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American Fork head coach Ryan Cuff directs his team during the 6A state championship game against Corner Canyon at the Marriott Center in Provo on Saturday, March 5, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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American Fork boy's basketball head coach Ryan Cuff, left, and his son and American Fork senior forward, Tanner Cuff, right, pose for a portrait in the American Fork High School gym on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019.

Evan Cobb, Daily Herald

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American Fork head coach Ryan Cuff questions a call during the Region 4 game against Skyridge at American Fork on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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American Fork head coach Ryan Cuff cheers with the crowd after cutting off a piece of the net after the Cavemen defeated the Pleasant Grove Vikings 66-57 in the UHSAA 6A Boys Basketball State Championship game Saturday, March 2, 2019, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald

Isaac Hale Daily Herald

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It’s time for a new chapter in the basketball coaching career of Ryan Cuff.

On Monday, Cuff announced he was stepping down after six years in American Fork to join Dave Rice’s staff at Salt Lake Community College.

“I’m excited and humbled,” Cuff said. “I have a lot to learn but I’ve wanted to get into the college game. This is an opportunity that will keep my passion for basketball alive.”

Rice was an assistant under Dave Rose at BYU during the Jimmer Fredette years and recently replaced Kyle Taylor, who left for an assistant job at Coastal Carolina, at SLCC. Rice was the head coach at UNLV after leaving Provo and most recently was an assistant at Cal Baptist. Cuff said he knew Rice when he worked at BYU and stayed in touch through another former BYU assistant, Tim LaComb.

“I went to basketball camps with my boys when they were younger and built a great relationship with Dave,”  Cuff said. “I actually applied for the head coaching job at SLCC when Kyle Taylor left. They were honest and said they wanted to hire a head coach with college experience, so I really wanted to get that experience.”

Cuff was a prep star at Richfield in the early 1990’s, playing for his father, Bob. Ryan Cuff played collegiately at BYU, Arizona State and Weber State and professionally in New Zealand and England. He began his coaching career at Bountiful High School under Mike Maxwell and has coached at Lone Peak, Dixie and American Fork.

“I’ve had 19 years as a head coach in high school and one JV year for 20 years total,” Cuff said. “I’m going to miss the pureness of high school sports but I can’t wait to learn from Coach Rice and build up SLCC. We have big dreams for the program.”

The SLCC program has played in four NJCAA title games, winning championships in 2009 (under Norm Parrish) and 2016 (under current UVU coach Todd Phillips).

Cuff posted a 102-54 record (65%) in his six seasons at American Fork, winning 6A titles in 2019 and 2022. He coached his son Tanner in the 2019 title game and younger son Tiger in the 2022 championship. Combined with his time at Lone Peak and Dixie, Cuff won 302 games his high school coaching career.

Tanner Cuff played at SLCC and his now at the University of Evansville. Tiger Cuff, who will serve a church mission to Brazil beginning this summer, graduates from American Fork this month and will play at Weber State when he returns. Ryan Cuff said his wife, Lisa, will continue in her position as a counselor at American Fork.

“We’re not moving so I’m the one that gets to commute,” Ryan Cuff said.

“I never thought we’d leave Dixie,” he admitted. “I could never complain about the weather here because my wife would just say, ‘You brought us here.’ I’ll be 53 in June but I still feel young and that I have a lot of energy to give. We’re excited for this new adventure and the challenges that come with it. I’ll really miss the American Fork administrators, coaches and the community. All three of my children (Tanner, Tiger and daughter Pyper) graduated from American Fork.”

Ryan Cuff said he’ll start at SLCC on June 1.

I can’t think of a better person to work with or have as a mentor than Dave Rice,” he said. “He has incredible knowledge of the game and he’s just a classy guy. I’m excited for this new opportunity for me to learn and see where this takes us.”