Margaret Richards Hired As Jackson State's New Head Women's Basketball Coach

Richards will replace Tomekia Reed to the lead the successful women's basketball team.

Margaret Richards / Jackson State University

Margaret Richards named as the seventh head coach of the women's basketball program at Jackson State University by vice president and director of athletics, Ashley Robinson. Richards will replace the Tomekia Reed who left JSU for the head women's basketball coach position at UNC Charlotte.

"I want to thank President Marcus Thompson and Vice President and Athletics Director 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 standard over 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."

Richards, a 19-year collegiate coaching veteran, brings a wealth of success to Jackson State from her previous tenure at Mercer and Alabama A&M. At Alabama A&M, she led the Bulldogs to nearly 100 wins and six appearances in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Tournament, including a notable run to the semifinals of the 2019-20 event. Her leadership also saw Alabama A&M secure 13 league victories during the 2021-22 campaign, culminating in a runner-up finish in the final SWAC regular season standings.

"I am excited to welcome Margaret Richards to Jackson State as our next head women's basketball coach," Robinson said. "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."

During her time in Huntsville, Ala., the AAMU women's basketball program reeled in six all-conference honors, including a pair of first-team selections. Alabama A&M turned in a trio of winning seasons with her at the helm and put together an eight-game turnaround that bridged her first and second seasons.

Richards dove into the coaching world as an assistant at Kentucky State, where she played a key role in helping the Thorobreds achieve an 18-game turnaround across two seasons. In two years, she played a pair in helping lead Kentucky State to a 19-9 clip and a fourth-place finish in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) to highlight the 2006-07 campaign.

Richards began her coaching career as a graduate assistant coach during Louisville's successful run to a 26-10 record and an appearance in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. She then took on the role of head coach at Saint Augustine's, leading the Falcons to a 33-24 record across two seasons, including an 18-10 record and a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Western Division championship in 2009-10. Her tenure at SAU was marked by two All-CIAA and CIAA All-Rookie Team honors, and she was named CIAA Coach of the Week six times, further solidifying her coaching prowess.

Richards served as an assistant coach at North Texas (2010-11) and Weber State (2011-12) before joining Western Kentucky before the 2012-13 campaign. At WKU, the Lady Toppers compiled a 76-25 (.752) clip and made three postseason appearances, including berths in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 NCAA Tournaments. WKU carried the nation's 11th-best field goal percentage on the way to a 30-5 record in Richards's final season on staff.

Following WKU, Richards was hired as an assistant coach at Clemson in time for the 2015-16 season before being named Alabama A&M's fifth head coach on June 2, 2016.

Richards played in 117 games (69 starts) at Nebraska from 1999-2004 and was voted NU's best defensive player as a senior after averaging 9.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. She highlighted her playing career with five double-doubles, a Big 12 Player of the Week honor, and a trio of all-tournament team selections.