What Other Coaches Say About Matt Ridge
Hilliary Scott
Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Lynchburg College
“Coach Ridge has done a tremendous job at Davidson-Davie. I have always admired him and what he has been able to do with his program. His teams play with passion and purpose and show a toughness that makes his program one of the best in the country. Coach Ridge prepares his players to succeed immediately at the next level both on and off the court. Through his leadership, coaches will always recruit student-athletes from the STORM.”
Phil Ford
Former Assistant Coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill & in the NBA
“Matt has a great understanding of how the game should be played and taught! I enjoyed coaching Matt and he became a valuable member of our JV Team Coaching Staff!!”
Rob Burke
Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Chowan University
“I have had the pleasure of competing against Coach Ridge and watching him build a powerhouse of a program over the years. Several things are true when you recruit a Davidson-Davie kid. One, they will have a level of toughness about them. Two, they will understand what practicing hard looks like and they will compete. Three, they will understand what winning at a championship level looks like. We have been lucky here at Chowan to have been able to coach two Davidson-Davie guys who bring all three of those traits every day.”
Rob Perron
Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Catawba College
“Coach Matt Ridge has done a phenomenal job at building a program. His student-athletes play hard and are very prepared for the regiment of the college basketball season. His players embody his competitive personality and his record at Davidson-Davie speaks for itself.”
Tubby Smith
Former Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Kentucky University, Minnesota, Texas Tech, Memphis & High Point University
“I’ve gotten to know and admire Coach Ridge over the last 5 years. Coach Ridge is one of the finest men I’ve ever met. An excellent communicator, teacher and coach who inspires and motivates his players to always give their best effort. Coach Ridge has established a culture that’s made Davidson-Davie one of the winningest championship college basketball programs in the nation. His teams will continue to compete for championships. I love coming to his practices and watching his teams play!”
Scott Cherry
Former Head Men’s Basketball Coach at High Point University & current assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Central Michigan University|
“Coach Ridge has done an unbelievable job at Davidson-Davie with the men’s basketball program. His teams are consistently ranked nationally, and he always has his teams prepared to compete at the highest level. He develops his players on and off the court, which helps them go on to play college basketball at the four-year level.”
Corey Thompson
Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Winston-Salem State University
“Coach Ridge is an exceptional leader and mentor. I have witnessed firsthand his hard work and dedication to Davidson-Davie and the development of his players. His professionalism, honesty and commitment to helping his student-athletes achieve their dreams and make a significant impact. Coach Ridge is a “Leader of Men.”
Thom McDonald
Former Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Florida State University & currently on the Board of Directors of the NABC
“I’ve gotten to know Coach Ridge over the last four years through the NJCAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Association Rising Stars Event. Coach Ridge coached in the inaugural event in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He has been extremely successful on and off the court. Coach Ridge has directed Davidson-Davie’s men’s basketball program to unparalleled Regular Season, Conference Tournament, Regional Tournament, District VII and National Tournament success. He puts his teams in a position to compete and to win every night and that is a characteristic of a successful coach. When you consider Coach Ridge’s exceptional recruiting and coaching ability, it should be no surprise why the STORM has been so successful and respected consistently in the Region and NJCAA National Level.”
Darryl Bennett
Championship Productions
“One of the rising stars in the coaching world, Coach Matt Ridge was responsible for authoring a 3-video instructional coaching series that has been highly rated for its combination of live-action demonstration, whiteboard/classroom instruction and game film analysis. We are proud to work with Coach Ridge at Championship Productions and wish him continued success in the season ahead!”
Chris Depew
Former Head Men’s Basketball Coach at SUNY Sullivan and athletic director at SUNY Sullivan
“I have known Coach Ridge for nearly 15 years. I first met him when he brought his program to the NJCAA D3 National Tournament that I hosted. Through the years, Coach Ridge and his staff have built a powerhouse at Davidson-Davie. They made a smooth transition to the NJCAA D2 level and have been a perennial national title contender every single year. As the NJCAA D2 national basketball chairman, I can say without question that Coach Ridge and the Davidson-Davie Storm are one the most respected and successful programs in the country!”
Phil Gaffney
Former Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Gulf Coast State College, Georgia Highlands College & Guilford Tech Community College
“I believe Coach Matt Ridge is the finest coach in all of junior college basketball, and truly one of the best in all of college basketball. The job he has done at Davidson-Davie is absolutely amazing!”
Bobby Collins
Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Shaw University
“I have known Coach Ridge for over 15 years. What I have been impressed with most is how every time I recruit a player from Davidson-Davie I know that I’m getting a well-coached player! In the times I have recruited from him I never have to worry about transcripts. In this business that is very important. I’ve always enjoyed watching his team’s style of play and the quality of play. Coach Ridge is a class A guy and if I ever have the opportunity to have him on my staff I am coming for him!”
James Stinson
Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Livingstone College
“Coach Matt Ridge has done a tremendous job with the Davidson-Davie men’s basketball program. He’s not only winning on the court but his sincere care for his student-athletes is phenomenal. Coach Ridge provides his guys with a great experience through basketball, and closely follows them throughout their continued collegiate career.”
Ron Lievense
Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Barton College
“I have enjoyed watching Coach Ridge coach his teams over the years. He is a man of high integrity and character. He cares for his players and works hard to help them grow and develop so that they can further their education and basketball careers. The great success that Coach Ridge has enjoyed is a by-product of who he is as a man.”
Drew Richards
Head Men’s Basketball Coach at UNC Pembroke
“Coach Ridge has done a great job building and maintaining his championship-level program at Davidson-Davie. I have been lucky enough to watch his teams practice and play and it is no shock that their program is well respected in the region and makes deep national tournament runs.”
David Neal
Former Head Coach at Apex High School
“Coach Ridge and I were fortunate to play for great high school coaches, and then learn from Coach Smith at UNC. Coach Ridge truly loves the game of basketball and coaches with great passion. He is intense, demanding, and is a tireless recruiter. His success at Davidson-Davie is truly remarkable. Coach Ridge takes great pride in his program and cares deeply for his players, helping them to develop as better basketball players and better men.”