Don Ridler

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1909–1963)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Don Ridler

| image = Don Ridler.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Ridler in 1951

| number = 52

| position = Tackle

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1909|4|2}}

| birth_place = Detroit, Michigan, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1963|6|4|1909|4|2}}

| death_place = Novi, Michigan, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 0

| weight_lbs = 210

| high_school =

| college = Michigan State

| pastteams =

• Cleveland Indians (1931)

| pastcoaching =

• Lawrence Tech (1938–1946)
  Head coach

| pastadmin =

• Lawrence Tech (1938–1963)
  Athletic director

}}

Donald George Ridler (April 2, 1909 – June 4, 1963) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He played college football for Michigan State College (later known as Michigan State University) and professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Indians during the 1931 season.{{cite web|title=Don Ridler|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|accessdate=November 2, 2015|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RidlDo20.htm}} He later became the football coach and athletic director at Lawrence Technological University.{{cite news|title=Don Ridler Is Named Director|newspaper=The Evening News (Michigan)|date=October 13, 1938|page=6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3546123/don_ridler_is_named_director/}} He remained the athletic director at Lawrence Tech for 25 years. He also served as the school's basketball coach starting in the mid-1940s and led the team to the 1951 National Invitation Tournament.{{cite news|title=Small Detroit School Makes Court History|newspaper=Mansfield (Ohio) News-Journal|date=January 25, 1951|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3546173/small_detroit_school_makes_court_history/}}{{cite news|title=Lawrence Tech Starts De-Emphasis By Cancelling Basketball Schedule|newspaper=The Cumberland News|date=August 21, 1951|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3546197/lawrence_tech_starts_deemphasis/}}

Ridler served as entertainment director for the Michigan State Fair from 1950 to 1962. He died at his home in Novi, Michigan, in 1963 at age 54.{{cite news|title=Don Ridler, Former Athletic Director, Dies|newspaper=Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Michigan|date=June 5, 1963|page=17|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3546237/don_ridler_former_athletic_director/}}