Ricky Byrdsong facts for kids

Ricky Byrdsong (born June 24, 1956 – died July 3, 1999) was an American college basketball coach. He also worked as an insurance executive. Byrdsong was the head coach for men's basketball at the University of Detroit Mercy from 1988 to 1993. Later, he coached at Northwestern University from 1993 to 1997. His total coaching record was 89 wins and 163 losses. Ricky Byrdsong was the first African American head coach for the Northwestern Wildcats basketball team.

Ricky Byrdsong's Early Life and Education

Ricky Byrdsong grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. His mother raised him and his younger sister, Marcia. He went to Frederick Douglass High School.

Besides playing basketball, Ricky was also very musical. He played the saxophone in the school band. He also sang with the chorus and acted in school plays. After finishing high school in 1974, Byrdsong received a basketball scholarship. He went to Pratt Community College in Pratt, Kansas.

After Pratt, Byrdsong played his last two years of college basketball. He played for Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. This was from 1976 to 1978, under Coach Lynn Nance. He was named team captain. However, he did not play much in games. He averaged less than one point and one rebound per game.

Many schools offered Byrdsong scholarships after Pratt. He chose Iowa State. He later said he hardly played there. He joked he might have been the only captain who didn't play much.

After he graduated from Iowa State, Coach Nance asked him to consider coaching. Nance then asked him to stay at Iowa State as a graduate assistant. Byrdsong agreed and started his coaching career in 1978.

Ricky Byrdsong's Coaching Journey

Ricky Byrdsong spent ten years as an assistant coach in college basketball. He was an assistant at Arizona for six seasons. He worked under Coach Lute Olson.

As an assistant, Byrdsong helped the Wildcats reach the NCAA Final Four in 1988. This was a big achievement. Just five years earlier, in 1983, the team had a record of 4 wins and 24 losses. After the 1988 season, he was offered the head coaching job at Detroit Mercy.

Byrdsong coached the Northwestern University Wildcats from 1993 to 1997. In 1994, he led them to the National Invitation Tournament. This was only the second time in school history the team made it to a postseason tournament. They beat DePaul University in the first round.

Before Northwestern, he was head coach at the University of Detroit-Mercy (1988–1993). He also served as an assistant coach at several universities. These included the University of Arizona (1982–1988), Eastern Illinois University (1980–1982), Western Michigan University (1979–1980), and Iowa State University (1978–1979). After leaving Northwestern, he became a vice president at Aon Corporation. He worked there until his death.

The "Walk on the Wild Side" Incident

On February 5, 1994, something unusual happened during a game. Byrdsong was coaching against Minnesota. He suddenly left the game. He walked into the stands and started shaking hands with fans. He even high-fived the Minnesota Gopher mascot. He sat down in an empty seat without a ticket. An usher eventually asked him to leave.

The team had started the season very well, winning 9 games in a row. But at this point, they were on a 9-game losing streak. After returning to Evanston, Byrdsong's wife asked for him to take a break from coaching. Byrdsong later joked, "My wife, after watching me, obviously got concerned, now, any time I'm going to take a walk on the wild side, I should let her know."

Ricky Byrdsong's Personal Life and Legacy

Ricky Byrdsong was married to Sherialyn. They had three children: Sabrina, Kelley, and Ricky Jr.

On July 2, 1999, Ricky Byrdsong was jogging near his home in Skokie, Illinois. His son, age 8, and daughter, age 10, were with him. He was shot by Benjamin Nathaniel Smith. Smith was part of a group that believed in white supremacy. Smith went on a shooting spree that day. He killed one person and injured ten others. Byrdsong died four hours later on July 3 at Evanston Hospital.

Smith was a follower of Mathew Hale, a leader of the white supremacist group. Smith's shooting spree happened two days after Hale was not allowed to practice law in Illinois. Witnesses said Smith drove up next to Byrdsong and shot him many times.

How People Remembered Ricky Byrdsong

Ricky Byrdsong's death and his achievements as a Northwestern basketball coach received a lot of media attention. In 2000, an award was created in his honor. It was given by the Illinois Fatherhood Initiative.

Anya Cordell, Byrdsong's neighbor, wrote a book against hate crimes. The book is called Race: An Open and Shut Case. Cordell said she wanted to fight the hate that caused Benjamin Smith's shooting spree. Byrdsong's children also received college scholarships. These came from the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. This group helps families affected by hate crimes.

In 2009, a documentary about Byrdsong was made. It was called Fly Like the Byrd. Northwestern students from the Medill School of Journalism created it. The 25-minute film looked at race relations. It also showed how Byrdsong's legacy continued, ten years after his death.

The Ricky Byrdsong Foundation

Ricky Byrdsong's wife, Sherialyn, started The Ricky Byrdsong Foundation. Its goal is to "stop the growing problem of hate and violence in our society by and against our youth."

The foundation organizes many events in and around Evanston, Illinois. The most famous event is the Race Against Hate. This is a 5K running race. It happens every year in late June in Evanston. Thousands of runners take part in the Race Against Hate. In 2009, a 10,000-meter race was added. This was to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Race Against Hate.