Huntingdon has named Zac Richards as the new Head Men’s Basketball Coach.
Richards joins the Hawks after serving the last ten years under Coach Chris Graves at Birmingham-Southern College. During his time at BSC the Panthers won two conference championships, including a 17-0 run through the conference (only the second time in program history) and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament where they advanced to the Round of 32.
He has also served as the head JV coach at BSC while implementing offensive and defensive schemes, recruiting the southeast region, and conducting advanced statistical analysis on opponents with film breakdown and scouting reports. Richards developed individual players skills with a focus on post players and ran the strength and conditioning program.
While maintaining his role in various capacities at BSC, Richards also coached for Elite Hoops Basketball, J Smith Hoops, and Richards Basketball Academy where he was a camp coach and personal trainer who specialized in improving athletes’ skills and boosting their psychological development.
Prior to coaching at Birmingham Southern he spent one year at Homewood High School as the Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach and Strength and Conditioning Coach.
He was recruited out of high school by current head coach Chris Graves and played for four years at BSC earning Academic All-American, Honorable Mention All-American, All-Region, All-District, and All-Conference honors as well as becoming a 1,000-point scorer. Richards helped lead the team to the program’s first ever NCAA tournament appearance to go along with several conference championships. His class finished with an overall record of 88-20, consisting of four consecutive 20+ win seasons and an impressive home record of 54-2.
Richards graduated from BSC in May of 2013 with a B.S. degree in mathematics. Before BSC, Richards graduated from Hoover High School where he played basketball for coach Charles Burkett.
Huntingdon College President, J. Cameron West on the hire of Richards:
“For the last 14 years, I have watched Zac Richards develop both as a player and as a coach. His skill and tenacity as a player were impressive. I always appreciated his sportsmanship and demeanor as a coach. He has been mentored by an outstanding head coach, Chris Graves, and I am excited and grateful to welcome Coach Richards to the Huntingdon family. Hawk ‘Em!”
Zac Richards on being named the next Head Men’s Basketball Coach:
“It is an honor to be named the head coach of the Huntingdon Men’s Basketball program. I want to thank President J. Cameron West, Mr. Jay Dorman, and Athletic Director Eric Levanda for giving me this opportunity. I’d also like to thank Coach Chris Graves for his mentorship throughout the past 14 years. I would not be who I am today without his leadership and investment in my life. It is a privilege to become a part of the Hawks family and I can’t wait to get started.”
Athletic Director Eric Levanda on the new hire:
“Zac brings a wealth of coaching experience from his time as both a player and an assistant coach at Birmingham-Southern, which is a historically successful and class act program led by Head Coach, Chris Graves. Zac’s passion for the game, energy to get going, and vision for how he wants to lead our program, all while jumping into a head coaching position for the first time, made this an easy decision. Zac is familiar with our team, our opponents, and the region we recruit from. I’m excited to work with Zac and watch him grow. I’m also excited for members of our current team and the next chapter for Huntingdon basketball.”
https://www.huntingdonhawks.com/general/2022-23/releases/20230310n2628i
