Charles G. "Buzz" Ridl (June 27, 1920 – April 28, 1995) was an American college head coach of men's basketball born in the Pittsburgh suburb of

Irwin, Pennsylvania Irwin is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh. Some of the most extensive bituminous coal deposits in the State are located here. In the past, iron foundries, flour mills, car shops, facing and planing mills, e ...

. He was the long-time coach at Westminster College in Pennsylvania, until 1968 when he was tapped for Division I by the Pittsburgh Panthers. He resurrected a failing program after former coach Timmons lost control of his once competitive team in the midst of the late 1960s protest culture. Along with defensive coordinator Fran Webster and assistant Tim Grgurich, Ridl developed the often duplicated "

Amoeba defense The amoeba defense is a defensive strategy in the game of basketball. History The amoeba defense was developed by Fran Webster, an assistant for the Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team. In the 1970s, Webster perfected the defense with Pit ...

" and shocked the basketball world with it in 1973-1974 with a school record 22 straight wins and an Elite Eight appearance. He was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame (1969), Western Pennsylvania Coaches Hall of Fame (1980), and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame (1992). Ridl's win–loss record at Pitt was 97-83 (.539).

References

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Mention of Ridl's death
1920 births 1995 deaths American men's basketball coaches Basketball coaches from Pennsylvania College men's basketball head coaches in the United States People from Lawrence County, Pennsylvania People from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball coaches Sportspeople from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area Westminster Titans men's basketball coaches {{pittsburgh-stub