Correspondent file photo / Robert Hayes YSU defensive coordinator Ryan Riemedio (center, in gray) oversees a play during the Penguins’ spring practice on March 21 at Stambaugh Stadium.

YOUNGSTOWN — Ryan Riemedio’s football journey has literally taken him all the way across the country.

A native of Seaside, Calif., he began his playing career on the west coast at nearby Monterey Peninsula College, before finishing it at then-NAIA school Minot State in North Dakota. After graduation, he returned to Monterey to begin his coaching career, and before long, he left California again to go all the way to Erie, Pa., to join the staff at Mercyhurst.

During his 14 years with the Lakers, Riemedio worked his way up the defensive coaching staff, starting off as a graduate assistant, before eventually getting promoted to defensive coordinator and head coach.

“A lot of people ask me, especially during the recruiting process, ‘you’re from the west coast, why did you move out this way?’ I always bring it back to football,” Riemedio said. “Football’s given me the opportunity to be in the positions I’m in now. Without football, I don’t know what I would be doing. Football has taken me on a lot of different journeys.”

In January, Riemedio made the decision to leave Mercyhurst after being hired as Youngstown State’s new defensive coordinator, as head coach Doug Phillips hopes Riemedio can help fix a much-maligned Penguins unit that has struggled over the past two seasons.

“[Mercyhurst] is always going to hold a special place in my heart. It’s where I met my wife, where we got married, had kids, all those things,” Riemedio said. “But ultimately, it just made a lot of sense with this move to Youngstown. The people that are here, from the president and from the top down, everybody across the board has been very welcoming. So I’m grateful for the opportunity that we have to be here as a family and be in the position I’m in to continue to coach football at a high level and still continue to be a dad.”

Since arriving in Youngstown, Riemedio has hit the ground running.

During the team’s offseason workouts in January and February, he had an “open door policy,” which gave him the chance to get to know the players in one-on-one and group settings. He calls it, “Dr. Phil sessions.”

“Guys came in, talked to me, we exchanged numbers, we did all those things. Players know they can come in at any point,” Riemedio said. “They can come in and talk about anything in life. That’s the biggest piece because ultimately, in order for me to get the guys to do what I’m expecting them to do defensively, I’ve gotta get to know them as people first.”

Phillips said he expects YSU’s defense to be more multiple, utilizing different fronts and coverages.

So during those first two months, Riemedio watched a lot of film on the players that the Penguins have coming back and that they brought in as high school recruits and transfers. That allowed him to adjust his scheme and defensive playbook to fit YSU’s personnel.

Then Riemedio and the rest of the defensive coaching staff began installing the defense. That process began during offseason workouts and has continued into spring practice over the past few weeks.

“Just tried to figure out, what is their identity? Who are they, and what can we do to fit the player? Because ultimately, it comes down to that, right?” Riemedio said. “We’ve installed a ton, and that’s always good to front load everything so we can slow it down. We did that during OTAs, and then once we got to spring football, the installs have been a little bit smaller, but intent with everything that we’re doing. So I think the biggest piece is finding the right fits, being able to play multiple fronts, multiple coverages and keeping our shell the way it is.”

Riemedio said progress so far has been encouraging. He added that the players have been receptive and have picked things up quickly thus far, but there’s still a lot to be done.

The Penguins wrap up spring next week and progress will continue into summer and then fall camp, as Riemedio works to get the defense where they need to be ahead of the start of the season at the end of August.

“There are certain things we kept the same, but still kept it within the concepts of what we’re trying to get done defensively,” Riemedio said. “The players, it comes down to them. You never want to over install and you never want to under install. The biggest thing I keep telling them is, we’re going to continue installing to make sure that we’re protected with the things that we need to get done defensively in order to be prepared for anything.”

When Riemedio was at Mercyhurst last year, the Lakers ranked in the top-50 in the FCS in scoring defense, top-40 in total defense and top-15 in pass defense.

In comparison, the Penguins ranked 80th in the FCS in total defense, 93rd in scoring defense and 112th in pass defense in 2025.

While Mercyhurst plays in the NEC, the Lakers played a daunting non-conference schedule against four ranked teams. In the opener, Mercyhurst’s defense held YSU to its second-lowest point total of the season in a 24-15 defeat. Then a few weeks later, held eventual FCS national champion Montana State to its second-lowest point total of the season in a 17-0 loss.

What his defense did helped him get the YSU job. But for Riemedio, success defensively ultimately starts with playing disciplined complementary football, while also being technically and fundamentally sound.

“It always comes down to just fundamental football, playing top-down,” Riemedio said. “Rush and coverage gotta work together. We gotta stop the run, make teams one dimensional. Once you can do that, you’re in the driver’s seat. Now we can open up the playbook to the things that maybe are exciting to the players and all those [things]. But they know, in order to get to that point, we gotta play fundamental defense early.

“Being able to play base defense and doing it at a very high level is a big piece, because we do have a lot of conceptual things we want to get done. But ultimately, regardless of what the call is, we gotta play sound football and help the offense, help special teams across the board.”