Ryan Ridder
Ryan Ridder (born November 11, 1984)
Current position: Head men’s basketball coach
Current team: Mercer Bears
Current conference: Southern Conference (SoCon)
Bethune-Cookman record: 48-45 (.516)
Tennessee-Martin record: 48-47 (.505)
Mercer record: 0-0 (.000)
Overall record^: 96-92 (.511)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 0
- SoCon Regular Season Champion: 0
- Ohio Valley Regular Season Champion: 1 (2024)
- MEAC Regular Season Champion: 1 (2018)
- SoCon Tournament Champion: 0
- Mid-Florida (NJCAA) Regular Season Champion: 4 (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)
Awards:
- Joe B. Hall Award: 1 (2018)
- Mid-Florida (NJCAA) Coach of the Year: 4 (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 2024-present | Mercer |
| 2021-2024 | Tennessee-Martin |
| 2017-2021 | Bethune-Cookman |
| 2013-2017 | Daytona State |
| 2010-2013 | Campbell (asst) |
| 2009-2010 | Embry-Riddle (asst) |
Ryan Ridder Facts
- Ryan Ridder
- Born November 11, 1984
- Hometown: Daytona Beach, Florida
- Alma Mater: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (BA, 2008) / California University of Pennsylvania (MA, 2009)
- After graduating from Father Lopez HS in Daytona Beach, FL, Ridder started his college career at Wooster (OH)
- Transferred back home to Division II Embry-Riddle to finish his degree and career, playing for his father, Steve Ridder
- Started coaching right away after graduation, spending one season as an assistant at North Raleigh Christian (NC)
- After one year assisting his father at Embry-Riddle, Ridder spent three seasons on Robbie Laing‘s staff at Division I Campbell
- First head coaching opportunity came in 2013, as Ridder returned home to take over at Daytona State College
- Went 95-28 in four seasons there, winning four-straight conference regular season titles
- Hired in March 2017 as the head coach at Division I Bethune-Cookman; went 48-45 over three full seasons
- Won a share of the MEAC in his first season; given the Joe B. Hall Award as the nation’s top first-year head coach
- In October 2020, Bethune-Cookman became the first D-I program to fully opt out of the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 concerns
- In March 2021, Ridder was announced as the new head coach at Tennessee-Martin in the OVC
- Signed a five-year contract extension in July 2023, keeping him at UTM through the 2027-28 season
- In his third season (2023-24), Ridder led the Skyhawks to a share of the OVC title for the second time in program history
- Left UTM in March 2024 to become the head coach at Mercer in the SoCon
Ryan Ridder Coaching Tree
- Donald Reyes (Loyola LA)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I level only
