Ron Righter, 61, who has led the Golden Eagle men’s basketball team for the past 26 years and has the most wins in the program’s rich history (402), stepped down today as men’s basketball coach at Clarion University. He will transition to the new position of Coordinator for Athletic Department Relocation Logistics and for Summer Camps until his retirement in August of 2015.
Clarion will begin the process for replacing Righter in the days ahead.
"Ron has been a great coach and role model during his 26 years at Clarion," said Athletic Director Dave Katis. "Ron is highly respected in the PSAC and all across NCAA Division II for running a quality program that emphasizes the student-athlete as well as excellence on the court. He has left a very positive imprint on Clarion University, our alumni and the basketball program and we sincerely thank him for his hard work, dedication and sacrifice. I look forward to working with Ron in his final year and know he will be extraordinarily helpful as we prepare for the complete renovation of the Tippin Complex."
The 26-year coach finished his Clarion career with an overall record of 402-299, a winning percentage of 57.3%. He led the Golden Eagles to the school’s only PSAC championship in 2001, a PSAC runner-up finish in 1997, three PSAC-West titles in 1997, 2000 and 2005 and 18 winning seasons in 26 years. Righter was named PSAC-West "Coach of the Year" in 2005 and 1997.
"It has been a great run here at Clarion," said Righter. "I have been blessed with the privilege of coaching at Clarion and our great young men in one of the strongest Division II conferences in the nation. The happiness and joy that my experiences have brought me over the years will last a lifetime. I just felt the time was right to step away from basketball and this new position gives me an opportunity to do something different and help the university in a different way. I want to thank former A.D. Frank Lignelli who hired me in 1988 and gave me a chance to come back to my home state and be a head coach. Also thanks to Gie Parsons (former women’s basketball coach who recently retired) and her teams for always supporting us, Hal Wassink who was always there for us win or lose, the Sports Information Department, especially Rich Herman, who tirelessly promoted our program since 1988, our student-athletes successes both on and off the court and my loyal right hand man, Assistant Coach Al Modrejewski. I want to thank all the players, coaches and managers that have contributed to our success for 26 years. It has been an honor and a privilege to have worked with them. I also want to thank Dave Katis for his support and look forward to working with Dave in the transition and relocation of the athletic department during these times of change and renovations in Tippin Gym," closed Righter.
Clarion had 12 PSAC Playoff appearances during Righter’s tenure, but the stretch that was most impressive was a 9-year span from 1997 through 2005. The Golden Eagles posted an overall record of 171-79, a winning percentage of 68.4% and a PSAC-West mark of 69-39 (63.9%). Top seasons included 22-7 in 1997, 20-7 in both 1998 and 2000, 19-8 in 1999 and 1992 and 19-9 in 2005. Recently the Eagles were 18-11 in 2010 and second in the PSAC-West, 16-10 in 2011 and 15-13 in 2012.
Righter obviously coached some outstanding players during his tenure including Kwame Morton (1992-95) who was Clarion’s and the PSAC’s leading scorer with 2,543 points and the NCAA’s leading scorer in 1995 averaging 32.5ppg. Other greats included point guard Oronn Brown (1993-97) who held the NCAA D-II record for steals with 361 and Clarion record 631 assists, guard Rollie Smith (2000-2003) with 1,468 points, 455 assists, and forward Dave Shearer ( 1999-2002) 1,248 points and 794 rebounds, and much, much more. Fifteen of Clarion’s 29 career 1,000 point scorers were coached by Righter.
Also the head coach at Wilkes for two seasons (1980 & 81) where he was 24-24, Righter has a 28-year collegiate head coaching record of 426-323.
Righter had seven years of NCAA Division I coaching experience under George Raveling when he came to Clarion in 1986. He was with Raveling at USC (University of Southern California) as the Associate Head Coach for two seasons (1986-88) and also part of Raveling’s staff at the University of Iowa (1983-86) and at Washington State (1981-83). Righter helped the Cougars reach the 1983 NCAA D-I Playoffs, and while at Iowa helped get the Hawkeyes to 2 NCAA Playoffs with a 3-year record of 54-38. Righter went to USC with Raveling and helped rebuild the Trojan program for two years before coming to Clarion.
A native of Doylestown, Pa. and Central Bucks West High School , Righter graduated from Central Bucks West in 1970 and accepted a scholarship to Duke. After two seasons at Duke he transferred to St. Joseph’s (Philadelphia) and played his final two seasons from 1973-75 averaging 13ppg as a junior and 17.8ppg as a senior when he was the team’s captain and mvp. A 1975 St. Joe’s grad in Humanities and Theology, he was inducted into the St. Joe’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991. He also earned a Masters Degree from Lehigh in 1979.
Righter started his coaching career as an assistant under Tom Davis (1977-78), and was an assistant at Lehigh in 1978-79 before taking the Wilkes head coaching position.
The Clarion mentor has Olympic and international experience. In the Summer of 1988 he was one of 8 assistants helping U.S. Olympic coach john Thompson and Raveling narrow the 1988 US Olympic team at Colorado Springs. Then he coached in the former Yugoslavia for two and one-half weeks, running the IBA clinic series that included players throughout Europe. In the summer of 1994 he was selected by USA Basketball as an assistant coach at the U.S. Olympic Sports Festival. He also played and coached in Luxembourg in 1976 and has authored several basketball videos.
Righter resides in Shippenville, Pa. with his wife Juliet (Julie). The couple have a son Matthew and a daughter Emily.
CLARION NOTES: Righter won his 400th game at Clarion on January 18, 2014 when Clarion defeated Seton Hill 64-61 at W.S. Tippin Gymnasium… His 300th win came in a 78-47 victory at Briarcliffe (NY) on Nov. 16, 2006 and his 200th win was a 100-53 victory over Davis & Elkins on Nov. 28, 2000 at Tippin … That 2000-01 season was Righter’s magical year that brought home Clarion’s first PSAC title with an 80-77 overtime win over West Chester at Edinboro’s McComb Fieldhouse … Clarion opened the SPAC Playoffs that year with a 79-73 win at IUP, followed by a 70-65 win over Bloomsburg in Edinboro … Clarion then defeated West Chester and went on to play in the NCAA D-II Playoffs losing in the opening round to Salem Int. 77-72 in Fort Mill, S.C. … Clarion finished that season with a record of 19-10…. Righter’s 100th Clarion win came on Jan. 16, 1995 when the Eagles defeated Kutztown 86-83 in overtime at Tippin.
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