Ryan Long was selected in the second round of the 1991 amateur draft out of Dobie High School in Houston, Texas. He went on to play 10 professional seasons, making his Major League debut in 1997 with the Kansas City Royals, where he recorded his first hit and RBI against Seattle’s Randy Johnson.

Following his playing career, Long transitioned into coaching, beginning with the Chicago White Sox organization, where he served as a hitting coach at multiple levels from 2001 to 2006. He then joined the Kansas City Royals organization as a hitting coach from 2007 to 2008.

Long spent 11 seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization as a hitting coach across various levels, including his final two seasons with the Indianapolis Indians of the International League. During his time with Pittsburgh, he was honored with the Chuck Tanner Award for outstanding player development.

From 2020 to 2023, Long served as the Major League hitting coach for the Lotte Giants in Korea’s KBO League. He later worked as a hitting coach in the Toronto Blue Jays organization with Triple-A Buffalo.

Currently, Long is the hitting coach for the Tijuana Toros of the Mexican League (LMB).

He resides in Texas with his wife, Olivia, and their son, Easton (15).