BU’s Winningest Basketball Coach: Richard Morgan
Bluefield University head men’s basketball coach Richard Morgan began his basketball journey as a player at the University of Virginia. Now a longtime coach, his passion, love and drive for the game have propelled him to be the winningest baksetball coach in Bluefield University history with more than 200 wins.
A native of Salem, Virginia, Coach Morgan enjoyed great success during his time as a player at the NCAA Division I level, which prompted him to remain in the game as a coach. His introduction to coaching began at the middle school level in Virginia, where enjoyed even more success by going 13-0 in his first season coaching. His brother then invited him to coach at the high school level at Salem High School, where he led the team to two state championships in 1996 and 1999.
After his middle and high school success, Coach Morgan transitioned to the collegiate level. His first job was with Hampton University as the third assistant. He bounced around as an assistant coach at several other schools, including James Madison University, East Carolina University, and Appalachian State University. After a short stint with App State, Bluefield University invited him to serve as its head coach for men’s basketball. The rest is history.
The longtime BU head coach just completed his 14th season with the Rams, where he has continued to enjoy success, including sending players overseas, knocking off ranked teams in the nation, winning post-season games, and securing numerous winning season records.
“Every day I wake up, and I do not go to my job; I go to what I love,” Morgan said. “I can chase my passion every single day and year.”
It’s that passion, discipline and respect that Coach Morgan considers to be the fundamental values that drive the men’s basketball program and that lead to good fortune. That good fortune this year included Coach Morgan becoming the all-time winningest basketball coach at BU. The historic win came in thrilling fashion when the Rams defeated Bryan University, 70-68, on a last-second shot on January 7. The victory gave Coach Morgan his 202nd win at BU, which surpassed longtime Rams basketball coach Mark Blevins, who earned 201 wins at BU during a span of the 1980s and 1990s. Coach Morgan said he’s thankful for the milestone and takes great pride in his success, but he gives all the credit to his players.
“I have been here a long time,” he said. “I try to lead them and graduate my guys. The success is from my players, not me.”
Coach Morgan’s positive influence goes beyond the circle of the men’s basketball program. Kylie Meadows, a longtime friend of Morgan and a BU women’s basketball player, said she, too, has grown from his leadership and mentorship. She said Coach Morgan has an unbelievable ability to see the potential in players. She added that he also has a significant amount of experience around the game, which she said in invaluable.
“Richard is the type of guy who makes everyone feel welcomed and special,” Meadows said. “He makes sure to say hi to everyone and gets to know everyone’s names. He is an intense and skilled coach, but genuinely cares for his players.”
But the success doesn’t end there. Coach Morgan looks to have a strong recruiting class for the 2023-2024 season, which he hopes will lead to a return trip to the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) post-season tournament. More importantly, he hopes to continue to develop basketball players into quality men and athletes.