Richmond men’s basketball coach Chris Mooney has received a three-year contract extension, Vice President and Director of Athletics John P. Hardt announced Thursday. Mooney, who led the Spiders to the Atlantic 10 Championship and the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament in March, is now under contract through the 2026-27 season.
“The Spiders had a great run last year that energized our entire community and fan base worldwide,” said Hardt. “Chris has the program on solid footing and we are excited about the future for Richmond basketball. At the same time, our student-athletes excel in the classroom and make an impact in their community. Chris is an outstanding representative for the University and I’m thrilled he will be leading the Spiders for years to come.”
Mooney is entering his 18th season as head coach at Richmond, making him the third-longest tenured coach at a single school in Atlantic 10 history behind John Chaney (24 seasons at Temple) and Phil Martelli (24 seasons at Saint Joseph’s). He has led the Spiders to two A-10 titles, three NCAA Tournaments, and nine postseason appearances while compiling 312 wins, the most by any coach in school history.
“Richmond is a world-class university and my family and I are honored to be a part of this remarkable community.” said Chris Mooney. “I’m incredibly proud of our entire program, both what we accomplished last season and what we’ve built over the years here at UR. I’d like to thank John Hardt and Kevin Hallock for giving me the opportunity to continue to lead this tremendous group of young men. I couldn’t be more excited for the future of Spider basketball.”
The Spiders capped the 2021-22 season by winning four games in four days to capture the Atlantic 10 Championship prior to defeating Big Ten-champion Iowa in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. Richmond finished the season 24-13, its second 24-win season in the last three years. UR has compiled a 62-29 record during that span, the second-most wins of any A-10 team behind Dayton (67) since the start of the 2019-20 season.
Mooney’s 312 wins are the fifth most by a coach in A-10 history, and his 154 conference wins rank fourth all-time among A-10 coaches. He is one of just 11 coaches in league history to win multiple A-10 championships, with his other title coming in 2011, when he led the Spiders to the Sweet 16.
During his tenure, Richmond and Saint Louis are the only current A-10 schools with multiple league titles and three NCAA Tournament wins. Mooney has also guided the Spiders to 27 wins over power-conference opponents and 15 wins vs ranked opponents, nine more than any other coach in Richmond history.
CHRIS MOONEY SUPERLATIVES
• Most wins in Richmond history (312 in first 17 seasons)
• Most wins in a season in Richmond history (29 in 2010-11)
• Most conference wins in a season in Richmond history (14 in 2019-20)
• Most wins vs ranked opponents in Richmond history (15)
• Winner of only A-10 titles in program history (2011, 2022)
• Most A-10 championships at current school among active coaches (2, tied with SBU’s Mark Schmidt)
• Highest NCAA Tournament seed in program history (7th, 2010)
• Highest NIT Tournament seed in program history (1st overall, 2015)
• Highest A-10 Championship seed in program history (2nd, 2020)
• Highest rank in AP Top 25 since 1957 (19th – December 2020)
CHRIS MOONEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• 2 Atlantic 10 Championships, 3 NCAA Tournament appearances, 9 postseason appearances (3 NCAA Tournament, 3 NIT, 3 CBI)
• Reached 2011 Sweet 16, 2022 NCAA Tournament Second Round
• 7 20-win seasons, 11 winning seasons, 13 seasons at .500 or better
• 312 wins are most in Richmond history and fifth-most in A-10 history
• 154 conference wins are fourth-most in A-10 history
• One of 11 coaches ever to win multiple A-10 championships; 2 A-10 championships are tied for fifth-most of any coach
• 2 A-10 championships are tied for second most of any school during his tenure (Temple – 3)
• Owns 15 of the 30 wins vs top-25 teams in Richmond history
• 27 wins vs power-conference opponents (at least one in 15 of his 17 seasons)
• Reached NIT Quarterfinals three times (2015, 2017, 2021)
• Coached 24 players who went on to play professionally
