Coach Richey of Grant Co.

[24smom]

As reported in the Grant Co. News this week, Coach Bert Richey of Grant Co. has resigned as head coach.

 

To quote the article:

Richey inherited the team from John Cobb midway through the 2002-03 season. Cobb was dismissed as coach for inappropriate contact with a player and Richey, in his first year as the junior varsity coach, was named the interim coach. The team won one game that year.

Richey was hired as the permanent head coach in the off-season. In that time, the Lady Braves have had two winning seasons and an appearance in the eighth region tournament last season.

This year's team finished with 19 wins, tied for the team record of most wins in a season.

He said he's most proud of restoring pride to Grant County girls basketball.

"Kids aren't ashamed to say they play for Grant County anymore," Richey said. "When I first got here, the girls did not want to wear Grant County gear. Now they want to play for Grant County. I wanted to leave this program in better shape when I left, and I've done that."

 

Coach Richey has done an incredible job at Grant Co. My daughter is very proud to be a Varsity basketball player there & wears her gear daily. Although she will miss him, what a gift it has been for her to have been able to be coached & play on a winning team with, and for, him. Coaches have a difficult job, and sometimes a thankless one, but coach Richey was always honest, dedicated & passionate about coaching at Grant Co. Although folks misinterpret that passion in a coach sometimes, I think the turnaround at Grant Co. speaks volumes. Good luck Coach, thank you and we wish you and Jaime well on your new path! :thumb:

 

To view the full article:

http://grantky.com/articles/2007/03/07/sports/sports03.txt

[Lunatic1]

Good Luck to Coach Richey and I hope that Grant County get someone else that will continue to build the program as he has.

[catsdunn44]

I would also give some credit for the turnaround at grant county to the players, Amber Billiter and Garnett come to mind.

I just wish bert would have stayed around so we can see just how good of a coach he is without those two.

I think Billiter got a raw deal from him, the injury at the beginning of last year comes to mind and if bert reads this he knows he messed her whole season up.

But I think she will go on to play in college in spite of Mr. Richey.

If he wasn't so concerned with 20 wins he would have had the girls ready for Walton and went back to regions.

And funny he blamed everyone except himself.

[Oldbird]

I would also give some credit for the turnaround at grant county to the players, Amber Billiter and Garnett come to mind.

I just wish bert would have stayed around so we can see just how good of a coach he is without those two.

I think Billiter got a raw deal from him, the injury at the beginning of last year comes to mind and if bert reads this he knows he messed her whole season up.

But I think she will go on to play in college in spite of Mr. Richey.

If he wasn't so concerned with 20 wins he would have had the girls ready for Walton and went back to regions.

And funny he blamed everyone except himself.

 

So winning 20 games and preparing for Walton were mutually exclusive events?

[AllKnower]

What did he do, tell the kids to throw her the ball so much it hurt her hands. Every game i went to he was always yelling get the ball inside and when she did get it he had to yell shoot the ball. Also, I hope you do give some credit to the underclassman #24 i think is Gorby, Hopperton maybe number #14 or #15, #22 is Becky because he was always yelling Becky , Mctosh all district from this year, Morgan #13 and #31 Lockerd, for helping turn the program around as well. I was at the District game and i did think he made a mistake by taking the Billiter girl out in the 3rd quarter after they got the lead, i wish i would have asked him about that after the game to see what he would had to say about taking her out when she was playing well at the time. I think both players you are talking about are nice players but they didnt do all this by themselfs. Lets give the credit to those who should get it, the coaches and the players, not just two or a few, all of them. It is easy to see you dont like Coach Richey for some reason, if i know him like i think i do, he doesnt really care who likes him, but i dont talk to him a lot. I think i also saw in the paper where he thanked an assistant coach for helping with the success of the program, how many people do that these days. I agree Coach Richey didnt have the kids ready to play, they missed way to many easy shots and turned the ball over to many times or thats how the person from the GC news saw it and most that were at the game. I guess this is a sign of bad coaching from your prespective. I have no idea what he went over in practice the last week, but i just cant see a coach like him not going over what GC needed to do against W.V. to win. Did you go to practice? What did they go over. Last year he was a genious and this year he's an idiot. I saw in the paper where he gave credit to W.V. out playing them, i didnt see where he blamed the players. Bottom line is i was hoping the guy would stay in coaching. Maybe one day he will come back and my daughter can play for him. Now for the real question CatsDunn, the job is open, take all your knowledge and apply it so Grant County will not return to the days of never having a chance to win a game. Oh, and just to let you know my daughter wont be playing for GC because hes not going to be coaching there, that how much i respected what he did for that program. I guess she will play for Williamstown but who knows she has a few years to figure out where she wants to play.

[24smom]

I would also give some credit for the turnaround at grant county to the players, Amber Billiter and Garnett come to mind.

I just wish bert would have stayed around so we can see just how good of a coach he is without those two.

I think Billiter got a raw deal from him, the injury at the beginning of last year comes to mind and if bert reads this he knows he messed her whole season up.

But I think she will go on to play in college in spite of Mr. Richey.

If he wasn't so concerned with 20 wins he would have had the girls ready for Walton and went back to regions.

And funny he blamed everyone except himself.

 

I think 30 turnovers & shooting 25% from the field vs Walton might have something to do with the loss. Pretty sure that catsdunnwright44 was not in the lockerroom or at practice for prep for this game or any other to know what coach Richey may have said regarding preparation for this game, this season, or any other season for that matter. Just because the newspaper doesn't print that quote doesn't mean he did not accept responsibility. He did.

 

Of course credit is due the players. The point of this thread was to acknowledge coach Richey for a job well done after his resignation. And to blame a coach for an injury, please. I was there, injuries happen. My daughter is proof of that, but would we blame a coach for the injury? Never. Would we blame a coach for her recovery? Never. Would we blame a coach for the work she did to get herself into a position to play again after the injury? Never. The players worked very hard to do what they have done. Not just Amber Billiter & Leslie Garnett (who I have the upmost respect for), but the team. The team goal was make region AND 20 wins. It so happened that a win vs Walton would have accomplished both. As head coach of the team, and a member of the team, those were also his goals. Bottom line is that he lead the program back to a place where the girls, whether they won 20 games or not, made region or not, are proud to be associated with the program. You don't have to like him personally, but you have to acknowledge the job he did as coach. Taking over a program that won just a few games a season, was the laughing stock of talk radio, was the "easy" win on other teams schedules for many years & leading these girls back to a place where they take pride in what they have done. I most certainly couldn't have done it...and most of the "armchair quarterbacks" out there have to admit they could not have done it either.

[ladiesbballcoach]

I coached against Grant County before Coach Richey and against Coach Richey. They were a better prepared team, more organized and simply better teams because of what Coach Richey brought to the program.

 

Before Coach Richey, they were a win that we didn't have to scout. After Coach Richey, we wanted to know what they were doing and prepared for them. Before him, we never spent a minute of practice preparing specifically for them. That changed when he took over.

 

He is a quality young man and I wish him all the best.

[24smom]

Also, I hope you do give some credit to the underclassman #24 i think is Gorby, Hopperton maybe number #14 or #15, #22 is Becky because he was always yelling Becky , Mctosh all district from this year, Morgan #13 and #31 Lockerd, for helping turn the program around as well.

 

Gorby, Morgan & Lockard are sophomores. All are 3yr varsity players. This trio played varsity as 8th graders. Gorby & Morgan were starters this year. Coach Richey was instrumental in the development of these players. Whoever takes over the program will have a group with a lot of varsity experience.