As an 11-year assistant, Richie is obviously familiar with the BOD history and lore. But there is no Richard Longrus, no Terence Daniel, no Kendall Jackson and no Josh Crum. In fact, eight Dragon seniors have graduated and exactly zero starters return.
But none of this concerns Richie.
"I wouldn't want to coach any other team," he said, adding, "I'm excited about this one because we have incredible kids."
His particular stamp on the program will be connected to the characteristics he wants his kids to display: "very confident, very professional, very articulate and be the best prepared as a whole person for college."
Regarding outcomes, he added, "Our emphasis is on educating and growing the whole person with a particular focus on the kids coming back when they are older and helping the Oakland/Bishop O'Dowd community. We are using basketball as a vehicle to teach life skills."
There are big designs.
"I am a proud alum of BOD (1989) and while I was there we attended two state championships under the guidance of Coach Phelps," Richie recalled. "In 1988, I took (widely considered the most controversial shot in state history) the last second shot that was overturned by Ken Zink's offensive goaltending call. We came back from 10 down in the last 90 seconds. I went coast-to-coast with six seconds left and the Oakland Coliseum was rocking. That shot still fuels me in teaching the life lessons that I learned: success = hard work + opportunity/focus. I am hoping that every student-athlete will obtain an academic scholarship or have the opportunity to play basketball in college if they so desire."
In taking the position, Richie made three promises to the parents of his protégés. "I said their children would be safe with me, I would never lie to them and no one will spend more time working with the kids than me."
The other teams will make up the Shoreline League and they are Alameda, Arroyo, Encinal, Hayward, Piedmont and Tennyson.
BOD also will participate in the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas during December 19-23 in a tournament also featuring Bishop Gorman, Mater Dei, Sheldon, Compton and Fairfax, among others.
Richie, who holds a master's degree in education from the University of California and is working on a doctoral degree in educational leadership at San Francisco State, majored and minored in unusual-for-athletes subjects at Clemson University. Try history and political science. The reasons? "I liked reading biographies of successful people, especially African-Americans and I always loved government."
He earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference on the court and in the classroom but persistence and fortitude was necessary, especially as an undergraduate. Richie began at UCLA, then earned credits at Merritt College, Laney College and College of Alameda before heading to South Carolina. Once there, it was classes at Tri County Technical College before graduating from Clemson.
He's done, witnessed and experienced a lot, all of which will be applied for the benefit of his Bishop O'Dowd.
His Dragons has a nice ring to it.
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