Elmer Ripley

Elmer Ripley (1891-1982)

Teams coached: Wagner Seahawks, Georgetown Hoyas, Yale Bulldogs, Columbia Lions, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, John Carroll Blue Streaks, Army Cadets
Wagner record: 23-22 (.511)
Georgetown record: 133-82 (.619)
Yale record: 82-50 (.621)
Columbia record: 16-19 (.457)
Notre Dame record: 17-4 (.810)
John Carroll record: 11-32 (.256)
Army record: 19-17 (.528)
Overall record: 301-226 (.572)

Career Accomplishments:

Awards:

  • Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 1973)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1951-1953 Army
1949-1951 John Carroll
1946-1949 Georgetown
1945-1946 Notre Dame
1943-1945 Columbia
1938-1943 Georgetown
1929-1935 Yale
1927-1929 Georgetown
1922-1925 Wagner

Elmer Ripley Facts

  • Elmer Horton Ripley
  • Born July 21, 1891
  • Died April 29, 1982
  • Hometown: Staten Island, New York
  • Alma Mater: Brown University (BA, 1910)
  • Played at Curtis HS in Staten Island before embarking on a professional career that spanned from 1913 through 1929
    • Suited up for a number of teams, from independents to IBL and ABL squads (including the “Original Celtics”
  • Started coaching in 1922, spending three years at then-Independent Wagner College (23-22 record)
  • Began his first of three stints at Georgetown in 1927, where he would serve a total of ten years as the Hoyas’ head coach
    • Finished as NCAA Runner-up in 1943, the final year of his second stint at the school
  • Also coached at Yale, Columbia, Notre Dame, John Carroll (OH) and Army
    • Spent a total of 26 seasons as a collegiate head coach, compiling a 301-226 record across all seven programs
  • Served as head coach of the Harlem Globetrotters (1953-56), Israeli Olympic team (1956) & Canadian Olympic team (1960)
    • Was the head coach at Englewood School for Boys in New Jersey from 1962 through his retirement in 1973
  • Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1973 as a contributor to the sport
  • Died at the age of 89 in 1982, survived by two nieces

Elmer Ripley Coaching Tree

  • Vince Boryla (New York Knicks)
  • Johnny Dee (Notre Dame, Alabama)
  • Dino Martin (Boston College)
  • Buddy O’Grady (Georgetown)
  • Tommy O’Keefe (Georgetown)