| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 24, 1956 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | July 3, 1999 (aged 43) Evanston, Illinois, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1974–1976 | Pratt Community College |
| 1976–1978 | Iowa State |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1978–1979 | Iowa State (grad assistant) |
| 1979–1980 | Western Michigan (assistant) |
| 1980–1982 | Eastern Illinois (assistant) |
| 1982–1988 | Arizona (assistant) |
| 1988–1993 | Detroit |
| 1993–1997 | Northwestern |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 89–163 |
| Tournaments | 1–1 (NIT) |
Ricky Byrdsong (June 24, 1956 – July 3, 1999) was an American college basketball coach and insurance executive. He served as the head men's basketball coach at the University of Detroit Mercy (1988–1993) and Northwestern University (1993–1997), compiling a career coaching record of 89–163. Byrdsong was the first African American head coach of the Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball program. On July 2, 1999, he was shot during a racially motivated killing spree and died the next day.