David Richman has been named the 23rd head men’s basketball coach in North Dakota State University history, NDSU athletic director Gene Taylor announced Tuesday, April 8. Richman replaces Saul Phillips, who was hired by Ohio University on April 5 after seven years as the head coach of the Bison.

This is Richman’s first head coaching position. He spent seven years as the associate head men’s basketball coach at North Dakota State and 11 years total with NDSU.

Richman, 35, was a Bison assistant coach for two seasons before being elevated to associate head coach under Saul Phillips for the 2007-08 season. He also spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at NDSU and was an assistant coach at North Dakota State College of Science for one year.

The NDSU men’s basketball program has experienced its highest levels of success during Richman’s time as a member of the coaching staff. The Bison are coming off their best two-year span in school history, winning 50 games from 2012-14. NDSU swept the Summit League regular season and tournament titles twice in six years, winning a school-record 26 games in both 2008-09 and 2013-14.

Richman has been a member of the NDSU coaching staff for four 20-win seasons, as well as producing 12 all-league players and seven of the top 16 scorers in NDSU history. In all, the Bison are 170-104 (.620 win percentage) in his nine years as a full-time member of the staff.

A native of Wahpeton, N.D., Richman attended NDSCS for two years and was a member of the 1998 Region 13 championship team. He continued his education at NDSU and Northern Iowa, working as a student assistant to coaches Ray Giacoletti, Greg McDermott and Tim Miles.

Richman graduated from North Dakota State in 2002 with a degree in physical education and completed a master’s degree in sport and recreation management at NDSU in 2005.