Gordon Ridings

George Ridings

Sport(s)	Basketball
Biographical details
Alma mater	Oregon
Playing career
1927-1929	Oregon
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1946-1950	Columbia
Head coaching record
Overall	70–21 (.769)
Tournaments	NCAA: 0-2(.000)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2x EIBL Champion (1946, 1947)
Awards
2x PCC All-Conference (1928, 1929)

Gordon Ridings was an American college men's basketball coach. He served as head coach at Columbia University from 1946 until 1951 when he suffered a heart attack before the season started, handing over coaching duties to Lou Rossini. Ridings graduated of University of Oregon in 1929, where he was a two-time Northern Division All-Conference selection (1928, 1929). Ridings was remembered as one of the first great teachers of defensive basketball. Story has it that Red Auerbach of the Boston Celtics often came to Morningside Heights to learn how to coach defense.^[1]

Head coaching record

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Columbia Lions (Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League) (1946–1950)
1946–47	Columbia	15-5	11-1	1st
1947–48	Columbia	20-3	11-1	1st	NCAA Elite Eight
1948–49	Columbia	14-6	8-4	T-2nd
1949–50	Columbia	21-7	9-3	2nd
Columbia:		70–21 (.769)	39–9 (.813)
Total:		70–21 (.769)
National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion

Citations

1. Mirer, Michael (2001). "Columbia Dream Team of Old Comes Home to Levien", Columbia Daily Spectator, February 5.