Charles “Buzz” Ridl

Charles “Buzz” Ridl (1920-1995)

Teams coached: Westminster College Titans, Pittsburgh Panthers
Westminster College record: 216-91 (.704)
Pittsburgh record: 97-83 (.539)
Overall record: 313-174 (.643)

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:  0
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:  1  (1974)
  • NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  1  (1974)
  • NCAA Tournament Final Four:  0
  • NIT Championships:  0
  • NIT Appearances:  1  (1975)
  • NAIA National Championships:  0  (Runner-up in 1960, 1962)
  • NAIA Tournament Appearances:  6  (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1968)
  • NAIA Tournament Final Four:  4  (1960, 1961, 1962, 1968)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1968-1975 Pittsburgh
1956-1968 Westminster College

Buzz Ridl Facts

  • Charles G. Ridl
  • Born June 27, 1920
  • Died April 28, 1995
  • Hometown: Irwin, Pennslyvania
  • Alma Mater: Westminster College (BA, 1942)
  • A native of the Pittsburgh area, Ridl attended Westminster College (PA) where he played basketball
  • Started coaching at his alma mater in 1956, leading the then-NAIA Titans for 12 seasons
    • Went 216-91 overall, reaching the NAIA Tournament six times
    • Advanced to the Final Four on four occasions and twice finished as NAIA Runner-up
  • Hired away to Pittsburgh in 1968, coaching the (then-NCAA Independent) Panthers for seven seasons
    • Developed and popularized the “Amoeba Defense” during his time at the helm
    • Went 97-83 overall, improving the downtrodden program for 4 wins in his first year to 25 wins and a NCAA Tournament berth by 1973-74 (a season that included a 22-game winning streak)
  • Inducted into the Westminster Titans HOF (c/o 1964), NAIA HOF (c/o 1969), Western Pennsylvania Coaches HOF (c/o 1980), Pennsylvania Sports HOF (c/o 1992) and the Pittsburgh Basketball Club HOF (c/o 2019)
  • Passed away in 1995 at the age of 74 in Pittsburgh
    • Ridl had been undergoing cancer treatment but suffered a fall at home that led to serious head injuries

Buzz Ridl Coaching Tree

  • Jim Bolla (Hawaii women’s, UNLV women’s)
  • Tim Grgurich (UNLV, Pittsburgh)

 

^ overall record includes head coaching positions at both the NCAA Division I and NAIA levels