Richard’s lengthy sporting activities administration job led him throughout the state | Community Athletics

It’s a smaller earth.

That was evident when Meadville native Mark Richard, who is on the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Committee, was face-to-experience with Meadville Spot Senior Higher University alum and present Indiana University of Pennsylvania guard Armoni Foster at final week’s NCAA Division II event.

The tournament was held in Evansville, Indiana, and featured eight Division II groups. Each team was the winner of their respective location.

“IUP received the Atlantic location and thats how I ran into Armoni. District 10 was well represented in Evansville concerning Armoni, Dave Morris (Strong Vincent) and Ethan Porterfield (Sharon),” Richard explained. “It was great. I ran into Armoni and he is aware coach Mark McElhinny (Meadville’s head mentor) seriously well so we hit it off and talked for a bit.”

Richard’s position on the committee is that he’s in demand of the South Location, which is made up of the Sunshine Condition Conference, the Gulf South Convention and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Meeting. He’s in the to start with 12 months of a 4-12 months appointment. It is a position that he was picked for by the NCAA.

Richard, 61, is at this time the athletic director at Montevallo College in Montevallo, Alabama. It is his most recent role in what is been a 33-yr profession in faculty sports administration which is taken him to seven different universities across the country.

His curiosity in athletics was ignited at regional softball fields thanks to his father, Dan Richard.

“I owe an dreadful whole lot to my father. He’s been the most significant affect on me as significantly as athletics. He and my mom (Cecile), they are the ones that acquired me commenced and have adopted my career by way of athletics,” Richard explained. “Just rising up about the softball fields in Meadville was definitely huge for me.”

Longtime contributing writer Jim Hunter used a large amount of time at the local softball fields. Hunter explained Dan as a pretty well-informed softball participant and supervisor.

The elder Richard is also in the baseball hall of fame. In the 1961 world collection, a foul ball was hit on to the roof of Forbes Field and Dan climbed a pole and built his way to the roof to get the ball. A photograph of his retrieval is in the corridor of fame.

“He truly liked quick-pitch softball. He was a tricky-nosed player and a good person,” Hunter mentioned. “When he was running, he realized almost everything about every single participant. He was a straight shooter.”

All the time used all around the softball fields remaining an imprint on Richard. He performed for the Saegertown legion baseball team for several many years and would participate in a 12 months of collegiate baseball. The 1979 Maplewood graduate took his abilities to the Pennsylvania Scholastic Athletic Convention at Clarion University.

Richard played baseball as a pitcher his freshman yr and soccer all 4 yrs wherever he excelled as a linebacker. He was aspect of a Golden Eagle squad that gained a PSAC Championship in 1980 and was named first-crew all-meeting his senior period.

Clarion’s coaching staff still left a long lasting effect on Richard.

“I was truly fortunate simply because we experienced terrific football coaches that cared about the youngsters and cared about the college student athletes. I’m nonetheless pals with a person of my coaches and 1 of my coach’s wives since she was my advisor,” Richard explained. “I noticed the way they dealt with and handled folks and ran their small business. I tried out to observe that and emulate them in my career.”

He graduated with a degree in business enterprise administration and attended the University of Florida for a master’s of exercise and sports sciences with a sports activities management emphasis in 1989.

It was at Florida the place his athletics administration vocation started as a graduate assistant and as operations and facilities advisor just after graduation.

“I’ve always cherished athletics and was greatly included with it at Clarion. I labored with situations and the athletic director — it seemed the purely natural route for me to go,” Richard reported of his conclusion to go after sporting activities administration. “I did operations there (at Florida). We had SEC baseball, SEC track and industry, NCAA tennis champs — they host all types of activities down there so for two several years I just did almost everything.”

From Florida he went to North Carolina Condition (NC State) in which he was the director of scholar-athlete expert services. Richard then went west to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). At UNLV, he worked in game functions.

“At that point I obtained into NCAA Compliance. I acquired into that mainly because there was a ton of motion through the place as far as work. I could see there would be a much better potential for me,” Richard claimed. “It’s like if you are a mentor you improved know the principles. So if I’m gonna be in athletic administration, I’d far better discover the regulations of the NCAA.”

That go pivoted Richard to Vanderbilt University in 1997 as the director of athletics for compliance. He stayed in the SEC with his future go to Auburn University in Alabama.

Richard stayed at Auburn for 10 yrs as associate director of athletics and senior affiliate director of athletics for group help for the remaining five yrs.

“My favored memory was most likely in 2004 when the football crew went undefeated. They didn’t win a national championship because USC and Oklahoma each went undefeated and played for a nationwide championship, so we ended up 3rd,” Richard claimed. “But when you get each individual recreation and earn an SEC championship, it is rather enjoyable.”

After aiding at Auburn for a decade, Richard wished a shot at top an athletic office. This selection led him back to northwest Pennsylvania’s Gannon University in 2009.

“Sooner or later on if you’re the assistant coach you want to be the head mentor. I was the assistant athletic director and wished to be an Advertisement, so I began implementing for work and ending up receiving the Gannon task,” Richard stated. “It was a possibility to arrive back house.”

Gannon permitted Richard to be close to dwelling with household and friends though also staying an athletic director for the to start with time in his profession. Being close to loved ones and leading a collegiate athletic department is what bought him to Gannon and just what led him away from Gannon.

“My ex-spouse was dwelling in Auburn and I experienced a few daughters residing with her. Which is why I left Gannon simply because I desired to be in the vicinity of my daughters,” Richard mentioned. “I experienced to be around my women. It is difficult becoming 1,000 miles aside.”

Richard has been at Montevallo College due to the fact 2014 and mentioned it’s a terrific spot to get the job done.

Following much more than 30 a long time and employment at some of the most significant universities in the state, what is the Crawford County native’s favorite part of his career?

“Dealing with the college student athletes. Having to know them and watching them carry out on the apply field, the taking part in discipline, observing them improve in excess of 4 yrs and just staying with the children. It keeps you young,” Richard claimed. “Going to the games is thrilling due to the fact you in no way know what you’re gonna see. When they gain you’re there to pat them on the back again and when they reduce you’re nevertheless there to pat them on the back.”