Elmer H. Ripley (July 21, 1891 – April 29, 1982) was an American

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

coach. He coached

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at seven different schools and for several professional teams.

Early life

Ripley was born in

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...

, New York on July 21, 1891. After graduating from local Curtis High School, he attended

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

Playing career

Ripley began his career as a player before making the switch to coach in 1922. At age 19, Ripley decided to leave Brown to play basketball professionally with the Interstate League Brooklyn Trolly Dodgers, the New York League's Utica Utes and the " Original Celtics" club. Ripley would enjoy numerous achievements including being voted among the ten best pro players from 1909 to 1926.

Coaching career

After playing, he went on to coach basketball at several major American universities and traveled the world teaching the game. Ripley began his first professional coaching tenure with Wagner College in 1922, before moving into a position at

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

in 1927. He won 12 of his first 13 games. During his many years with the Georgetown, he achieved a 133–82 record and lead the Hoyas to the NCAA tournament in 1943, reaching the national championship game. Ripley was hired away by several colleges including

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...

, and

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

, which he coached to the 1933

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championship. After leaving Georgetown in 1949, Ripley coached the

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(1953–1956), the Israeli Olympic team (1956) and the Canadian Olympic team (1960). The U.S. Committee for Sports sent Ripley to

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in 1957 to teach basketball. In 1962, Ripley coached high school basketball for the Englewood (N.J.)School for Boys (later part of the Dwight-Englewood School). In 1965–66, while coaching at Englewood, Ripley was hired by the New York Knicks to teach their center, future Hall of Famer Willis Reed, how to play the power forward position when the Knicks acquired a second center, future Hall of Famer Walt Bellamy, for their team. Ripley continued to coach through his 80th birthday and was inducted into the

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...

in 1973. Ripley died on April 29, 1982, at the age of 90.

Head coaching record

College

References

External links