Long before her team would ever secure the first of 884 wins, long before the conference championships and the NCAA Tournament appearances, Lana Richmond had one demand.
As coach of the Southeast Missouri State softball program, academics would be priority No. 1, as it would create the foundation to all other successes. And now look.
“I don’t have any pro players,” Richmond said. “But I have a slew of business professionals, teachers, doctors – I’ve even got a judge on the bench. That’s the beauty of coaching at an educational institution. You’ve got to do the things to prepare them for later in life. I wanted my legacy defined by the young women I coached and who became successful in their professions, home and their communities.”
The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is proud to induct Richmond with the Class of 2016 for the success of the Redhawks softball program. Her induction is part of the Enshrinement in Cape Girardeau, set for a noon reception and 1 p.m. luncheon and ceremony on Sunday, November 6. (For tickets, see information below.)
Hired at age 23 and allotted only 2.5 scholarships in each of her first 10 seasons in NCAA Division II, Richmond built Southeast Missouri State into a winner. She was 884-710-4 from 1982 to 2014, reaching four NCAA D-II Tournaments (1986, 1987, 1989, 1991), including the 1991 Final Four.
After her teams moved to NCAA Division I in the spring of 1992, they won five Ohio Valley Conference regular-season titles, five OVC Tournament championships and reached their first NCAA D-I Tournament in 1999.
Richmond coached nine All-Americans, 37 First Team All-Ohio Valley Conference selections, four OVC Player of the Year honorees, three conference Pitcher of the Year award-winners and one conference Freshman of the Year.
This from a coach who had grown up with four siblings on a farm near Somerset, Ky., and at the dawn of the Title IX era. You see, not until 1974, her junior year, did the local high school offer varsity basketball and softball, a club sport.
“I had three brothers and I made teams even. And I learned that, if you get knocked down, you get back up,” Richmond said. “Our parents would not allow any of us to quit anything, and instilled value of the work ethic.”
That work ethic carried over into her career. She paid attention to detail while playing for Berea College basketball coach Mark Tobin and later while working as a graduate assistant coach for Georgetown (Ky.) College basketball coach Susan Johnson. They were two great mentors. “I learned so much from (Johnson) about how to manage teams and how to work with individuals,” Richmond said.
Her passion for the sport led to SEMO athletic director Marvin Rosengarten hiring Richmond two weeks before the 1981-1982 school year.
“My first year, I had to go to dorms and try out kids just to get a team,” said Richmond, who also was the volleyball coach, a trainer and, two years in, was promoted to senior women’s administrator. “When I recruited, I looked at what kind of student they were. If they were good students, they could make us better because they were disciplined.”
The 1986 team won a school-record 40 wins, and Richmond was named the D-II Regional Coach of the Year in 1987 and 1991. The OVC regular-season titles were in 1995 through 1999, and the five OVC Tournament crowns were from 1995-1999. Her program also produced 30 or more wins in 10 of its 21 Division I seasons.
Two of her favorite memories: the 1991 team reaching the D-II Final Four by beating host Florida Southern, a powerhouse; and the 1996 team starting the season 32-0.
“When we got to the conference tournament (in 1991), we were down to one pitcher and 12 players,” said Richmond, whose team won the MIAA Tournament by beating top-seeded Central Missouri, the only way to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
The 1996 team opened 32-0, before finishing 39-9.
“That run was so special,” Richmond said, noting the team handled pressure. “If they were asked, they would tell people they were stressed when they had a test but that they loved being on the field.”
In 2010, Richmond became the 42nd softball coach in NCAA history to reach 800 career wins.
And, academically? Richmond’s teams were consistently recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, with 15 consecutive years of 3.0 or better team GPAs. For six consecutive years, her teams ranked in the top 10, and the 2002 team was recognized with the second-highest GPA in the nation.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Richmond said. “And it’s been a lot of hard work. I loved coaching. It is my passion.”
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Enshrinement in Cape Girardeau
What: Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2016
When: Noon reception & 1 p.m. luncheon & ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 6
Where: The Show Me Center, Cape Girardeau
Missouri Sports Legend: Three Rivers Community College basketball coach Gene Bess
Inductees: Blake Dewitt (Sikeston/Dodgers/Cubs/Braves), James Wilder (Sikeston/Mizzou/Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Mark Littell (Gideon/Royals/Cardinals), Eddie Moss (Poplar Bluff/Southeast Missouri State/St. Louis Football Cardinals), Dr. Rick Wright (Sikeston/Mizzou/St. Louis Blues), track standout Miles Smith (St. Louis/Southeast Missouri State), high school basketball coach Lennies McFerren (Charleston/New Madrid), softball coach Lana Richmond (Southeast Missouri State), soccer/basketball coach Brad Wittenborn (Notre Dame High School), high school football coach Bob Stolzer (Ste. Genevieve), Capahas semi-pro baseball program (Cape Girardeau), the Scott County Central High School boys and girls basketball programs (Sikeston), the Valle Catholic High School football program (St. Genevieve), and the 1979 and 1992 Three Rivers Community College men’s basketball teams (Poplar Bluff) that won NJCAA national championships.
President’s Award: Poplar Bluff attorney Joe Scott, a former Gainesville/Mizzou basketball standout
Tickets: Call 417-889-3100, or visit four First State Community Bank locations. Those locations are at 201 N. Main in Sikeston; 2527 William St. and 1602 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau; and 320 W. Main St. in Jackson. An individual ticket is $125. A table of eight is $1,250 and includes autographed print of Coach Bess, an autographed print of the induction class as well as sponsorship recognition at the table and in the printed program.
