(born 1938) Jack Riley is better known for his baseball accomplishments, but he made a significant impact on the basketball program at Linfield College.

Born in 1938, Riley grew up in Portland and attended Grant High, which had only made the state tournament once since 1926 and did not while he played there. But, his skill at guard caught the attention of numerous schools in the Northwest, including Washington State.

Riley chose to play at Linfield to be closer to home and a “big fish in a small pond.” He played there from 1956-60 and Linfield won the NAIA’s Northwest Conference title each season, advancing to the national tournament in 1959. Riley led the conference in scoring as a sophomore, junior and senior and was twice named All-American.

Riley also played baseball and led Grant to the state playoffs in 1956. Following graduation, he played on several semi-pro teams before heading to Linfield, where he was a three-time All-Conference outfielder.

Riley played two seasons in the Northwest League with Salem before closing out his professional career. He then turned to coaching, becoming head coach at Portland’s Jefferson High in 1962. Riley moved to Lower Columbia College from 1967-72, when he was hired as head coach at Oregon State.

In Corvallis, Riley guided the Beavers for 22 seasons (1973-94), compiling a record of 613-411-5, which established a school record. The Beavers won five Pac-10 Northern Division titles and reached the NCAA playoffs three times.
Riley was inducted to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1982.