380:, the leader of Creativity Movement, and his shooting spree took place two days after Hale was denied a license to practice law in Illinois. According to eyewitnesses, Smith pulled alongside Byrdsong and shot him multiple times. Smith was never brought to trial because he committed suicide on July 4 after he crashed his car into a metal post during a high-speed chase in Southern Illinois.
344:
On
February 5, 1994, while coaching a game against Minnesota, Byrdsong abruptly left the game and joined the fans in the stands shaking hands, high-fiving the Minnesota Gopher mascot and taking an unticketed seat until removed by an usher. The team had started the season 9–0 but was at this point on
269:
from 1976–1978. He was named team captain, but played sparingly for the
Cyclones averaging 0.9 points and 0.9 rebounds in his career. After graduating from Pratt, Byrdsong had been offered scholarships from many schools, before choosing Iowa State. He said, "Then I went there and I never played. I
396:. Cordell said that she was inspired by the urge to combat the hate that fueled Benjamin Smith's deadly shooting rampage. Byrdsong's children also received college scholarships from the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, an organization which helps victims of families from hate crimes.
391:
A fair amount of media coverage was centered on the events of
Byrdsong's death and his achievements as a former Northwestern basketball coach. In 2000, an award was created in his honor by the Illinois Fatherhood Initiative. Anya Cordell, Byrdsong's neighbor, wrote the anti-hate crime book
348:
After returning to
Evanston, Byrdsong's wife requested a leave of absence for the coach, to which Byrdsong remarked, "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."
273:
However, after he graduated from Iowa State, Coach Nance asked
Brydsong consider coaching and then asked him to stay with the Cyclones as a graduate assistant. He accepted the advice and began his coaching career in 1978.
426:
running race held annually in late June in
Evanston. The Race Against Hate race draws several thousand runners. In 2009, a 10,000-meter running race was added in honor of the 10th anniversary of the Race Against Hate.
1258:
1003:
290:. Byrdsong was an assistant as the Wildcats advanced to the NCAA Final Four in 1988, after the program had been 4–24 in 1983. After the season he was offered the head coaching position at
246:. Besides basketball, Byrdsong played the saxophone in the band, sang with the chorus and appeared in school plays. After graduation in 1974, Byrdsong accepted a basketball scholarship to
1251:
996:
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989:
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His widow established The Ricky
Byrdsong Foundation. Its mission is to "arrest the growing epidemic of hate and violence in our society by and against our youth."
685:
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probably was the only non-playing captain in Iowa State history. Total all my minutes in two years and it might equal two games."
369:
227:
108:
85:
1549:
306:
1579:
283:
141:
874:
1449:
636:
1210:
875:"RETURN FROM THE WILD SIDE // Byrdsong Puts NU's Attitude, Image in Focus – Chicago Sun-Times | HighBeam Research"
462:
152:
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768:
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home with his son and daughter, ages 8 and 10, Byrdsong was shot by
Benjamin Nathaniel Smith, a member of the
1465:
818:
740:
967:
1218:
893:
404:
325:
321:
313:
211:
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407:. The 25-minute documentary examines race relations and how his legacy has lived on, ten years later.
800:
911:
332:(1978–1979). After he left Northwestern, he worked as an vice president of community affairs for
247:
215:
75:
1066:
912:"Ex-College Basketball Coach Ricky Byrdsong Killed In White Racist's Shooting Spree, Mourned"
329:
317:
258:
1509:
1504:
418:
The foundation holds a number of events in and around
Evanston; the most well-known is the
372:
that killed one person and injured ten others. Byrdsong died four hours later on July 3 at
8:
365:
607:
207:
59:
1353:
1337:
1058:
1042:
780:
373:
362:
383:
Byrdsong and his wife, Sherialyn, had three children: Sabrina, Kelley and Ricky Jr.
1202:
358:
239:
219:
210:
coach and insurance executive. He served as the head men's basketball coach at the
42:
841:
218:(1993–1997), compiling a career coaching record of 89–163. Byrdsong was the first
1313:
1154:
823:
377:
333:
1266:
1329:
1011:
878:
468:
1498:
1385:
1146:
305:
berth in 1994, the second postseason appearance in school history, defeating
251:
819:"BYRDSONG TURNED LIFE LESSONS INTO A KINDER WAY OF LIVING – Chicago Tribune"
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1321:
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1186:
1106:
915:
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1090:
287:
282:
In a ten year run as a college assistant, Byrdsong was an assistant at
266:
262:
97:
1441:
1409:
1162:
257:
Byrdsong then played his final two seasons of college basketball for
242:, raised by his mother with his younger sister Marcia. He attended
936:
769:"BYRDSONG TURNED LIFE LESSONS INTO A KINDER WAY OF LIVING"
1585:
Racially motivated violence against
African Americans
386:
1269:
Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball head coaches
894:"The Last Walk in the Short Life of Ricky Byrdsong"
767:Writer, Neil Milbert, Tribune Staff (4 July 1999).
301:Wildcats from 1993 to 1997, Byrdsong led them to a
1555:Eastern Illinois Panthers men's basketball coaches
1014:Detroit Mercy Titans men's basketball head coaches
1590:Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball coaches
1496:
410:
403:, was created by Northwestern students from the
399:In 2009, a documentary about Byrdsong, entitled
206:(June 24, 1956 – July 3, 1999) was an American
1575:Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball coaches
1545:Detroit Mercy Titans men's basketball coaches
1252:
997:
226:program. On July 2, 1999, he was shot during
1565:Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball players
1560:Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball coaches
1535:Basketball coaches from Georgia (U.S. state)
785:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
339:
1595:20th-century African-American sportspeople
1259:
1245:
1004:
990:
805:College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
352:
1530:Arizona Wildcats men's basketball coaches
312:He had previously been head coach at the
599:
460:
357:On July 2, 1999, while jogging near his
854:
836:
834:
430:
316:(1988–1993) and assistant coach at the
1497:
939:, Vimeo, Retrieved on January 23, 2018
891:
766:
762:
760:
758:
756:
224:Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball
1240:
985:
855:Everson, Darren (December 15, 2010).
842:"Ricky Byrdsong (Former Head Coach)"
831:
1520:African-American basketball coaches
753:
13:
877:. November 5, 2012. Archived from
387:Media coverage and public reaction
277:
228:a racially motivated killing spree
14:
1606:
1525:American men's basketball players
1515:1999 murders in the United States
1570:Murdered African-American people
469:Midwestern Collegiate Conference
1540:Basketball players from Atlanta
960:
942:
930:
904:
885:
867:
857:"Chicago's Other Sports Curse"
848:
811:
801:"Ricky Byrdsong College Stats"
793:
303:National Invitation Tournament
244:Frederick Douglass High School
1:
1550:Deaths by firearm in Illinois
892:Downey, Mike (July 7, 1999).
746:
741:List of homicides in Illinois
411:The Ricky Byrdsong Foundation
233:
1227:# denotes interim head coach
7:
1580:People murdered in Illinois
734:
405:Medill School of Journalism
394:Race: An Open and Shut Case
326:Western Michigan University
322:Eastern Illinois University
314:University of Detroit-Mercy
212:University of Detroit Mercy
10:
1611:
376:. Smith was a disciple of
1276:
1021:
728:
720:
716:
705:
595:
584:
340:The walk on the wild side
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177:
172:
168:
158:
148:
137:
126:
115:
104:
95:
91:
81:
71:
66:
49:
29:
24:
16:American basketball coach
968:"Race Against Hate 2019"
950:"Race Against Hate 2019"
345:a 9-game losing streak.
286:six seasons under Coach
861:The Wall Street Journal
353:Personal life and death
299:Northwestern University
248:Pratt Community College
230:and died the next day.
216:Northwestern University
76:Pratt Community College
602:Northwestern Wildcats
330:Iowa State University
318:University of Arizona
259:Iowa State University
881:on November 5, 2012.
436:Statistics overview
431:Head coaching record
309:in the first round.
238:Byrdsong grew up in
173:Head coaching record
25:Biographical details
972:events.ywcae-ns.org
954:events.ywcae-ns.org
437:
366:Creativity Movement
21:
773:chicagotribune.com
608:Big Ten Conference
435:
222:head coach of the
208:college basketball
60:Evanston, Illinois
19:
1492:
1491:
1354:J. Norman Elliott
1338:J. Norman Elliott
1234:
1233:
1059:Royal R. Campbell
1043:Royal R. Campbell
937:Fly Like The Byrd
898:Los Angeles Times
732:
731:
614:
475:
420:Race Against Hate
401:Fly Like the Byrd
374:Evanston Hospital
363:white supremacist
336:until his death.
307:DePaul University
297:As coach for the
201:
200:
96:Coaching career (
1602:
1485:
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1469:
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1306:Stuart Templeton
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1214:
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1203:Bacari Alexander
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784:
776:
764:
637:NIT Second Round
612:
473:
438:
434:
370:a shooting spree
359:Skokie, Illinois
328:(1979–1980) and
240:Atlanta, Georgia
220:African American
214:(1988–1993) and
131:Eastern Illinois
120:Western Michigan
111:(grad assistant)
56:
43:Atlanta, Georgia
39:
37:
22:
18:
1610:
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1440:
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1424:
1416:
1408:
1402:Waldo A. Fisher
1400:
1392:
1384:
1376:
1368:
1360:
1352:
1344:
1336:
1328:
1320:
1314:Charles Hammett
1312:
1304:
1296:
1288:
1280:
1272:
1268:
1265:
1235:
1230:
1219:Mark Montgomery
1217:
1209:
1201:
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1185:
1177:
1169:
1161:
1155:Willie McCarter
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918:. July 26, 1999
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824:Chicago Tribune
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778:
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389:
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334:Aon Corporation
280:
278:Coaching career
236:
58:
54:
41:
35:
33:
17:
12:
11:
5:
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1458:Ricky Byrdsong
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1422:
1414:
1406:
1398:
1390:
1382:
1374:
1366:
1358:
1350:
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1334:
1330:Fred J. Murphy
1326:
1318:
1310:
1302:
1298:Louis Gillesby
1294:
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1277:
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1191:
1183:
1179:Ricky Byrdsong
1175:
1167:
1159:
1151:
1143:
1135:
1127:
1119:
1111:
1103:
1095:
1087:
1079:
1075:Paul Harbrecht
1071:
1067:James M. Brown
1063:
1055:
1047:
1039:
1031:
1022:
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827:. 4 July 1999.
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463:Detroit Titans
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67:Playing career
64:
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57:(aged 43)
51:
47:
46:
31:
27:
26:
20:Ricky Byrdsong
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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1511:
1508:
1506:
1503:
1502:
1500:
1483:
1482:Chris Collins
1479:
1475:
1471:
1467:
1466:Kevin O'Neill
1463:
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1386:Dutch Lonborg
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1176:
1173:# (1987–1988)
1172:
1168:
1164:
1160:
1156:
1152:
1148:
1147:Smokey Gaines
1144:
1140:
1136:
1132:
1128:
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1120:
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761:
759:
757:
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742:
739:
738:
725:
723:
719:
713:
710:
708:
707:Northwestern:
704:
701:
698:
695:
692:
690:Northwestern
689:
687:
684:
683:
680:
677:
674:
671:
669:Northwestern
668:
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663:
662:
659:
656:
653:
650:
648:Northwestern
647:
645:
642:
641:
638:
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632:
629:
626:
624:Northwestern
623:
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611:
609:
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598:
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583:
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384:
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375:
371:
367:
364:
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350:
346:
337:
335:
331:
327:
324:(1980–1982),
323:
320:(1982–1988),
319:
315:
310:
308:
304:
300:
295:
293:
292:Detroit Mercy
289:
285:
275:
271:
268:
264:
260:
255:
253:
252:Pratt, Kansas
249:
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231:
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125:
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118:
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107:
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100:unless noted)
99:
94:
90:
87:
84:
80:
77:
74:
70:
65:
61:
52:
48:
44:
40:June 24, 1956
32:
28:
23:
1474:Bill Carmody
1457:
1394:Harold Olsen
1346:Tom Robinson
1322:Dennis Grady
1289:
1226:
1225:
1195:Ray McCallum
1187:Perry Watson
1178:
1107:Lloyd Brazil
1099:Louis Conroy
1083:John Barrett
1051:Walter Hardy
1034:
971:
962:
953:
944:
932:
920:. Retrieved
916:Jet magazine
906:
897:
887:
879:the original
869:
860:
850:
822:
813:
804:
795:
772:
721:
706:
605:
600:
585:
466:
461:
419:
417:
414:
400:
398:
393:
390:
382:
368:who went on
356:
347:
343:
311:
296:
281:
272:
265:under Coach
256:
237:
203:
202:
163:Northwestern
55:(1999-07-03)
53:July 3, 1999
1510:1999 deaths
1505:1956 births
1476:(2000–2013)
1468:(1997–2000)
1460:(1993–1997)
1452:(1986–1993)
1450:Bill Foster
1444:(1978–1986)
1436:(1973–1978)
1428:(1969–1973)
1426:Brad Snyder
1420:(1963–1969)
1418:Larry Glass
1412:(1957–1963)
1404:(1952–1957)
1396:(1950–1952)
1388:(1927–1950)
1380:(1922–1927)
1372:(1921–1922)
1364:(1920–1921)
1356:(1919–1920)
1348:(1918–1919)
1340:(1917–1918)
1332:(1914–1917)
1324:(1912–1914)
1316:(1911–1912)
1308:(1910–1911)
1300:(1906–1910)
1292:(1905–1906)
1284:(1904–1905)
1282:Tom Holland
1213:(2018–2024)
1205:(2016–2018)
1197:(2008–2016)
1189:(1993–2008)
1181:(1988–1993)
1171:John Mulroy
1165:(1982–1987)
1157:(1979–1982)
1149:(1977–1979)
1141:(1973–1977)
1139:Dick Vitale
1133:(1969–1973)
1131:Jim Harding
1125:(1948–1969)
1123:Bob Calihan
1117:(1946–1948)
1109:(1930–1946)
1101:(1929–1930)
1093:(1925–1929)
1085:(1923–1925)
1077:(1922–1923)
1069:(1919–1922)
1061:(1916–1919)
1053:(1913–1916)
1045:(1909–1913)
1037:(1907–1909)
1029:(1905–1907)
1027:C. B. Lundy
613:(1993–1997)
474:(1988–1993)
456:Postseason
450:Conference
378:Mathew Hale
186:Tournaments
144:(assistant)
133:(assistant)
122:(assistant)
1499:Categories
1434:Tex Winter
1378:Maury Kent
1370:Dana Evans
1211:Mike Davis
1115:John Shada
1091:Gus Dorais
747:References
288:Lute Olson
267:Lynn Nance
263:Ames, Iowa
234:Early life
109:Iowa State
86:Iowa State
36:1956-06-24
1442:Rich Falk
1410:Bill Rohr
1362:Ray Elder
1163:Don Sicko
922:April 25,
453:Standing
159:1993–1997
149:1988–1993
138:1982–1988
127:1980–1982
116:1979–1980
105:1978–1979
82:1976–1978
72:1974–1976
1484:(2013– )
1221:(2024– )
781:cite web
735:See also
586:Detroit:
569:Detroit
548:Detroit
527:Detroit
506:Detroit
485:Detroit
447:Overall
1290:No team
1035:No team
686:1996–97
665:1995–96
644:1994–95
620:1993–94
565:1992–93
544:1991–92
523:1990–91
502:1989–90
481:1988–89
441:Season
284:Arizona
178:Overall
153:Detroit
142:Arizona
726:89–163
722:Total:
633:T–10th
181:89–163
62:, U.S.
45:, U.S.
714:12–60
711:36–76
627:15–14
593:17–47
590:53–87
572:15–12
551:12–17
515:T-6th
509:10–18
444:Team
189:1–1 (
924:2008
787:link
699:11th
696:2–16
693:7–22
678:10th
675:4–14
672:9–18
657:11th
654:1–17
651:5–22
630:5–13
533:2–12
530:9–19
512:3–11
488:7–21
422:, a
50:Died
30:Born
578:4th
575:7–7
557:6th
554:1–9
536:8th
494:5th
491:4–8
261:in
250:in
191:NIT
1501::
970:.
952:.
914:.
896:.
859:.
833:^
821:.
803:.
783:}}
779:{{
771:.
755:^
424:5K
294:.
254:.
98:HC
1260:e
1253:t
1246:v
1005:e
998:t
991:v
974:.
956:.
926:.
900:.
863:.
844:.
807:.
789:)
775:.
610:)
606:(
471:)
467:(
193:)
38:)
34:(
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