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Reed Ridder just can’t seem to stay away from Volusia County.
The Ormond Beach native originally left to play Division II basketball for Lynn University, only to return to Daytona Beach after his freshman season to play his final three at Embry-Riddle under Steve Ridder, his father and the school’s legendary head coach.
Following his graduation, Ridder departed again — to the other side of the world — thanks to a professional basketball career in Australia from 2016-17 and Spain from 2017-18.
Perhaps it was a coincidence, or maybe the logical reason — his strong family ties to the area — but the forces of Daytona Beach pulled him back to the United States, where he served as a graduate assistant for Georgia’s basketball program from 2018-20 and a support staff member at Georgia Southern from 2020-21. They finished the job once again when Ridder earned his first full-time assistant coaching gig at Daytona State in 2021 under recently-departed head coach Joey Cantens.
It only took a year for Ridder to hit the road again, this time as an assistant under his brother, Ryan, at UT Martin from 2022-24 and Mercer from 2024 to May 4, when Reed returned to Daytona State once again.
As the head of the Falcons’ men’s basketball program.
“It’s just funny where your connections lay,” Ridder said. “At the end of the day, my connections are here in Daytona, and I love it.”
Reed is the third Ridder to become a basketball head coach in Daytona Beach. His dad, Steve, has been Embry-Riddle’s coach since 1989, amassing over 800 wins and an NAIA Division II national title in 2000. He also coached both of his sons during their respective playing careers with the Eagles, who are now an NCAA Division II program.
Reed’s brother, Ryan, was Daytona State’s head coach from 2013-17 before heading down the street to coach Bethune-Cookman from 2017-21.
Reed probably couldn’t have asked for a better path to leading a program. From working with NBA All-Star Anthony Edwards and Chicago Bull Nicolas Claxton at Georgia to coaching Division I ball alongside his brother for four seasons, Ridder already has a wealth of experience.
But it was time for him to step out of the shadows and make his mark on a program he could call his own, and Daytona State gave him the opportunity to do so in a familiar place.
“I loved working with my brother. He’s the best boss I worked for, but at the end of the day, I want to be the head coach, too,” Ridder said. “I don’t always want to be known as ‘Is that the brother?’... So there’s a little bit of that, but honestly, I just always dreamed of being a head coach. I loved my time as an assistant coach, I really did. I learned so much, but now I’m ready to do something different, be the head coach and run a program how I believe is best fit.”
The Falcons have a lineage of successful coaches that Ridder hopes to join. Cantens, Ridder’s predecessor, left to coach FIU on March 20. Along with Ridder’s brother, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood, Miami associate head coach Erik Pastrana and Oklahoma assistant Brock Morris spent time with the keys to Daytona State’s program.
As such, the Falcons have recorded nine 20-win seasons since bringing the program back in 2013 after a brief pause, including four straight to cap Cantens’ time in Daytona Beach. Now Ridder is the man that’ll look to maintain the winning Daytona State has grown accustomed to.
“You know what you’re getting with Reed: his love of the game, certainly his commitment to develop young students to help them be successful both academically and athletically,” Falcons athletic director Will Dunne said. “He’s got a burning passion and desire for competition, and I think his desire to put his own stamp on a college program is evident.”
Ridder’s been at the helm for nearly two months since Daytona State officially announced his hiring. The foundation he’s built has included hiring three assistant coaches and overhauling the Falcons’ roster with seven transfers and two freshmen with only two returning players, common with the NJCAA’s two-year eligibility rule.
Ridder hopes to have 14 players heading into the fall when Daytona State’s summer session begins on July 6.
Even Ridder himself is adjusting to life in Daytona again. Reed has been living with his parents, Steve and Vicky, while he and his wife try to sell their house back in Georgia, providing the elder Ridders with a dose of deja vu from Ryan’s initial hire as the Falcons’ head coach.
“They both walked around the pool with their phone in their hand and up to their ear, because they’re recruiting, and Ryan did the same thing. Vicky’s fixing meals, and they’re like ‘Mom, we can’t eat right now, I’m on the phone,’” Steve said. “And we’re just reliving everything that Ryan did [13] years ago, and Reed has been doing that for the last six weeks.”
So yes, coming home to Daytona Beach has been literal for Reed so far as he continues to lay the groundwork of his vision for the Falcons.
And while Ridder’s officially been the head coach since May 4, the July 6 commencement of summer ball figures to be the next milestone of his new role.
“People say, ‘Yeah, I coach these guys hard,’ and I totally agree, but you've got to gain their trust first,” Ridder said. “So this summer we’re just going to be building those habits and gaining each other’s trust, and so that way, in the fall, we can really coach these guys harder because they know we’re out here doing what we think is best for their future.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Meet new Daytona State men's basketball coach Reed Ridder
Continue reading...
The Ormond Beach native originally left to play Division II basketball for Lynn University, only to return to Daytona Beach after his freshman season to play his final three at Embry-Riddle under Steve Ridder, his father and the school’s legendary head coach.
Following his graduation, Ridder departed again — to the other side of the world — thanks to a professional basketball career in Australia from 2016-17 and Spain from 2017-18.
Perhaps it was a coincidence, or maybe the logical reason — his strong family ties to the area — but the forces of Daytona Beach pulled him back to the United States, where he served as a graduate assistant for Georgia’s basketball program from 2018-20 and a support staff member at Georgia Southern from 2020-21. They finished the job once again when Ridder earned his first full-time assistant coaching gig at Daytona State in 2021 under recently-departed head coach Joey Cantens.
It only took a year for Ridder to hit the road again, this time as an assistant under his brother, Ryan, at UT Martin from 2022-24 and Mercer from 2024 to May 4, when Reed returned to Daytona State once again.
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As the head of the Falcons’ men’s basketball program.
“It’s just funny where your connections lay,” Ridder said. “At the end of the day, my connections are here in Daytona, and I love it.”
Reed is the third Ridder to become a basketball head coach in Daytona Beach. His dad, Steve, has been Embry-Riddle’s coach since 1989, amassing over 800 wins and an NAIA Division II national title in 2000. He also coached both of his sons during their respective playing careers with the Eagles, who are now an NCAA Division II program.
Reed’s brother, Ryan, was Daytona State’s head coach from 2013-17 before heading down the street to coach Bethune-Cookman from 2017-21.
Reed probably couldn’t have asked for a better path to leading a program. From working with NBA All-Star Anthony Edwards and Chicago Bull Nicolas Claxton at Georgia to coaching Division I ball alongside his brother for four seasons, Ridder already has a wealth of experience.
But it was time for him to step out of the shadows and make his mark on a program he could call his own, and Daytona State gave him the opportunity to do so in a familiar place.
“I loved working with my brother. He’s the best boss I worked for, but at the end of the day, I want to be the head coach, too,” Ridder said. “I don’t always want to be known as ‘Is that the brother?’... So there’s a little bit of that, but honestly, I just always dreamed of being a head coach. I loved my time as an assistant coach, I really did. I learned so much, but now I’m ready to do something different, be the head coach and run a program how I believe is best fit.”
The Falcons have a lineage of successful coaches that Ridder hopes to join. Cantens, Ridder’s predecessor, left to coach FIU on March 20. Along with Ridder’s brother, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood, Miami associate head coach Erik Pastrana and Oklahoma assistant Brock Morris spent time with the keys to Daytona State’s program.
You must be registered for see images attach
As such, the Falcons have recorded nine 20-win seasons since bringing the program back in 2013 after a brief pause, including four straight to cap Cantens’ time in Daytona Beach. Now Ridder is the man that’ll look to maintain the winning Daytona State has grown accustomed to.
“You know what you’re getting with Reed: his love of the game, certainly his commitment to develop young students to help them be successful both academically and athletically,” Falcons athletic director Will Dunne said. “He’s got a burning passion and desire for competition, and I think his desire to put his own stamp on a college program is evident.”
Ridder’s been at the helm for nearly two months since Daytona State officially announced his hiring. The foundation he’s built has included hiring three assistant coaches and overhauling the Falcons’ roster with seven transfers and two freshmen with only two returning players, common with the NJCAA’s two-year eligibility rule.
Ridder hopes to have 14 players heading into the fall when Daytona State’s summer session begins on July 6.
Even Ridder himself is adjusting to life in Daytona again. Reed has been living with his parents, Steve and Vicky, while he and his wife try to sell their house back in Georgia, providing the elder Ridders with a dose of deja vu from Ryan’s initial hire as the Falcons’ head coach.
“They both walked around the pool with their phone in their hand and up to their ear, because they’re recruiting, and Ryan did the same thing. Vicky’s fixing meals, and they’re like ‘Mom, we can’t eat right now, I’m on the phone,’” Steve said. “And we’re just reliving everything that Ryan did [13] years ago, and Reed has been doing that for the last six weeks.”
So yes, coming home to Daytona Beach has been literal for Reed so far as he continues to lay the groundwork of his vision for the Falcons.
And while Ridder’s officially been the head coach since May 4, the July 6 commencement of summer ball figures to be the next milestone of his new role.
“People say, ‘Yeah, I coach these guys hard,’ and I totally agree, but you've got to gain their trust first,” Ridder said. “So this summer we’re just going to be building those habits and gaining each other’s trust, and so that way, in the fall, we can really coach these guys harder because they know we’re out here doing what we think is best for their future.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Meet new Daytona State men's basketball coach Reed Ridder
Continue reading...
