eff Richards started his coaching career at SUU and returned after stints at Penn State, George Washington, Utah State, Iowa, Wisconsin-Stout, and Winona State. Richards has over 25 years of collegiate coaching experience across Divisions I, II, and III.
In one season at George Washington, Richards helped the Colonials set school records on the vault and uneven bars while helping the program to a record five first-team All-East Atlantic Gymnastics League performers in 2014. He helped Chelsea Raineri to an EAGL co-championship on the vault, the first conference champion for George Washington since 2002, and earn the EAGL Rookie of the Year award. Richards was named Assistant Coach of the Year in the MPSF in 2024 and again in 2025.
Richards spent five seasons at the helm of the Aggies program and was named the 2011 NCAA Division I National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches North Central Region Co-Head Coach of the Year. His stay in Logan, Utah spanned from 2009–2013 and included 19 student-athletes advancing to the NCAA Regionals.
His Aggies sent five individual qualifiers to the NCAA Regional during the 2009 and 2011 seasons, while the 2010, 2012, and 2013 teams each advanced three student-athletes to regional competition. Nine of Richards’ pupils garnered All-Western Athletic Conference honors on 13 occasions.
Prior to USU, Richards spent the 2005–08 seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Iowa, where he was named the 2008 North Central Region Assistant Co-Coach of the Year with fellow Iowa assistant Talya Vexler. He served as Iowa’s main uneven bars coach and also oversaw travel, equipment, and scheduling for the Hawkeyes.
Before joining Iowa, Richards was the head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Stout from 1998–2004. During his tenure, he earned Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Coach of the Year honors in 2000 and 2001 and was named the 2000 National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Coach of the Year. He later served as head coach at Winona State University from 2004–05.
Richards began his coaching career as a student-assistant at Utah State from 1988–90 before transferring to Southern Utah, where he completed his student-assistant coaching duties and earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from SUU in 1995. While at Utah State, Richards helped the Aggies to two appearances in the NCAA Regional Championships in 1989 and 1990 and coached Tana Davis in the all-around to the NCAA National Championships both seasons. Richards also helped coach High Country Athletic Conference honoree Stephanie Green in 1990.
Richards began his official coaching career at SUU with head coach Scott Bauman from 1996–98 after earning his degree.
Richards was born and raised in Logan, Utah. He and his wife, Kristi, have five daughters: Kanyon, Kennedy, Averie, Chelsie, and Shantel.
