Jackson State Names New Head Women's Basketball Coach

Courtesy of Jackson State Athletics

JACKSON, Miss. | Jackson State College Vice President & Director of Athletics Ashley Robinson has named Margaret Richards because the seventh head coach of the ladies’s basketball program on Wednesday morning.

“I’m excited to welcome Margaret Richards to Jackson State as our subsequent head ladies’s basketball coach,” Robinson mentioned. “She is not any stranger to the Southwestern Athletic Convention and success. Whereas she has been within the convention, she has taken a program from the underside of the standings to a contender and while you take a look at leaders of your program that’s what you need. Our program has been on the high of the convention for the final 5 years and we wish to keep there, and I consider that we now have introduced in the fitting particular person to do exactly that.”

Richards, a 19-year collegiate teaching veteran involves Jackson State College from Mercer the place she joined the employees after an eight-year run as head coach at Alabama A&M the place she paced the Bulldogs to almost 100 wins and 6 appearances within the Southwestern Athletic Convention (SWAC) Match, together with a run to the semifinals of the 2019-20 occasion. Alabama A&M additionally reeled in 13 league victories through the 2021-22 marketing campaign on the way in which to a runner-up end within the closing SWAC common season standings.

“I wish to thank President Marcus Thompson and Vice President/AD Ashley Robinson for giving me this wonderful alternative to function the pinnacle ladies’s basketball coach at Jackson State College,” Richards mentioned. “While you take a look at the panorama of our sport within the Southwestern Athletic Convention, the usual during the last 5 years has been Jackson State. I’m humbled, and honored, to be given this chance to serve the younger ladies of our program and the Jackson State group. I perceive the expectations and may’t wait to get to work.”

Jackson State Margaret Richards Women's Basketball Jackson State University

Throughout her time in Huntsville, Ala., the AAMU ladies’s basketball program reeled in six all-conference honors, together with a pair of first-team picks. Alabama A&M turned in a trio of profitable seasons along with her on the helm and put collectively an eight-game turnaround that bridged her first and second seasons.

Richards dove into the teaching world as an assistant at Kentucky State the place she performed a key position in serving to the Thorobreds have an 18-game turnaround throughout two seasons. In two years she performed a pair in serving to lead Kentucky State to a 19-9 clip and a fourth-place end within the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Convention (SIAC) to spotlight the 2006-07 marketing campaign.

A graduate assistant coach throughout Louisville’s run to a 26-10 report and an look within the NCAA Candy Sixteen, Richards was named head coach at Saint Augustine’s in time for the 2008-09 marketing campaign and led the Falcons to a 33-24 clip throughout two seasons, highlighted by an 18-10 report and a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Affiliation Western Division championship in 2009-10. Throughout her time at SAU, the crew had two All-CIAA and CIAA All-Rookie Group honors, whereas Richards was named CIAA Coach of the Week six occasions.

Richards took on roles as an assistant coach at each North Texas (2010-11) and Weber State (2011-12) earlier than becoming a member of Western Kentucky previous to the 2012-13 marketing campaign. Throughout her time at WKU, Girl Toppers compiled a 76-25 (.752) clip and made three postseason appearances, together with berths in each the 2013-14 and 2014-15 NCAA Match. WKU carried the nation’s Eleventh-best area purpose share on the way in which to a 30-5 report in Richards’s closing season on employees.

Following WKU, Richards was employed on as assistant coach at Clemson in time for the 2015-16 season earlier than being named as Alabama A&M’s fifth head coach on June 2, 2016.

Margaret Richards performed in 117 video games (69 begins) at Nebraska from 1999-2004 and was voted as NU’s greatest defensive participant as a senior after averaging 9.7 factors, 6.5 rebounds, and a couple of.8 assists per recreation. She highlighted her enjoying profession with 5 double-doubles, a Huge 12 Participant of the Week honor, and a trio of all-tournament crew picks.

A press convention has been scheduled for Monday, Might 6 at 11 a.m. on the Lee Williams AAC.