Josh Richards begins his third season with Austin Peay, and his second as the Govs offensive coordinator.
In his first season as Govs’ OC, Richards oversaw improvements that included 20 percent more scoring, 20 percent more passing yardage and three times as many passing touchdowns. The Govs also were 10 percent more efficient in the red zone as an offense, coming away with points on more than 60 percent of their red-zone attempts.
Richards joined APSU’s coach staff in Summer 2013. He previously spent five seasons as assistant coach under head coach Kirby Cannon at Missouri S&T.
Richards came to APSU after spending the previous three seasons coaching high school in Missouri. Prior to that he worked with the Missouri S&T offense. A notable mid-Missouri prep head coach, he arrived in Rolla in 2005 as a part-time assistant before moving into a full-time Missouri S&T role the following season. After offensive coordinator Marc Kolb left the program after the 2006 season, Richards approached Cannon about assuming the role and was offered the opportunity. Cannon elevated him to that position in 2007.
In 2008, Richards led the S&T offense to record-setting marks. The Miners set school records for points scored (408) and offensive yards (4,945) while eclipsing the 50-point mark on three occasions. In 2007, S&T had its highest single-game point total (68) in in 85 seasons and also scored 60 or more points in back-to-back games for the first time since 1914.
Missouri S&T led the Great Lakes Football Conference in total offense that season and ranked 12th nationally in Division II with its average of 449.5 yards per game. The Miners’ 37.1 points-per-game scoring average ranked 13th.
The Miners averaged 30.4 points and 376.6 yards per game during the 2007 campaign and eclipsed the 40-point mark in three of the final four games that season. Missouri S&T, which had been the NCAA Division II passing champion in 2006, showed more balance as the running game accounted for 138.4 yards per game.
While at Missouri S&T he coached a pair of receivers who earned Division II All-American honors.
In addition to on-field coaching duties, Richards was coordinator for the program’s youth football camp.
Richards, who played his prep football at Rolla High School, joined the Miner coaching staff in 2005 after a four-year stint as the head coach at John F. Hodge High School in St. James, Mo. In his last two seasons at the high school level, his teams averaged more than 330 yards and more than 30 points per game.
Prior to taking the head coaching position in St. James, Richards spent two years as the head coach of the freshman team at Rolla High School and one year as the head coach of the junior high team at Waynesville High School.
Richards is a 1997 graduate of Central Methodist University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. He was captain of the Eagles’ 1997 team and a three-year letterman in the program. He was the Eagles’ starting quarterback for two seasons.
He has and his wife Karen are parents of three children, sons Colton and Owen, and daughter Thalia.
