A Voice of Direction or a Look of Impact: Greg Richmond

STILLWATER – In the waning moments of the Cowboys 34-17 win last Saturday night over Arizona State. The rain had lightened up and Oklahoma State defensive line coach Greg Richmond was congratulating his guys again on another successful stop. I looked right at Richmond and said, ‘I feel like I can say this now. I was thinking about you this past week and I know you are hurting. Coach was a good man.’

“A great man,” Richmond said back at me. “You know he is the reason I do this. He was my mentor.”

The Oklahoman

Longtime Douglass head coach Stanford White had a huge impact on Greg Richmond.

Richmond was talking about his high school coach Stanford White. The longtime head coach of the Douglass High School Trojans, White had passed away the previous week at the age of 77. White coached Douglass for 27-years and won a Class 3A State Championship in his first season beating Jenks. Yes, Jenks was in Class 3A back then. White had played at Douglass himself before going on to college at Langston. He learned his coaching principles from the legendary Moses F. Miller, namesake of the stadium the Trojan play in. Richmond was just one of many young men that had the benefit of Coach White’s tough, but inspiring leadership and lessons. Two other former Cowboys that White coached were Alonzo Mayes and Marcellus Rivers. Richmond went on from Oklahoma State to the NFL and then dabbled in coaching before becoming a police officer and then being tugged by his heart back into coaching.

Now, he has the defensive line position and room by himself. He had been coaching the position with Joe Bob Clements, but this off season head coach Mike Gundy moved Clements to linebackers, a move that will help his progression toward being a defensive coordinator. According to senior defensive tackle Sione Asi nothing has changed.

“G Rich was always in the room with us, coaching and talking, so when Coach Clements left, Coach G Rich took everything of what Coach Clements was doing and added his own little twist,” Asi told the media the other day. “There hasn’t been a drop off or anything. We love Coach G Rich. I look up to him not just as a coach but as a person that I ask for advice or anything. There is no difference. It has been the same since I got here.”

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Richmond’s first gaame coaching on the sidelines was the Fiesta Bowl.

Good to see Richmond is having the same kind of impact his coach, Stanford White, had on so many of his players. Prior to this season Richmond had been up in the press box on game day, but now he is on the field. He had his first run at coaching during the game from the field in the Fiesta Bowl when Clements moved upstairs to call the defense.

“It was good to see because it was Coach G Rich’s first time on the field at the Fiesta Bowl,” Asi described. “We kind of got a little preview of how it was going to be that season. In that game we learned a lot on how he was going to be calm. If I was in that situation I would panic, but Coach G Rich has done a really good job. He is a good coach. We will forever support him in anything he wants us to do.”

Something else Richmond has in common with his old high school coach. He can communicate just Coach White could non verbally.

“His energy. He will let us know if we have to fix something,” Asi added. “He doesn’t have to say anything, he just has a look. He will give you a look. I’m telling you he has a look and that is all he has to do and you know what he wants you to do.”

Somewhere Coach White is smiling down, realizing his influence is still happening through his former players like Greg Richmond.