 2019-20 season, and in the Beavers move to join the Women’s Midwest Collegiate Hockey (WMCH) Conference.
Miner was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He played junior hockey in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) and Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League (MMJHL).

Miner played goalie for 2 years at Dakota College at Bottineau and finished his final 2 years at Minot State University. He graduated from MSU with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance in 2018. In 2021, Miner completed the Master program at MSU, receiving a Master of Science degree in Sports Management. 

In his time at MSU, Miner was awarded with the 2020 Young Alumnus Award by the Dakota College at Bottineau Foundation and nominated for ND Non-School Top Coach honors in 2018. 

Miner resides in Minot, ND with his wife Jayla, and two daughters, Lennon & Sutton.