Philander Smith College will have the distinguished honor of welcoming, Nolan Richardson, Jr., a well-known coach and basketball expert, as the guest speaker for this year’s Athletic Banquet, Saturday, April 6, at 7 p.m. in the Kendall Center on campus.
Richardson is featured in “40 Minutes of Hell,” a 2012 documentary highlighting his coaching philosophy that appeared on ESPN as part of the network’s SEC Storied series. He is the coach with the most wins in the University of Arkansas’ basketball history, compiling a 389-169 (.697) record in 17 seasons.
Richardson attended Douglas Elementary School, Bowie High School, and graduated from Texas Western College (UTEP). He started his 38 years of coaching in El Paso at Bowie High School. He was elected to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. He is best known in Arkansas as the coach who led the 1994 Razorback team to a Division I-NCAA Basketball Championship; he’s led other teams to a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship; and he coached teams that have won a Junior College National Championship. Richardson is the only coach to win all three championships.
To purchase $25 tickets for the event or for more information, contact Dr. Collea McKinney, Philander Smith College’s Sports Information Director, at cmckinney@philander.edu or (903) 752-0303.