Ryan Ridder

Biography

A 16-year collegiate coaching veteran who has already left a trail of success through the first three stops of his head coaching career, Ryan Ridder was announced as the 30th head coach in the history of the Mercer men’s basketball program on March 15, 2024. Ridder trekked to Middle Georgia after leading UT Martin to 48 victories across three seasons, including a 21-11 mark in 2023-24. He has amassed a 191-120 (.614) record in ten seasons as a head coach – a career that also includes previous head-coaching stops at both Daytona State and Bethune-Cookman. Ridder bridged his first and second seasons in northwest Tennessee by leading the Skyhawks on a 9-1/2 game turnaround as UT Martin posted 19 victories during the 2022-23 campaign, a third-place finish in the final Ohio Valley Conference regular season standings and the program’s fifth appearance all-time in the OVC Tournament semifinals. The 19 wins marked the fifth-most victories for the program in its more than three decades on the NCAA Division I level. UT Martin boasted NCAA Division I’s 23rd-ranked scoring offense (81.5 points/game) this past season, while also showcasing one of the nation’s top rebounding teams as well. The Skyhawks captured 12 of their final 14 regular season contests to claim a share of the OVC regular season crown and the No. 2 seed in the OVC Tournament. It was just the ninth time in the 73-year history of the program that the Skyhawks had rattled off 20 or more victories, and the first time it had

Career Path