David Richards
Director
Head Coach David Richards enters his sixth season with the Chatham Men's Basketball in 2023-24.
In his first five seasons, Richards has overseen an extremely impressive and successful run. Chatham holds the most overall wins (79) and highest winning percentage (.658) among PAC Teams over the last 5 years. That includes 3 appearances in the PAC Championship game (2019, 2022, 2023), 2 PAC Championship (2019, 2023) and a 21 win season, which is a school record.
In the 2022-23 season, Richards led the Cougars to a 17-11 and the program's second PAC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. Coach Richards earned his first PAC Coach of the Year Award. Senior Marcos Cintron was named 1st Team All-Conference, which marked Cintron's third all-conference selection. Junior Simon Boyer was named Honorable Mention All-Conference and Sophomore Point Guard Blaine Gartley was named MVP of the PAC Tournament.
During the 2021-22 season, Richards guided the Cougars to a 21-5 record. Chatham earned the #2 seed in the PAC Tournament and reached the PAC Championship. Senior Malik Potter was named 1st Team All-Conference. Senior Ben Pollock and Junior Marcos Cintron were named Honorable Mention All-Conference. All 3 players have been selected to multiple All-Conference teams during their careers.
During the 2019-20 season. Richards guided the Cougars to a 17-10 record. Chatham earned the #2 seed in the PAC Tournament, the highest regular season finish in school history. First Year Marcos Cintron was selected the PAC Newcomer of the Year and Honorable Mention All-Conference. Senior Will Sandherr was named 1st Team All-Conference. Chatham had 3 different First Years named PAC Rookie of the Week, Cintron (4 times), Elijah Sutton (2 times) and Brandon Lavernia (1 time)
In the 2018-19 season, Richards guided the Cougars to the best season in school history. That season, the Cougars set the program record for most wins in a season with 19 and won the program’s first-ever PAC Championship against Westminster College. Chatham would secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 1st NCAA appearance in school history. Senior Isaiah Brown was named 1st Team All-Conference and Senior Anthony Bomar was named 2nd Team All-Conference.
Richards joined Chatham after two years as the assistant men's basketball coach at Merrimack College. Upon arriving at Merrimack two years ago, Richards was instrumental in guiding the program to one of its best two-year runs in school history. The Warriors have won a combined 39 games since Richards joined head coach Joe Gallo's staff, and have earned berths to consecutive NCAA Tournaments - the ninth and 10th overall in school history. Richards has aided the development of all-conference selections Juvaris Hayes and Ryan Boulter, with the former reaching 1,000 career points in just two years as a Warrior and the latter needing just two points this fall to join his teammate as one of 45 players at Merrimack to reach 1,000. Hayes was named an All-American in 2017-18, becoming the 10th Warrior ever to be named an All-American.
Richards arrived at Merrimack by way of Robert Morris University, after spending a total of six seasons with the Colonials as their Director of Basketball Operations. At RMU, Richards was responsible for all of the day-to-day operations of the program, including travel, meals and general assignments.
In 2014-15, Robert Morris finished with an overall record of 20-15 (.571), including a mark of 12-6 (.667) in the Northeast Conference. The Colonials claimed their league-high eighth NEC Tournament title and subsequent bid to the NCAA Tournament. Prior to returning to RMU, Richards spent the 2013-14 campaign as an assistant coach at West Virginia Wesleyan. The Tigers finished with an overall record of 20-12 (.625), including a mark of 15-8 (.652) in the Mountain East Conference. Richards spent four years at Robert Morris in his first stint with the program from 2009 to 2013, serving as the program's video coordinator from 2009 to 2011, followed by two years as the director of basketball operations from 2011 to 2013. During this time he earned his Master of Business Administration. Overall during Richards' tenure with the Colonials, RMU has posted an overall record of 111-63 (.638), including a mark of 66-24 (.733) in league play. During that span the Colonials have appeared in two NCAA Tournaments (2010, 2015), the 2012 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) and the 2013 National Invitation Tournament (NIT).
A 2009 graduate of PAC opponent Westminster College with a Bachelor of Science degree in financial economics, Richards was a four-year letterwinner for the men's basketball program. Richards served as team captain for the Titans as a senior in 2008-09, starting 22 games and leading the team in assists with 96. Richards was part of a Westminster team that claimed the Presidents' Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship & NCAA Tournament Appearance in 2007.