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Richards Leaves Lasting Five Decade Legacy at Ball State
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Bill Richards had a simple reason for why he remained coaching at Ball State for more than five decades.

“I guess it's just the love of the game, the love of the profession, and trying to find a way to help guys get better,” Richards said. “The big thing is I still enjoyed it. I've told other people once it gets to the point that there's more you don't enjoy than you do enjoy, then it's definitely time to get out. And I never hit that point. I never did.”

Richards Spent 53 Years Coaching at Ball State
© Ball State Athletics

Richards finally decided last summer that the 2024-25 season would be his last. He made his retirement announcement official last month, ending a remarkable 53-year run as the head coach of the Ball State men’s tennis program.

Richards arrived in Muncie, Indiana in 1972 and never left. Over the five decades, he coached more than 1,200 matches, mentored more than 500 players, and worked under 11 university presidents and 10 athletic directors.

It’s one of the longest active coaching tenures in all of college sports, and seems unlikely to be rivaled in this new era of college athletics.

“The administrative part of the job has really gotten pretty overwhelming, whether it's making travel arrangements, trip reports, all the budget stuff, ordering gear,” said Richards, who never had a full-time paid assistant coach. “I've done it all, and that's a huge, huge part of the job that people don't quite understand. That's the part that really wears you out, especially nowadays with all the compliance stuff.”

Richards is the winningest coach in Ball State and Mid-American Conference (MAC) men’s tennis history, finishing with a 769-482 overall record and 243-88 in MAC play. During his tenure, the Cardinals captured 38 MAC regular-season and/or tournament titles, made eight NCAA Tournament appearances and had 17 undefeated regular seasons.

He was a 15-time MAC Coach of the Year, and coached eight MAC Players of the Year and 75 first-team all-MAC players. Richards was inducted into the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993, and 12 of his former players have earned the same honor. He is the only coach in Ball State athletics history to receive the Presidential Medal of Distinction, which he received in 2012. He was recognized by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) in 2018 with the ITA Meritorious Service Award.

“What I feel is most rewarding is the number of players that came into the program who were not national level junior players, and in some cases guys not even quite good enough to make the lineup their freshman year, and then by their senior year they were major contributors for us,” Richards said. “My whole philosophy has always been on player development and trying to take the best recruits you can get and make them as good as they can be.”

College coaching lifer

Richards, a Michigan native, played at Western Michigan University and was a MAC champion in singles and doubles. He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at Bowling Green. Richards spent one year as the head coach at Portage Central High School before being hired at Ball State.

Richards led Ball State to its first MAC championship in 1984 on the same courts at Western Michigan he played on in college. It started a streak of 12 straight MAC titles. Among the many other highlights over the years included a top 20 team ranking in 1990 with victories over Kentucky and Minnesota, the success of several doubles teams on the national stage, and 17 undefeated regular seasons.

But for Richards, his greatest joy came from something much deeper.

“The relationships with all the players, all my fellow coaches in the league and across the country. My association with the ITA and the friendships that I’ve made through all the years. And of course, all the people of Ball State,” Richards said. “My gosh, in 53 years think of how many fellow coaches have come and gone through here in all the sports. I've still been friends with so many of those people that even haven't been around for years and years.”

Giving back to the game

Richards would have retired earlier if not for the support and patience of his wife, Sue, who has been with him every step of the way since they were married in 1969. They made a pact that as long as they were enjoying it, he would remain coaching.

The Adams Family Donated to Name Courts for Richards
© Ball State Athletics

He began seriously considering stepping away five years ago, but covid cut the season short and he didn’t want to end his career in that fashion.

“At some point, enough's enough. I'm way past the ‘normal retirement’ age,” he said. “I've had enough flexibility to lead a relatively balanced life. But there does come a time when you've got to go. I want to spend a lot more time with my wife.”

Given his longevity and success, Richards is an ideal mentor for younger coaches in the profession. No matter how much the landscape changes, there are certain principles of coaching that remain universal.

“Try to try to learn from others, but be yourself. Develop your own style. There's no shortcuts,” Richards said. “I think you've got to have structure, discipline, accountability, and the basic things that every coach talks about. Once you start letting players slide and don't hold them up to the standards, you're going to be coaching a runaway train.”

The one bedrock principle Richards never compromised?

“Treat your support staff with incredible respect,” he said. “Make them feel like they're the most important people that help you. The people that are the custodians, the sport administrators–treat people well and make them want to help you. Develop those relationships and don't ever put yourself above anyone.”

The next chapter

Richards doesn’t have any big retirement plans, other than spending time with his wife, two children and two grandchildren. He’s not itching to travel, having explored the world while working as a USTA summer coach throughout his career.

“We enjoy being at home,” Richards said. “I live on a golf course where I never play golf, but I'm going to start playing. I mean, I have clubs.”

Richards had a succession plan in mind when he made his announcement to retire. His former Ball State player, Gene Orlando, has been named the new head coach. Orlando was the Michigan State men’s head coach for 31 years. He’s been a member of Richards’ staff at Ball State the last three years while his son, Vince, played for the Cardinals.

Despite his retirement, Richards plans to remain very involved with the program. He will be on the staff for the 2025-26 season as a countable coach to help in the transition.

“The top priority for my wife and I is doing what we need to do for ourselves and our family. But any time that isn't committed to that, she's kind of given me free reign to go to practice and be at almost all of our home matches, maybe travel a little bit,” Richards said.

Richards can’t imagine his life without tennis. He’s grateful for everything the sport has provided him and his family. His five-decade career at Ball State was more than he could have ever imagined when he arrived on campus as a young coach unsure of what the future held.

“Maybe in six months I'll say I wish I would have done this three or four years ago, but I don't foresee that happening,” Richards said. “I enjoyed all my years coaching tennis here, otherwise I would have left much earlier. It was a great run.”

 
 

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