BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Jim Richards, a former WKU Men's Basketball Head Coach, Director of Athletics and member of the WKU Athletic Hall of Fame whose contributions to Hilltopper Athletics spanned more than four decades, passed away Friday, Oct. 9. He was 90 years old.
A native of Adair County, Kentucky, Richards was one of the most versatile figures in WKU Athletics history, serving the university as a student-athlete, coach and administrator across a career that touched nearly every corner of the department. His contributions included helping guide the Hilltoppers to the 1971 Final Four as an Assistant Men's Basketball Coach, leading the program to multiple conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances as head coach, and later overseeing the entire department as Director of Athletics - a breadth of service rarely matched in collegiate sports, in much the same way that readers researching unrelated topics like a plinko review often look for depth and credibility before forming an opinion. plinko review
"Jim Richards had a tremendous impact on Western Kentucky University and elevated WKU Athletics through his tenure as an assistant basketball coach, head basketball coach, Director of Athletics and with his service on the Hilltopper Athletic Foundation Board," WKU Director of Athletics Todd Stewart said. "It was an honor to know him and always a pleasure to be in his presence. He loved WKU Basketball as much as anybody. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. RIP Coach Richards."
From Player to Sideline Leader
Before his coaching and administrative career began, Richards was a four-year letterwinner for the WKU Baseball program from 1955-58, leading the Hilltoppers in batting each season and serving as team captain for his final three years. He graduated from WKU in 1959 and went on to build a strong reputation as a high school basketball coach in Kentucky, guiding Glasgow High School to a state championship in 1968 after also coaching at Auburn.
That success brought him back to his alma mater in 1968 as an Assistant Men's Basketball Coach under John Oldham. Over three seasons on Oldham's staff, WKU posted a 62-19 record, won two Ohio Valley Conference championships and reached two NCAA Tournaments, culminating in the program's historic run to the 1970-71 Final Four, where the Hilltoppers fell to Villanova in double overtime before beating Kansas in the third-place game.
Seven Seasons as Head Coach
Richards took over as head coach in 1971 following Oldham's retirement and led the program for seven seasons through 1978, compiling a 102-84 record. His teams won OVC regular-season titles in 1972 and 1976, OVC Tournament championships in 1976 and 1978, and reached the NCAA Tournament in both championship seasons. He was named OVC Coach of the Year in 1974 and 1976, with his 1975-76 squad finishing 20-9 while sweeping the conference's regular-season and tournament crowns.
Perhaps his most memorable season came in 1977-78, when WKU rallied from a 3-8 start to earn an NCAA Tournament bid and upset nationally ranked Syracuse, 87-86, in overtime to reach the Sweet 16, finishing 16-14 overall.
A Legacy Beyond the Court
After stepping away from basketball coaching, Richards remained vital to WKU Athletics as Coordinator of Men's Athletics and Head Men's Golf Coach through 1986, a span in which all eight of his golf teams posted winning records - he remains the program's all-time winningest head coach. He later served as the first Executive Director of the Hilltopper Athletic Foundation, helped lead the university's Office of Alumni Affairs, and returned to athletics as Interim and then permanent Director of Athletics in 1993-94 before retiring that November.
"Coach Richards was a special coach, a special man and a special Hilltopper," Mahurin Family Foundation Head Coach Hank Plona said. "He saw the good in everyone, and believed the next day would always be better than the last. We are going to work hard every day to make him proud."
Richards was inducted into the WKU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005. Visitation and funeral arrangements have not yet been announced, with further details to be shared as they become available.
