Elmer Ripley
Inducted:
1973
Coach Stats
Born
July 21, 1891
Staten Island, New York, U.S.
Died
April 29, 1982
New York City, New York, U.S.
Position
Coach
College
Columbia University
University of Notre Dame
Yale University
Elmer Ripley’s legacy is woven deeply into the very foundation of the sport itself, far predating the modern professional league. Born in 1891—the exact same year Dr. James Naismith invented basketball—Ripley dedicated over six decades to the game as a player, coach, and global ambassador. His professional playing career spanned 20 years, highlighted by a stint with the legendary Original Celtics.
However, his most profound impact came as a master tactician on the sidelines, coaching major collegiate programs like Georgetown, Yale, Columbia, and Notre Dame. Known as a tireless promoter of the sport, he hosted international clinics, toured with the Harlem Globetrotters, and coached multiple Olympic teams.
For his lifetime of dedication and his role in expanding basketball’s global footprint, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a Contributor in 1973.
Ripley's Awards and Honor
- Inaugural Inductee, College Basketball Hall of Fame (2006)
- NAIA Hall of Fame Inductee (1954)
- Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame
- NAIA Runner-up (1945)
- NAIA Final Four (1946)
- NAIA Hall of Fame
NCAA Teams
Wagner (1922–1925)
Georgetown (1927–1929,38–43,46-49)
Yale (1929–1935)
Columbia (1943–1945)
Notre Dame (1945–1946)
John Carroll (1949–1951)
Army (1951–1953)
NCAA Stats
Coaching Record:
301–226 (Overall)
NCAA Tournament Appearances:
1 Year (1943)NCAA
Tournament Record:
2–1 (.667)
Final Four Appearances:
1 (Finished as national runner-up)
Conference Championships:
2 Regular Season Titles