Spider Athletic Fund Spotlight - Richard Coughlan, Faculty Athletics Representative
1/13/2021
You have been at UR since 1998, how long have you been a supporter of Spider Athletics?
Growing up in the Baltimore-Washington area, I saw Rodney Rice (basketball) and Brian Jordan (football/baseball) play during high school. When they ended up at Richmond in the mid-1980’s, I began following the Spiders a bit. Of course, we all became Spider fans in 1991, when the men’s basketball team knocked off Syracuse in the NCAA tournament. I had moved to California by then but my family was at Cole Field House cheering them on.
Have you always had an interest in athletics?
I am the second of six kids born in a seven-year stretch and family life has always centered on sports. One brother, Mike, played baseball at UMBC and became a great high school basketball coach. Another brother, Joe, won a state championship in basketball and now works at Under Armour. My nephew, Anthony, works in the front office of the Indianapolis Colts after serving on the football staff at Ohio State, and his sister, Brittany, played both basketball and lacrosse at Berry College. My sisters also won a high school soccer state championship together.
I joke that my own basketball career peaked at the age of 15 on a team that advanced to the AAU Junior Olympics at the University of Notre Dame. A few guys from that team went on to play for Hall of Fame coaches at UNLV, UConn and Providence. In fact, my friend who became a Friar is better known around here as Tyler’s dad. (Yes, Quinton Burton and I have known each other for 40 years. You can imagine my excitement when he called to let me know UR was recruiting his son.)
What did it mean to you to be appointed Faculty Athletics Representative?
It meant that I would have new opportunities to learn during the “fourth quarter” of my career at UR. I spent the first quarter teaching and writing as a new professor, learning from great faculty peers and my students. I spent the second quarter as an associate dean, learning from other administrators as well as alumni of our MBA program. The third quarter, which just ended, was a time for me to build partnerships with businesses across the region, learning from leaders in a variety of industries about how to build successful organizational cultures. Now, I get to learn from coaches, student-athletes, Spider alumni and others involved in athletics here, as well as peers in the A-10 conference and the NCAA. I am really looking forward to being stretched in new directions.
Spider student-athletes have been impressive on and off the field. What has your experience been working with our student-athletes from a faculty perspective?
If you observed one of my classes, you would have a hard time identifying the student-athletes. They are as prepared and participatory as any of their classmates. My experience has been that they are thirsty for knowledge and grateful for the educational opportunities at UR. Our student-athletes do a terrific job of making the most of the very little free time they have, volunteering in the community, tutoring young students and giving back in so many ways. They tend to be treasured by firms looking to hire new graduates because they have shown an ability to juggle so many demands and still achieve success.
Finally, I would note that Richmond is a place known for the close ties among students and professors. So many of the student-athletes I have taught have stayed in touch well after graduation, sharing news of weddings, children, promotions and occasionally a heartbreaking tale as well. Although some have had successful professional careers in sports, many others have found satisfying work as accountants, entrepreneurs, scientists and teachers.
Richmond talks about enhancing the entire student-athlete experience. From your perspective, what goes into a quality student-athlete experience?
It begins with an abundance of opportunities to learn, compete and grow while they are here. Our student-athletes already have the chance to participate in science labs, perform as musicians, land challenging internships, and study abroad. How else might we enrich their time at UR? Can we expand mentoring programs, broaden career advising, land hard-to-get guest speakers who will challenge and motivate them, and arrange additional site visits to places of interest?
It continues with the people that support our student-athletes. We must continue to attract and retain first-rate faculty and staff, successful coaches, and leaders in athletics. We should find ways to engage more of our alumni (former athletes and others) to provide guidance during the early career stages of our student-athletes.
We must also continue to invest in facilities, both academic and athletic, where appropriate. Intercollegiate athletics is all about pushing to and through new performance frontiers and we should ensure that our student-athletes can do exactly that during their time at Richmond.
What do you hope to provide as our Faculty Athletics Representative during your term?
I truly believe that Richmond has most of the elements in place to offer a distinctive experience to student-athletes, one that stands out across intercollegiate athletics. It would be an honor to help identify a few of the final pieces and shape the future of these initiatives.
