New York State Section IV Hall of Fame and Sayre Morning Times Sports #9 Coach James F. Ryder, Jr. died unexpectedly on October 19, 2022. Jim was born in NYC to James F. and Winifred E. (Connolly) Ryder on May 6, 1944. He succeeded in multi-sports at Nyack High School and SUNY Cortland despite a fractured neck. He was the oldest of three siblings. After failing at Cincinnatus and being told to “succeed elsewhere,” Dick Pascuzzo recruited him at Tioga Central Schools in 1967.
He retired in 2006 with 584 coaching wins, 16 IAC Division Championships, 9 League Titles, 3 Section IV Championships, and 3 State Tournament Final Fours in Boys Varsity Baseball and Basketball. He led his baseball teams to 244 wins, including IAC Division Titles in 1978, 80, and 82, Section IV Class C Championships in 1984, a second-place State Tournament finish, and a Final Four appearance in 1985.
He led his basketball teams to 340 wins, including IAC Division Titles in 1972, 73, 74, 87, 88, 91, 92, 93, 03, and 04 and League Titles in 1973, 87, 88, 91, and 92.
His 1988 squad, led by Section IV all-time scorer and son Jimmy Ryder, went 25-2 and reached the 1988 NYSPHSAA Final Four, losing to top-ranked Malvern in overtime. Jim was also Section IV IAC Basketball Chairman for 10 years and a member of the IAC Executive Council and Basketball Officials Coordinating Committee. He was New York’s longest-serving Driver Ed teacher and Tioga Central Athletic Director for 16 years.
His involvement with Tioga sports remained till the end, rarely missing a Tigers football or basketball game. Jim cared more about helping friends, family, students, players, and even strangers in whatever way he could than his coaching success.
His countless kindnesses went unnoticed, yet he was always there to help. He rescued two lives on May 14, 1978, by lifting a tree off a small girl and diving repeatedly into the Susquehanna River to rescue her mother.
