The intercollegiate sports program at Rider was started by coach Clair Bee in the 1920s. Two of the school's most famous athletic alumni are former Notre Dame basketball coach and current ESPN sportscaster Digger Phelps, who played basketball at Rider from 1959 to 1963 and Jason Thompson who played basketball at Rider from 2004 to 2008 and was drafted by the Sacramento Kings with the 12th pick of the 2008 NBA Draft.
See footnote[2] The baseball team has won four MAAC championships (2008, 2010, 2021, 2023), three NEC titles (1994, 1995, 1996), and six ECC titles (1984-1987, 1989, 1992) and participated in 15 NCAA Regional Tournaments and one College World Series (1967). The baseball team plays its home games at Sonny Pittaro Field on campus. Rider has seen nine of its players play in MLB, with the most recent being Nick Margevicius with the Seattle Mariners in 2021.
The Broncs have made three NCAA Tournament appearances in 1984, 1993, and 1994. In total, Rider has appeared in postseason competition 10 times across its history as a Division I team, with the most recent being an appearance in the 2018 NIT. Two players have been drafted and played in the NBA: Herb Krautblatt in 1948 as a sixth round pick of the Baltimore Bullets and Jason Thompson as the 12th overall selection of the 2008 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings. Thompson played seven seasons in Sacramento before spending an eighth with the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors. As of the 2023-24 season, 11 former Broncs currently play professionally between Europe, Japan, and the G-League.
Austin Devereux won the individual title at the 2021 &2022 MAAC Championships, becoming the first Rider golfer to compete in the NCAA Championships since 1964. The 2022 team won the school's first MAAC title on April 24, 2022 at Walt Disney World's Magnolia course.
The Men's Soccer team has won one NEC Championship (1992) and six MAAC Championships (1997, 1998, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2023) and participated in six NCAA tournaments.
Men's track and field has won three MAAC Indoor Championships (2017, 2023, 2024) and four MAAC Outdoor Championships (2004, 2011, 2013, 2023) and is currently coached by Penn State All-American Bob Hamer (Penn State).
Men's wrestling
Rider wrestling practices in a 3,600 square foot mat room on the top floor of the Canastra Health & Sports Center while home meets are held in Alumni Gym, which seats 1,650. In 2013, Rider left the CAA as an associate member shortly after the CAA announced that it would no longer sponsor wrestling and joined the Eastern Wrestling League. On March 5, 2019 it was announced that Rider along with the other six members of the EWL would be joining the Mid-American Conference as affiliate members starting in academic year 2019-2020, making the MAC the second largest conference in Division I Wrestling. The Broncs have at least won a share of the MAC East Division in all three seasons (2022, 2023 with Lock Haven, and 2024). The Broncs went undefeated in the conference (8-0) for the first time in 2023-24.
Rider Broncs Wrestling has gained national recognition by longtime head coach Gary Taylor, who retired after the 2016-17 season. Former Rider All-American John Hangey was named his replacement. The Broncs have had 19 individual All-American wrestlers, including four in Taylor's last three seasons. Jesse Dellavecchia finished runner-up at 157 in the 2021 NCAA Championships. Recently, Ethan Laird finished 6th at 197 in the 2023 NCAA Championships.
Rider's women's basketball team has made the WNIT twice (2017, 2019) and finished as the #1 seed in the MAAC in 2019-2020. Stella Johnson became the first Lady Bronc to score 2,000 points on February 20, 2020 against Quinnipiac. She was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2020 WNBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury, with the 29th overall pick. She was waived by the Mercury before the start of the season, but was signed by the Chicago Sky on June 29, 2020.[4] On July 28, she made her WNBA debut in a win over the Los Angeles Sparks.[5] Johnson's #4 jersey became the first in team history to be retired by Rider on November 7, 2022.
The field hockey team has competed in the NEC since 2021, where the Broncs have won eight titles (2000, 2002, 2004, 2010-2012, 2020*, 2022), played in six NCAA Play-In games and two NCAA Tournaments (2020*, 2022). *2020 season was played in spring 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The women's lacrosse team will begin competition in spring 2024. Former FDU-Florham coach Evan Mager was hired as the first head coach on October 19, 2022.
The women's track and field team has won four MAAC Indoor Championships (2007, 2020, 2023, 2024) and four MAAC Outdoor Championships (2004, 2007, 2013, 2023).
The women's volleyball team has won three NEC championships (1994–96), one MAAC Championship (2020*) and played in four NCAA Championships (1994–96, 2020*). They have won one match (1994 vs. Army). *2020 season was played in spring 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic
Athletics Hall of Fame
For an alphabetical list of inductees, see footnote[3] As of March 25, 2023, there are 133 members in the Rider University Athletics Hall of Fame.[3] The first inductions were in October 1990.[3]
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I. Its current 11 full members are located in four Northeastern states: Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Maryland. It was announced on October 23, 2023 that Sacred Heart University and Merrimack College will join the conference beginning in the 2024-25 season.
The Fairfield Stags are the athletic programs representing Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Most of the programs are members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and classified as Division I (non-football) in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The Loyola Greyhounds men's basketball team represents Loyola University Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition. They are currently led by third-year head coach Tavaras Hardy. It became a member of the Patriot League along with the university's other intercollegiate athletic programs on July 1, 2013. Home matches are played at Reitz Arena.
The New Mexico State Aggies men's basketball team represents New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1904, the Aggies compete in Conference USA after spending 18 seasons in the Western Athletic Conference from 2005 through 2023. The Aggies, who last played in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2022, are one of 34 college basketball teams with multiple NBA retired jerseys from former players and a team that reached the NCAA Final Four. The team plays home games in the Pan American Center.
Jason Carlton Thompson is an American former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for Rider University's men's basketball team since the 2022–23 season. He was a starting center playing college basketball for the Rider Broncs from 2004 to 2008, and was drafted in the first round of the 2008 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings. He holds the record for most games played with the Kings during their tenure in Sacramento.
The St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers were the 21 teams that represented St. Francis College in athletics. The Terriers were members of NCAA Division I and participated in the Northeast Conference (NEC) except in two sports that the NEC does not sponsor—men's and women's water polo. The water polo teams respectively competed in the Collegiate Water Polo Association and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
The Iona Gaels are the athletics teams of Iona University, in New Rochelle, New York. They compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and participate in 21 NCAA Division I programs.
The Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers athletic teams represent Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. "The Mount" competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletics as a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
The Marist Red Foxes men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Red Foxes have qualified for the NCAA tournament twice, losing in the first round in both instances. Prior to joining the MAAC in 1997, Marist was a charter member of the ECAC Metro Conference in 1981; which became the Northeast Conference in 1988.
The Texas–Pan American Broncs were the varsity athletic teams representing University of Texas–Pan American in Edinburg, Texas in intercollegiate athletics. The university sponsored 15 teams including men and women's basketball, cross country, golf, tennis, and track and field ; soccer and volleyball for women only; and baseball for men only. The last varsity sport to be established for the Broncs was women's soccer, added for the 2014 season, with men's soccer added in 2015, the year that the merger took place. The Broncs compete in the NCAA Division I and are currently members of the Western Athletic Conference.
The Rider Broncs softball team represents Rider University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team currently participates in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), having joined in 1998. From 1978 until 1992, the team was a member of the now-defunct East Coast Conference (ECC). From 1992 until 1997, the team was a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC). The Broncs are currently led by head coach Davon Ortega. The team plays its home games at Herb & Joan Young Field, which is located on the college's campus.
The UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros is a collegiate athletic program that represents the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). The Vaqueros inherited the NCAA Division I status of the Texas–Pan American Broncs and compete in the Western Athletic Conference.
The 2016–17 Rider Broncs men's basketball team represented Rider University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Broncs, led by fifth year head coach Kevin Baggett, played their home games at Alumni Gymnasium as members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. They finished the season 18–15, 10–10 in MAAC play to finish in a tie for sixth place. They defeated Manhattan in the first round of the MAAC tournament before losing in the quarterfinals to Iona.
The 2017–18 Rider Broncs men's basketball team represented Rider University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Broncs, led by sixth-year head coach Kevin Baggett, played their home games at Alumni Gymnasium in Lawrenceville, New Jersey as members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. They finished the season 22–10, 15–3 in MAAC play to finish in a tie for the MAAC regular season championship with Canisius. After tie breakers, they were the No. 1 seed in the MAAC tournament where they were upset in the quarterfinals by Saint Peter's. As a regular season conference champion, and No. 1 seed in their conference tournament, who failed to win their conference tournament, they received an automatic bid to the National Invitation Tournament where they lost in the first round to Oregon.
The 2019–20 Rider Broncs men's basketball team represented Rider University in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Broncs, led by 8th-year head coach Kevin Baggett, played their home games at the Alumni Gymnasium in Lawrenceville, New Jersey as members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. They finished the season 18–12 overall, 12–8 in MAAC play to finish in a tie for third place. Before they could face #6 seeded Niagara in the MAAC tournament quarterfinals, all postseason tournaments were cancelled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2020–21 Rider Broncs men's basketball team represented Rider University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Broncs, led by ninth-year head coach Kevin Baggett, played their home games at the Alumni Gymnasium in Lawrenceville, New Jersey as members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. They finished the season 6–17, 5–13 in MAAC play to finish in last place. As the No. 11 seed in the MAAC tournament, they defeated No. 6 seed Canisius in the first round before losing in the quarterfinals to No. 3 seed Saint Peter's 60–75.
Kenechukwu "KC" Ndefo is an American basketball player for the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Saint Peter's Peacocks and the Seton Hall Pirates.
The 2022–23 Rider Broncs men's basketball team represented Rider University in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Broncs, led by 11th-year head coach Kevin Baggett, played their home games at the Alumni Gymnasium in Lawrenceville, New Jersey as members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Darrick Suber is an American former basketball player. He had a standout college career at Rider University in which he was the 1993 Northeast Conference Player of the Year. He was the first 2,000-point scorer in Rider history, and his game-winning shot in the 1993 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament championship propelled the Broncs to their second-ever NCAA Tournament.
The 2023–24 Rider Broncs women's basketball team represents Rider University during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Broncs, led by 17th-year head coach Lynn Milligan, play their home games at the Alumni Gymnasium in Lawrenceville, New Jersey as members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
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