Bryant University

Shay Austin-Leary enters her sixth season as throws coach at Bryant in 2025-26.

Austin-Leary has helped completely overhaul the throws program at Bryant, building the Black and Gold into one of the most competitive in the America East. With Austin-Leary leading the way, Bryant stepped up and created a brand new throws area that debuted in 2023-24 and has taken the program to the next level.

Coaching Highlights

During her first year in Smithfield, she helped lead the Bulldogs to one of their most successful all around seasons in program history. Under her watch, Kasey Thomas (shot put) and Nick Alessandro (javelin) each won silver medals at the NEC championships. Both throwers advanced to the New England regional competition, where Alessandro finished sixth and Thomas eighth.

Austin-Leary came to Bryant with an extensive and successful coaching background from both the high school and collegiate levels. Most recently, Austin-Leary was the Assistant Coach of the Throwing Program at Middletown High School after a successful year at UMass Dartmouth. While at UMass Dartmouth, Austin-Leary was named the USTFCCCA Division III New England Region Men's Assistant Coach of the Year as her athletes broke every single indoor and outdoor throwing school record. Austin-Leary also developed four All-Americans in weight, hammer, shot and javelin. She also led the UMass Dartmouth javelin squad to become the number one Division III team with an average throw of 62.17m.