Ryan Chandler returned home to his alma mater as the newest head coach for the Union University golf programs in February 2019. Coach Chandler is currently in his fourth year as head coach.
In the spring of 2020, the men's team played in three tournaments and the women's team played in two before the remainder of the season was canceled due to COVID-19.
In his first year, he coached Union's first ever All-GSC players, one for the women's team and one for the men's team. Chandler received his first tournament win as head coach in the 2019 fall season with the women's team at the Don Morris Invitational in Jackson, Tenn. His second win as head coach also came at the Don Morris invitational in the 2020 fall season with the men's team.
A native of Kenton, Tenn. and a 2007 graduate of Union City High School, Chandler is returning to the area he is very familiar with. Since graduating from Union in 2011, Chandler has been in Sebring, Fla. pursuing a professional golf career and working in the business world. He posted numerous top-10 finishes in professional tournaments on the West Florida Golf Tour and the Florida Professional Golf Tour. He posted two second-place finishes, at OGA Tour 1-day Event at Champions Gate and at OGA Tour 1-Day Event at Grenelefe South. He passed the PGA Player's Ability Test at Disney's Osprey Ridge Golf Course in Orlando in May 2013.
Chandler graduated Union with a bachelor's degree in psychology in December of 2011. During his three years at Union, Chandler earned TranSouth Conference Golfer of the Week three times, his teams won the TranSouth Conference Titles in 2010 and 2011, and his teams advanced to the NAIA National Tournament in 2010 and 2011. Individually, Chandler was named to numerous all-tournament teams in his three years including a first-place medalist finish at the Jackson National Shootout in 2010. In 2011, Chandler had seven top-10 finishes and four top-5 finishes. In 2010, he posted nine top-10 finishes and four top-5 finishes, while scoring five top-10 finishes and three top-5 finishes in 2009.
In 2013, he was inducted into the Union City High School Hall of Fame. Chandler was a district runner-up and all-district in high school as a sophomore and senior at Union City.
He was married to his wife Maggie Statler in June 2013. The couple has one child, Natalie Marie.