After seven seasons with the Cougars, Men’s Basketball Head Coach David Richards will be departing the program, Chatham Vice President of Athletics and Recreation Leonard Trevino announced Tuesday. Richards, a New Castle native, will take over as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Westminster, his alma mater.
“We want to thank Coach Richards for his efforts that have made us a top program,” Trevino said. “Coach Richards has been a thorough professional and a pleasure to work with. You never want to lose a coach of Coach Richards’ caliber, but we understand the pull to go home. In addition to his success on the court, he has been a valued member of our department and Chatham community, he will certainly be missed. We will begin a search immediately to find the right coach that will continue to move our program forward and build on the excellence that we’ve seen in the past few years.”
Richards, a two-time PAC Coach of the Year Selection, leaves Chatham as the winningest coach in the program’s short history. He complied a 120-56 record (.682 winning pct.) in seven seasons and guided the Cougars to three PAC Championships (2018-19, 2022-23, 2024-25), including two in the last three years.
Richards led Chatham to two 20-win seasons, including a 23-win mark in 2024-25, which stands as the most in school history. No PAC school has won more games, conference games, or PAC titles since Richards took over at Chatham. In that time, the Cougars have produced 16 All-PAC selections, including six First Team selections, and one PAC Player of the Year winner (Diaun Pinkett – 2024-25).
Over the past year in Chatham Athletics, Men’s Basketball took home the PAC title, while Women’s Basketball appeared in its third consecutive PAC Championship game. Men’s Soccer, Women’s Volleyball, Men’s Hockey and Women’s Hockey all appeared in their respective playoff tournaments, and Men’s Squash took home the CSA Summers Cup.
The school announced the addition of Men’s and Women’s Wrestling as its 24th and 25th varsity sports in conjunction with the plan for “Athletic Alley”, which will turn Chatham’s Eastside campus into a hub for athletics, health & wellness and community engagement with a state-of-the-art weight room/training facility, a multipurpose room, locker rooms, wrestling rooms, batting cages and more.
Chatham will immediately begin a nationwide search for a new head coach.
