Wheeling University Athletics

Chris Richardson enters his sixth season at the helm of the Wheeling University men’s basketball program. The 2025-26 season will mark Coach Richardson’s 18th season overall in college coaching, all at the NCAA Division II level. 

Over his first five years in Wheeling, Richardson has brought a steady hand to the Cardinals program both on and off the court.  

On the court, the Cardinals have made the MEC tournament in each of his five seasons, developed an entertaining brand of basketball, and notched multiple wins over ranked teams. Five WU players have received all-conference honors during Richardson’s tenure, with Sean Ealy (2025), Marcus Johnson (2024) and John Korte (2023) garnering first-team recognition. Johnson, Korte, Jordan Reid and Jarett Haines have all eclipsed the 1,000 career-point mark at Wheeling under his watch. 

Academically, Richardson’s program has posted six consecutive semesters of at least a 3.0 team GPA, while having . The National Association of Basketball Coaches has recognized the Cardinals in back-to-back seasons with the Team Academic Award, and 14 players have made the organization’s Academic Honor Court. In addition, every senior who has finished his eligibility over the past five seasons has graduated. 

The Cardinals have also been very active in the community, volunteering at local schools, running clinics at the YMCA, and helping several Wheeling-area charities with food and clothing drives.  

The 2024-25 season saw the Cardinals finish in the top 50 nationally in points per game (46th – 82.5), offensive rebounds per game (30th – 12.63) 3-point field goals per game (45th – 9.2), and free throw percentage (24th – 77.12). WU picked up notable wins over NCAA tournament participant West Chester, 10th ranked Cal (Pa.) U and regionally ranked Charleston among others over the course of the season.  

Richardson came to Wheeling after six seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Central Missouri. He helped the Mules to over 100 wins and three 20-win seasons in his six years, with a trip to the NCAA tournament in 2015 and the MIAA Championship Game in 2017. UCM also had wins against top-ranked Northwest Missouri State, and top ten ranked Missouri Southern and Minnesota State over that stint. Richardson helped recruit and develop 1,000-point scorers Jakob Lowrance, Gaven Pinkley and Spencer Reaves during his time in Warrensburg. 

From 2012-14, he assisted legendary head coach Jim Boone in turning around the program at Delta State University in Mississippi. By their second season in the Delta, they had done just that. The 2013-14 Statesmen were among the best teams in school history, winning the Gulf South Conference regular season championship, and making it all the way to the regional finals of the NCAA Division II men’s basketball tournament. Senior forward Willie Readus was named GSC Player of the Year, while freshman guard Devin Schmidt was named Rookie of the Year. Schmidt would finish his career as the most prolific scorer in Gulf South Conference history.  

He has also served as an assistant at Fairmont State (2008-09; 2011-12), Charleston (2010-11), and Arkansas Tech (2009-10) throughout his career. The 2009-10 Arkansas Tech team won the Gulf South Conference regular season and conference tournament championships, made it to the regional semi-finals of the NCAA Tournament, and finished ranked number one nationally in the final NABC poll of the season.  

Richardson began his career as an intern with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies in 2008. As a student at West Virginia University, Richardson covered WVU athletics and Big East basketball as a student reporter, covering everything from coaching clinics to summer recruiting to the Big East and NCAA Tournaments.  

Well-respected throughout the Division II ranks, Richardson is an active member of the NABC and the NCAA Coaches Connection program. He also serves as the chairman of the men’s basketball regional advisory committee for the Atlantic Region and represents the region as its member of the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Committee.  

Richardson is a native of South Charleston, W.Va. and graduated from WVU in 2008 with a degree in MultiDisciplinary Studies. He also has a Master’s in Kinesiology from the University of Central Missouri. He and wife Katie are the parents of six-year-old Cory and two-year old Carmen. The Richardsons reside in Wheeling.