Before Plum became a consistent winner in WPIAL basketball, Ron Richards remembers when the program was trying to establish itself.

Over 17 seasons, Richards helped change that.

Plum won the only four section championships in program history during his tenure and had just three losing seasons. His teams developed Division I players, competed deep into the postseason and became known for defense, skill development and playing disciplined basketball.

Now Richards is being recognized for what he helped build with his selection to the Plum Sports Hall of Fame.

I caught up with Coach Richards to talk about his years at Plum, the best players he coached, the opponents who gave him nightmares, the evolution of high school basketball and what ultimately matters most to him when he looks back at his coaching career.

 

Q: When you look back at your years coaching at Plum, what are you most proud of?

Ron Richards: Our consistency. Plum historically was one of the worst programs in Western Pennsylvania for years. We won the only four section championships in school history, and we only had three losing seasons in my 17 years there.

 

Q: Plum had some really good teams during your time there. Which team do you believe was your best, and why?

Richards: The 2000, 2003 and 2012-15 teams were all very good. In 2003, we lost in the PIAA quarterfinals to State College. They went on and won the state championship. We were winning the entire game and got into foul trouble late. If we win that game, I believe to this day that we win the state championship.

 

Q:Who was the best player you coached at Plum?

Richards: Nolan Cressler and Mike McKee. Both had great college careers. Nolan played in the SEC at Vanderbilt and scored 1,000 points while playing on two NCAA Tournament teams. Mike played at Kent State on multiple NCAA Tournament and MAC championship teams and was also a 1,000-point scorer. Both of those guys had some of the best Division I college careers of anyone coming out of the WPIAL over the last 25 years.

 

Q: Nolan Cressler became one of the best players in Plum history. When did you first realize he had a chance to become a special player?

Richards: When he was a sophomore. He was 6-foot-1 and about 120 pounds. We were in Orlando playing in a holiday tournament against a team from Alabama. They tried to intimidate him, and he just kept drilling shots and smiling. Silent assassin-like.

 

Q: Who was the most underrated player you coached, somebody who might not get talked about enough today but was extremely important to your success?

Richards: Carlo Dorazio and Matt Magnusen. Two guys who set the tone for how our program was going to be built. Carlo walked on at Pitt with Coach Ben Howland and was part of some of the greatest teams in Pitt history. Matt is one of the all-time leading scorers in Allegheny College history.

 

Q:What opposing player gave your teams the most problems during your coaching career?

Richards: Drew Schifino. Lol. The only guy that, as a staff, we ever discussed and concluded that we couldn’t really stop. We prided ourselves on defense and frustrating opponents. With Drew, we just decided to focus on defending the other four Penn Hills players on the floor and hope Drew didn’t just go crazy.

 

Q: Who was the toughest coach you ever had to prepare against in the WPIAL?

Richards: Mark Jula at Butler. His teams were so prepared and miserable to play against. He brought out the best in you as a coach, though. We modeled a lot of what we did at Plum based on what I witnessed from Coach Jula.

 

Q: What was the toughest gym to go into and win a road game during your era?

Richards: Central Catholic.

 

Q: What Plum team that you coached do you think had the talent to make a deeper WPIAL or state playoff run but just didn’t get the breaks?

Richards: We had several. Most coaches always remember the losses more than the wins. In a one-and-done format, if you’re not at your best, you’re going home. We fell short more than I like to remember, but the 2000 and 2003 teams had brutal season-ending losses.

 

Q: When you coached against Penn Hills, Gateway and some of those other eastern-suburban programs, did those games feel different because of the rivalries and familiarity between the communities?

Richards: Yes. Loved those games. They were competitive, but there was always a healthy respect. When I first got to Plum, Plum had hardly ever beaten Penn Hills in school history. They were who we were chasing from Day 1 when I got hired. Great atmospheres and crazy-good games. Packed gyms. I would run into players from both schools out in public, and it was always a great exchange of respect between the players, fans and coaches.

 

Q: What was your coaching philosophy? If somebody had never watched one of your Plum teams play, what did you want them to immediately recognize about your team?

Richards: We defended. We knew we weren’t going to be as talented as most of the teams in our section in most years. We focused on skill development, defending and taking great shots. That was going to be our recipe for success in our section.

 

Q:How much did you change as a coach from your early years at Plum to your final years there?

Richards: I think all coaches evolve. I was a little crazy competitive all those years. I think as I got older, I appreciated the relationships with players and staff more. I also took more time to enjoy the success and the enjoyable aspects of coaching. I didn’t let the small stuff bother me as much.

 

Q: You coached during an era when high school basketball was much more centered around the school team. How different do you think the high school game is today with AAU, transfers, social media and year-round basketball?

Richards: I think anything that helps the development of the player is a good thing. I want kids to have all the opportunities in the world. Supplementing the high school experience with AAU basketball is a good thing as long as the programs aren’t just money makers. Social media certainly isn’t going away. I always told our players: Take 30 seconds before posting. I’m still a believer in kids playing multiple sports. Enjoy your high school experience and play as many as you can. Those years are precious.

 

Q: Do you think players today are more skilled individually than players from your era, or were players back then more fundamentally sound?

Richards: Good question. I would say teams today are better overall at shooting. There’s so much emphasis on shooting, which is good. Early on, we were teaching all skills: footwork, playing without the ball, mid-range, post moves, passing, catching and ball handling. Passing, catching, ball handling and footwork are essential if you want to be a complete player. One-trick players are easy to defend.

 

Q: One thing I always talk about is how college coaches used to come to regular high school games to recruit. Do you think something has been lost with recruiting becoming so heavily focused on AAU and showcases?

Richards: Recruiting is so different today. I feel bad for the high school kids. Most Division I programs recruit from the portal now. We had so many coaches come through our gym during my years. We developed great relationships with coaches on the Division I, II and III levels, and it really helped our kids make the right choice about where to go to school.

 

Q: Pennsylvania is bringing the shot clock to high school basketball. As a longtime coach, do you like the change, and how much do you think it will change the way coaches have to prepare?

Richards: I love the shot clock coming. It’s great from a coaching perspective. Time will certainly have to be spent on late-clock offense. Defensively, how do we take advantage and force teams out of their comfort zone late in the clock? Those are just a few things that come to mind.

 

Q: If you were coaching today, what part of the modern game would you embrace, and what part would probably drive you crazy?

Richards: I love how the game changes. I would embrace all the change. That’s what was great about high school coaching. You adapt year to year. I’m not a big fan of all the isolation offensive basketball. Most offense feels like early ball-screen action and then isolation, with either a finish or dribble-drive-and-kick options. I still love the mid-range game and finishes through traffic.

 

Q: You had Bobby Franklin around your program as a volunteer coach and have called him a mentor and big brother. What did he bring to your players and to you personally as a coach?

Richards: Bobby is just simply one of the greatest human beings I have ever been around. He is a voice of reason and someone I consider family. Our players love him, and the world needs more people like him.

 

Q: You’ve been selected for the Plum Sports Hall of Fame. What does that honor mean to you after everything you invested in the school and basketball program?

Richards: I am honored. Anytime you are honored or recognized as a coach, it’s a team and staff award, not an individual honor. I was fortunate to have a bunch of players and coaches who made a commitment to make Plum a successful basketball program. I never won a single game at Plum. Our players deserve all the credit.

 

Q: When former players see you today, what do you hope they remember most about playing for Ron Richards — the wins and basketball lessons, or something bigger than basketball?

Richards: Hopefully, it was a positive experience and they know I am there for them for the rest of their lives. The privilege of being a small part of a young man’s development and growth is something I have cherished. I see and hear from many of them all the time, and it never gets old. It is the greatest gift of coaching.

 

More Than the Wins

Four section championships. Seventeen seasons. Division I players. Playoff runs. Packed gyms and rivalry games.

Those things are part of Ron Richards’ legacy at Plum. But his final answer probably explains his career better than any statistic could.

Coaching eventually stops being about the scoreboard. The players grow up. The gyms empty. The uniforms change. The final buzzer sounds.

What remains are the relationships.

Richards helped take a program that had struggled historically and gave it an identity built around defense, development, consistency and competitiveness. But years later, what he cherishes most isn’t a championship or a particular victory.

It’s hearing from the men he once coached.

That’s why his induction into the Plum Sports Hall of Fame isn’t simply recognition of what Ron Richards won.

It’s recognition of what he helped build.