Jackson State hires Margaret Richards, former Alabama A&M coach, to lead women's basketball
Jackson State athletic has hired former Alabama A&M coach Margaret Richards as the Tigers' seventh women's basketball coach.
Richards will replace Tomekia Reed, who was the coach for six seasons before being hired last week by Charlotte.
"I am excited to welcome Margaret Richards to Jackson State as our next head woman's basketball coach," athletic director Ashley Robinson said in a school release Wednesday. "She is no stranger to the Southwestern Athletic Conference and success. While she has been in the conference, she has taken a program from the bottom of the standings to a contender and when you look at leaders of your program that's what you want. Our program has been at the top of the conference for the last five years and we want to stay there, and I believe that we have brought in the right person to do just that."
Richards is a 19-year college coaching veteran who resigned in March after eight seasons at Alabama A&M, going 97-125 overall and 69-70 in the SWAC. She had accepted a job as an assistant at Mercer.
"I want to thank President Marcus Thompson and Vice President/ AD Ashley Robinson for giving me this amazing opportunity to serve as the head women's basketball coach at Jackson State University," Richards said. "When you look at the landscape of our sport in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, the last five years has been Jackson State. I am humbled, and honored, to be given this opportunity to serve the young women of our program and the Jackson State community. I understand the expectations and can't wait to get to work."
A press conference has been scheduled for May 6 at 11 a.m. at the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center.
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Richards has been a graduate assistant and assistant coach at Louisville, North Texas, Weber State, Western Kentucky and Clemson.
She played at Nebraska from 1999-2003, where she averaged 9.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Margaret Richards: Jackson State women's basketball hires new coach
