MUNCIE — One of the greatest careers in Ball State athletics history — and one of the longest coaching tenures in all of college sports — has come to an end.
According to a release from the university, Ball State men’s tennis head coach Bill Richards will retire June 30th. Richards took over the program in 1972 and has led the Cardinals for the last 53 years. He will retire with a career record of 769-482 overall and 243-88 in Mid-American Conference play.
“Ball State University has been immeasurably enriched by the talents of Bill Richards for more than five decades,” Ball State athletic director Jeff Mitchell said in the statement released by the university. “His remarkable career exemplifies the model of excellence for which Ball State is known, and his leadership has made a positive impact on generations of student-athletes.
“I am grateful to Coach Richards for his devotion to our men’s tennis program and his commitment to making Ball State athletics a valuable asset in our community.”
Richards is the winningest head coach in Ball State and MAC men’s tennis history. He has brought 38 conference regular season and tournament titles to Muncie and was named MAC Coach of the Year 15 times. The Cardinals made eight NCAA tournament appearances and had 17 undefeated regular seasons under Richards’ leadership.
During his tenure, Richards coached 75 All-MAC first-team honorees and eight MAC Player of the Year award winners since the award’s inception in 1997. He has coached 12 individuals and one team (1989-90) that have been inducted into the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame, and he was inducted himself in 1993. In 2006, he received the Benny Award, the highest honor for services from the Ball State Alumni Association, and in 2012, he became the only coach in Ball State history to receive the President’s Medal of Distinction.
Richards has also received national award recognition. He received the 2014-15 Bob Frederick Sportsmanship Award from the NCAA and was recognized by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association in 2018 with the ITA Meritorious Service Award. He also served on the ITA Board of Directors and worked with the US National Team.
Richards hails from Sturgis, Michigan, and played collegiate tennis at Western Michigan, where he was a MAC champion in both singles and doubles. He earned his bachelor’s from Western Michigan and his master’s from Bowling Green State, where he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant. He coached for one season at Portage Central High School before taking over at Ball State.
According to the university’s release, Ball State will announce Richards’ successor “at a later date following his official retirement.”
Contact Cade Hampton via email at cbhampton@muncie.gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CadeHamp10.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Legendary Ball State men’s tennis coach Bill Richards will retire after 53 seasons
Reporting by Cade Hampton, Muncie Star Press / Muncie Star Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
