Cougars Welcome New Basketball Coach

In more ways than one, Alan Richardson feels fortunate to be coaching high school basketball again.

After not working as a varsity head coach in almost 15 years, Richardson will return to the bench to coach the Piedmont Academy boys for the upcoming 2015-2016 season. He has already worked with the team this summer and liked the potential the players have shown and the work ethic they have displayed.

“I am completely pleased with the progress we’ve made,” Richardson said. “The kids are weak fundamentally, but they have a great attitude. During our camp, there were more ‘yes sirs’ and ‘no sirs’ than I have ever heard.”

Richardson takes over the boys basketball program from Michael Wilson, who will concentrate on guiding the Lady Cougars team this upcoming season.

It has been a long road back to coaching for Richardson in more ways than one, who last was a head coach at Winder-Barrow High School during the 2000-2001 season. It was during that time that his wife, Sheryl, faced a major battle against cancer.

“I walked away from the game as I had small children and a wife battling cancer,” Richardson said. “I knew I couldn’t do everything I needed to do as a father. My wife is a walking miracle today. Even today in looking back on everything, I definitely did the right thing.”

Later Richardson was an assistant coach at Newton High School for a couple years but admits that was a tough transition after being a head coach at three previous schools including Winder-Barrow, Greene County and Burke County.

The athletic director at Winder-Barrow during Richardson’s tenure was Jeff Beggs, who now holds that position at Piedmont. Beggs initially contacted Richardson to see if he would like to teach and coach.

At first, Richardson turned down the school’s interest. After teaching for more than three decades, he didn’t think he wanted to return to that full time. Piedmont officials then asked Richardson if he would be interested in just coaching.

“That was something that I had to reconsider,” Richardson said. “I’ve always thought it would be nice to just coach as they do in college.”

The time to return to the sport he enjoys was right. His wife’s health has improved and his children are now grown. Richardson, himself, has also overcome some serious health issues including a kidney transplant.

Richardson and his family now live in Rutledge on the family farm where he grew up. He has been a contributing sports writer for The Morgan County Citizen in Madison.

At Piedmont, Richardson, along with assistant coach Donnie Coe, was able to work with the players for two weeks and two days.

“We put in our motion offense that we ran at Winder-Barrow,” Richardson said. “It’s very similar to a college style offense. We have put in some set plays and worked on installing our defense.”

While some players missed certain days due to vacations, mission trips and baseball tournaments, the amount of things accomplished give Richardson hope for the program’s future.

“We have to change the mentality about basketball at Piedmont,” Richardson said. “In the past, it’s been viewed as something to stay in shape between football and baseball. I am not as familiar with the competition at this level, but I believe our players are beginning to believe they can have some success.”

The new Cougars coach said he spent several hours before camp talking with Coe. He said he learned that the team only used six or seven players at times last season.

“To me, that’s not enough,” Richardson said. “We will have four solid perimeter players and four solid post people. We have others who can also give us some quality minutes beyond that.”

Piedmont’s new boys coach credits Coe for helping him this summer with the transition.

Mack Brady, Michael Edwards, Chris McClain and Chandler Burrell will be perimeter players with Zach Wilson, Tanner Casey, Chris Cain and Burrell in the post. Casey is a new player who stands 6-6.

Other players such as Joseph Anderson, J.T. Webb and Wyatt Galloway will also be counted on to contribute.

Richardson has 17 years of experience as a head coach. His first head coaching job came at the age of 25.

“I think of myself as a program rebuilder,” he said. “Greene County had won two games in two years prior to my arrival. We did have a winning season our third year at Winder-Barrow. After we were moved from the state’s highest classification at the time, Winder-Barrow went 22-8 and made it to the Elite Eight. At Burke County, we did not have a losing season in five years.”

While making state is always a goal for any team, Richardson wants his players to be realistic for the upcoming season. First, he simply wants a winning season.

“Things of this nature don’t happen overnight,” he said. “However, with hard work and commitment, we will get there