The Ohio State men’s track and field program completed its new coaching staff with the hiring of Ross Richardson as an assistant coach. Richardson will specialize in working with the team’s throwers.
Richardson, whose hiring was announced Wednesday, will join a coaching staff led by Ed Beathea, who was hired in June as coach of men’s track and field, and Brice Allen, who Beathea chose to be his associate head coach and recruiting coordinator in July.
An OSU athletic spokesman did not respond to a request for salary information.
The 2012-2013 track and field season will be Richardson’s fourth straight season with a different university. After five seasons from 2005-2010 with one of OSU’s Big Ten rivals, Purdue, Richardson had a one-year stint with Miami (Ohio) University, then worked last season with Virginia. Over the course of his career, Richardson has coached 11 All-Americans and 21 NCAA championship qualifiers.
Richardson said he considers OSU to be “one of the most prestigious athletic departments in the country,” which drew him to accept the position with the Buckeyes.
“I’m excited to be here,” Richardson said. “There’s a lot of people here (at OSU) who win championships, and I think the track program has that kind of potential to be a continuous conference contender and have a national prominence.”
Beathea explained that Richardson stood out among the potential candidates for this coaching position.
“When I called around and spoke to other respected throws coaches across the country when we were starting the search, considering candidates, his name came up amongst all of them,” Beathea said. “I interviewed three, and Ross was, for what I was looking for, the strongest candidate.”
Richardson replaces Kevin Mannon, who served as OSU’s throws coach from 2004-2012. According to Beathea, Mannon resigned from the position this summer, which led to the search for a new coach.
Richardson expressed that his goal is to keep OSU’s throwing program moving in the right direction.
“I think anytime you go anywhere new, you’re just hoping to build on what was done there before,” Richardson said. “They’ve had a great tradition of throws, and a great tradition in the track and field program altogether, and my hope is that we can just continue to build on that tradition.”
Beathea, Allen and Richardson will be the only paid coaches for men’s track and field, but additional coaches will work as volunteers.
Beathea said Brian Brillon will return to coach horizontal jumpers, while Richard Warren will continue working with high jumpers. Beathea said the program is also searching for another volunteer coach to work with pole vaulters and decathletes.
Beathea said that there are two common points of emphasis shared among his coaching staff.
“We all agree in the importance of the championship season,” Beathea said. “Above and beyond anything else, we also all agree in the importance of recruiting.”
