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PrintTulsaPeople Q&A - Nolan Richardson
Head coach, Tulsa Shock
Tulsans remember Nolan Richardson in various ways — as a coach whose fast-paced game made his collegiate basketball teams exciting and sparked The University of Tulsa into a record-breaking run; as a man whose clothing style featured bold polka-dotted shirts; and as a father whose personal grace in the face of family tragedy garnered him community respect and sympathy.
Now he’s back in town, bringing his engaging personality, signature style and elite coaching resumé with him as he becomes the head coach, general manager and vice president of the Tulsa Shock, the city’s new WNBA team.
Richardson, who is in the College Basketball Hall of Fame with 508 career collegiate victories, has already achieved an enviable trifecta of championships that has not been matched and will likely never be equaled. He is the only basketball coach in history to win a championship at every collegiate level.
Born in 1941 in El Paso, Texas, Richardson was raised by his grandmother in the “Segundo Barrio,” or “Second Ward.” His was the only black family in his neighborhood, where he also learned Spanish and still speaks it fluently, according to an article on HoopFeed.com.
Richardson was the first black student at Bowie High School, where he excelled in football, basketball, baseball and track. Upon graduation, he was recruited by Don Haskins, a future Hall of Fame basketball coach, to play at Texas Western College (now the University of Texas at El Paso). Richardson was one of the team’s first black players.
He began his coaching career at his high school alma mater, becoming the first black coach at a desegregated school in Texas, according to a March 1988 Sports Illustrated article. It was there that Richardson first employed his legendary “40 minutes of hell” defensive strategy.
Richardson also served as the first black coach at a desegregated junior college in Texas, leading West Texas Junior College to the National Junior College Championship in 1980.
And he continued breaking barriers, becoming the first black coach at a major college in Oklahoma when he took over the men’s program at The University of Tulsa in 1981.
While at TU, Richardson won the 1981 National Invitation Tournament and posted a 119-37 overall record. He was also the first coach in NCAA history to win 50 games in his first two seasons, according to HoopFeed.com.
However, it was also in Tulsa that Richardson’s life took a traumatic turn. At 13, Richardson’s daughter, Yvonne, was diagnosed with leukemia. During her illness, Richardson was offered a position as the University of Arkansas’ new head coach. Yvonne died in 1987 at age 15.
The first black coach in the Southwestern Conference, Richardson took the Razorbacks to the Final Four three times, won the NCAA Championship in 1994 and was named 1994 National Coach of the Year. He is the winningest coach in Arkansas history, compiling a 389-169 record in 17 seasons.
Richardson was controversially fired from Arkansas in 2002 after remarking to a TV reporter, “If they go ahead and pay me my money, they can take this job tomorrow.” Arkansas finished that season 14-15, its first losing team since 1985-1986, Richardson’s first squad.
After his dismissal, Richardson filed a lawsuit against the university, which was dismissed in 2004.
After leaving Arkansas, Richardson coached the Panamanian National Team from 2005-2007 and in 2007 was named head coach of the Mexican National Team. He has also worked as a public speaker and traveling basketball consultant.
He has never coached a women’s basketball team, but Richardson says he hopes to add another championship to his collection — the WNBA Championship with the Tulsa Shock.
TulsaPeople asked Richardson his thoughts on several aspects of the team as he geared up for the Shock’s first home game at the BOK Center May 15 against Minnesota.
How has your background in coaching basketball and your level of success prepared you to coach women’s basketball? In all levels of basketball, there are adjustments to be made. Whether it is grade school, high school, college or pros, adjustments are always part of the game. There is no question that I will have to make adjustments in coaching a women’s basketball team. My coaching experiences in the past will no doubt help in knowing what adjustments and to what degree need to be made. I don’t think those adjustments will have to be major. It’s like tuning up a car that is already running pretty good. Basketball is basketball. When it comes to execution, that is the most important aspect of basketball. And I know these females can execute the different aspects of the game.
What do you anticipate as the biggest challenge you will face in coaching a new team? With all new teams, the coach is kind of like a salesman. He has to convince his players that they can win under his leadership using his particular coaching style. There may be older pros who think they’ve seen it all and know more than I know. But I still need to get their buy-in. That’s probably the No. 1 item on my agenda — getting them to buy into my style and methods.
You have made your “40 minutes of hell” defense famous. Will you incorporate that style of play with the Shock? Absolutely! I have coached that way for a great number of years and I believe in the system that I have developed. I believe in the up-tempo game, the running game, the trapping game. It is in my coaching repertoire and that is what I will try to teach. I am what I call an “equal-opportunity coach.” I believe that all 11 players should all be involved in the game. If all 11 players contribute, we should be able to go full-speed all the time.
You are not only head coach of the Shock but also general manager. What are your plans for the Shock and the role you will play as GM to help make it successful? In those roles, I get to pick the players and get to dismiss the players and make all those types of decisions. I would never have considered this job if I wasn’t in those positions. If I am going to coach, I think it is important to be in charge of all aspects of the basketball operations.
Whom do you expect to be some of the top players for the Shock? Scholanda Robinson, who we obtained in a dispersal draft, should really play an important role in our success. Shavonte Zellous was a rookie last year and she has the speed we need and likes to play up-tempo. Pienette Pierson missed last year with an injury but is an all-around great player and we look for great things from her. Alexis Hombuckle played for coach Pat Summit at Tennessee and is a winner. She has already won NCAA and WNBA championships. Kara Braxton has the height (6 feet, 6 inches) and should help us inside. The Shock recently signed former Olympic sprinter Marion Jones to a free-agent contract. Jones won five medals at the 2000 Olympic Games at Sydney, Australia. Her medals were later stripped due to her use of performance-enhancing drugs and she served a six-month prison term as a result of lying to prosecutors.
How will Marion Jones help the Shock? I’m thrilled to have her. When we worked her out, it was obvious that she has a great work ethic. She possesses things that you can’t begin to teach, such as great speed and great eye-hand coordination. We are excited to have her on our team and look for great things from her.
How do you plan to increase the awareness of the team in the community? We have a whole group of people in our marketing department working on different aspects of this right now. We plan to invite school kids to the games to help generate interest in the sport. We’ll be working with our corporate sponsors to get the word out on how great a game we are bringing to town. We plan to have community nights where we recognize different civic and neighborhood groups. It will be fun for everyone.
What would you like to tell basketball fans from the Tulsa area regarding the Shock? Jump on the wagon now! We will shock you!
