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Ryan Firebaugh moved from the James River basketball office to the athletic director’s office on Monday as he officially takes over those chores. Firebaugh is replacing Chase Davidson, who has taken a job as assistant principal.
“I’m about done rearranging but I need to get the janitor down here to put some nails in the wall so I can hang up pictures,” said Firebaugh on his first official day on the job. “I’m excited for this opportunity. I always thought this was something that would happen down the road, I just didn’t think it would come this quickly.”
Ryan knows his way around the building. He’s a 2007 graduate of James River High School and he was a three-sport athlete for the Knights. He was a quarterback and defensive back on the football team under coach Philip King, a forward on the basketball team for Mike Goad and a third baseman for baseball coach Gehrig Ferguson. Sheila Proffit was the athletic director when Ryan was in school and he thought about her when he decided to leave teaching and coaching to take this job.
“I remember how she used to get out and just walk around and talk to kids,” he said. “I think she missed the classroom. She was a really good athletic director.”
Ryan leaves his positions teaching weight training, driver’s education and ninth and 10th grade physical education. He expects to still be involved in the daily comings and goings of the River students in his new position.
“My wife and I have talked about it,” he said. “I’m sure I’m going to miss coaching, but I can always go back to it.”
Firebaugh has been involved in sports all his life. His family bleeds black and red and Ryan has had some kind of ball in his hands for as long as he can remember. His father, Nicky Firebaugh, has officiated basketball for 51 years and also does football. Older brother Chris also officiates basketball and football, and his sister, Julie Firebaugh Lacey played on championship softball teams at River and is now the volleyball coach at Bassett High School.
“It runs in the blood in our family,” said Ryan, who also officiated high school basketball for two years and volleyball for one.”
Firebaugh is a graduate of Ferrum College, where he played on the basketball team for four years. Ferrum legend Abe Naff was the athletic director at that time, although Ryan had little contact with the longtime Panther baseball coach.
“He seemed to be busy all the time,” said Ryan. “I remember we won the USA South Conference basketball championship when I was a freshman. Before the game he came into the locker room with one of those things you use to size rings, and promised we’d get one if we won.”
Ryan is still the proud owner of that ring and he keeps up with Ferrum athletics. The Panthers recently announced they were moving to Division II, where they can give athletic scholarships.
“I think it’s a good thing,” he said. “We have a lot of athletes around here who aren’t Division I players, but they’re still good college players and now they don’t have to go all the way to Concord or somewhere to play Division II sports.”
Firebaugh spent a fifth year at Ferrum as a student assistant, then worked for the recreation department, first under Jim Farmer and then Shelby Bryant. He was on the maintenance crew, but he kept his eyes open.
“I saw what they did, setting up schedules and stuff,” he said. “It was a lot like what I’ll be doing here.”
Firebaugh tried to get a job coaching basketball in college but that wasn’t working out when he got a call from former River football coach King. One of his assistants, Shahan Burrell, was taking a leave of absence and King asked him to help with the football team. That led to a stint coaching football at Central Academy, one year as assistant and four as head coach, and a couple years on the high school staff. On Friday nights he served as the “spotter” for the varsity games.
Ryan coached on Goad’s basketball staff for a year before his good friend Chad Conner, the Lord Botetourt varsity boys coach, asked him to come to LB. He spent two years with the jayvees, then moved up to be varsity assistant for three years. Eventually he took the job as head girls coach at James River when E.D. Schechterly resigned. He took a team that was winless in seven games during the COVID season and in three years the girls improved to 14-11 playing in the tough Three Rivers District. This past season ended just one win away from making the state tournament.
The Knights hired assistant Don Eggleston to replace Ryan as head girls basketball coach, and Firebaugh will also be stepping down as softball assistant. He’s been Steve Austin’s assistant for 11 years and that was a tough position to give up.
“Steve is great,” said Firebaugh. “After the last game I was fighting back tears. We sat and talked for a long time.”
Ryan decided to retain the Knights volleyball coach. His wife of three years, the former Linsey Bailey, coached the girls to a 14-10 record and made it to the Class 2 state quarterfinal in her first year leading the team. The Firebaughs have a 16-month-old son, Cooper, and he looks to be following the family tradition.
“He’s already picking up balls and throwing them,” said Ryan. “Any time he sees a ball he goes ‘ball, ball.’”
Firebaugh expects a smooth transition as he takes the reins of the James River athletic department this week. He’s been working with outgoing AD Davidson, who got rave reviews for his time on the job.
“Chase has been very helpful, he knows so much,” said Firebaugh. “Most of the stuff is done. He’s right up there with Sheila and Chuck (former LB athletic director Pound).”
