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Connie Richardson hired to coach Rogers (Puyallup) boys basketball after historic run at Graham-Kapowsin

The move keeps him in the 4A SPSL, where he was an assistant at Emerald Ridge for nine years before leading Graham-Kapowsin to its first 4A state tournament appearance in school history

Last season, Connie Richardson led Graham-Kapowsin on an inspiring run to its first state tournament appearance in school history. 

It was his second season as the head coach of a program that went 6-14 the year before he took over and hadn’t won more than five games in a season since its doors opened in 2005.

But once word got out that former Seattle U coach Joe Callero was leaving Rogers of Puyallup after one season, where Richardson, a longtime assistant under Pat Mullen, works as the head of campus security

For 22 days, he toiled, wrestled and ruminated over the thought of leaving a good situation in a program he loved leading.

“I talked to about 75 people in my circle on whether I should take it or not,” Richardson said. “And it just made sense — not too many chances to get to be in the same building as your kids.”

By the time he was announced as Rogers’ head coach on March 25, he was already installing plans to carry the program forward into the future.

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Richardson has long studied the ins and outs of the coaching profession. He's on the board of directors for the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association and has coached in events like the WIBCA Showcase and the WAVOR all-star game (formerly the Northwest Shootout).

He remains in a league — the 4A South Puget Sound League — that he spent nine years in as an assistant coach under coach Pat Mullen at Emerald Ridge.

Richardson drove to Mullen's house in early March while he was deliberating about the Rogers opening. Mullen, who Richardson considers family, shared advice he himself used when he decided to leave Bethel for Emerald Ridge.

"He said, 'simply, you've can't worry about anybody else's decision and what they want you to do. You've got to do what's best for you,' " Richardson said. "Those words stuck."

When he took over at Graham-Kapowsin in November of 2020, Richardson saw a school burgeoning with athletes and the potential to build a wining culture — a winning basketball culture.

He did just that, capitalizing on the momentum and senior leadership from Graham-Kapowsin’s program-first run to the 4A state football championship and ensuing nationally-televised GEICO Bowl Series upset.

Led by a dynamic back court of Fresno State quarterback signee Joshua Wood and shooting guard Elijah Cain, G-K overcame a slow start and rode a strong district run and loser-out regional round upset of playoff mainstay Glacier Peak to reach the Tacoma Dome, where they reached the 4A state quarterfinals.

He’s taking a similar blueprint to Rogers, which finished 10-9 in 2021-22. He wants to tap into the program’s past and do more involving program alumni.

"I got two seniors," I want to make it a great year for them

“It’s great to find someone with past success as a high school head coach, especially one who also works in our building,” Rogers athletic director Peter Collins said. “But more importantly, Connie has a unique ability to create positive relationships with students, and we’re excited for him to extend that to our boys basketball team.”

Added Richardson: “We’re trying to turn it around.”

--Andy Buhler; @AndyBuhler.