Ryan McKay was hired in July 2023, and he is only the second head coach in Methodist history. Before MU, he was an assistant coach at Piedmont University, where he had been since the summer of 2017.
In year two, McKay's 2025 team made it to the conference tournament championship game for the first time since the inaugural USA South title tilt in 2019. Once again, the Monarchs utilized a second-half push to help propel them, going 8-1 in their last nine contests before reaching the finals. Jay Legg, the 2025 USA South Rookie of the Year, led Methodist in goals (45) and points (60) and was among the conference leaders in several offensive categories.
During his first year in the Green and Gold, he led the Monarchs to a 9-8 overall record, finishing 5-3 in conference play and earning the No. 4 seed in the USA South Tournament. After a tough start to the season, McKay's squad caught fire, winning seven consecutive games while outscoring opponents 134-34 during that span. After earning home field advantage in the first round of the conference tournament, the Monarchs defeated LaGrange College to advance to the semifinals.
At Piedmont, McKay worked primarily with the offense and the man-up unit, and he served as the team's Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator – a position he assumed in the summer of 2021. During his tenure there, the Lions achieved their first winning season in 2018 (9-8). In 2019, they were victorious in the USA South Athletic Conference Championship, earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament. For the 2022 & 2023 seasons, he helped lead Piedmont to a 15-2 regular season record versus USA South opponents.
Since August of 2019, McKay has also served as a coach for the Thunder LB3 Elite program – a summer league based out of Georgia for skilled high school players. He helped coach the 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 Orange Elite teams, assisting with player and team development.
His first coaching experience came as a volunteer assistant for his alma mater, Millsaps College, while also coaching at MadLax Lacrosse, serving as the head coach and director of the youth program in Madison, Mississippi. In January of 2016, he became a full-time assistant at Millsaps before accepting the job at Piedmont in June of 2017.
A graduate of Millsaps, McKay was a four-year starter and three-time captain for the men's lacrosse team from 2010–14. Playing attack and midfield, he finished his career with 105 points and sits as the program's all-time assist leader.
McKay earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education with a minor in Spanish from Millsaps in 2014, and he received a Master of Arts degree from Piedmont in 2020. His wife, Kirsten, is the head coach of the women's lacrosse program at Methodist, and the two also welcomed a son, Mack, in 2025.
McKay's Record at Methodist…
| Season |
Record (Overall) |
Record (Conference) |
Season Notes… |
| 2024 |
9-8 |
5-3 |
Three All-Conference selections |
| 2025 |
12-7 |
6-2 |
Six All-Conference selections / USA South Rookie of the Year |
| TOTALS |
21-15 |
11-5 |
|
