A pair of LA TECH features

Backcourter DeAndre Brown is the subject of a nice feature today in the Shreveport Times.

We should have been aware of this earlier but former LA Tech Coach Keith Richard is helming Louisiana Monroe, the Aggie opponent tonight in Ruston.

An update of Keith Richard

Here's an update on former Louisiana Tech head coach Keith Richard, now Trent Johnson's top assistant at LSU. Richard's departure from Ruston remains a mystery -- at least the timing of such. He was let go the week the conference's basketball coaches were meeting but apparently after he left for the get-together -- so was his departure a spur of the moment event? Or something that had been in the works but somehow finally came due to some other event or possibly someone else becoming available or agreeing to come aboard (Kerry Rupp)? Was the game-scheduling connection to Los Angeles City College Coach Mike Miller and his other business, D-1 scheduling, a prominent factor?

Former ISU head coach Wayne Morgan lost his job at least in part to his connection to D-1 Scheduling.

Here's a link to the D-1 scandal.

Granted, the Tech program was slipping with no sign on the horizon of getting back in the mix for a conference championship so a change was probably inevitable but it sure seems there are some unanswered questions.

Yes, it's water long past under the bridge but can anyone help on this?

LSU’s Richard happy to be home
Randy Rosetta
The Advocate
July 9, 2008

After 30 years away, it figures to take Keith Richard some time to adjust to being back home.

His parents, Leonce and Shirlene, are doing whatever they can to expedite the transition.

“I’ve probably seen them more just stopping by a few nights a week since I’ve been back here than I would in a full year before,” said Richard, the first assistant coach Trent Johnson hired after he took over the LSU men’s basketball program in April. “My mom and dad have made some old Cajun dishes for me they used to make when I was growing up, and that really brings back some great memories.”

Yep, Richard is home.

And as winding as the road to get here might seem, the 48-year-old former Redemptorist star couldn’t be happier about the end result.

From 1976-78, Richard was Redemptorist’s starting point guard when the Wolves rolled up a 102-12 record and claimed consecutive Class 3A state championships (1977-78).

Richard had his sights set on playing college basketball, but he had to leave home to make that dream come true.

LSU had just started to emerge as a power in the Southeastern Conference, but the Tigers’ fiery young coach had plenty of point guards to choose from.

“Dale Brown was smart enough to realize that he had a pretty good point guard named Ethan Martin and another one named Derrick Taylor on the way,” Richard said with a chuckle. “Not recruiting me really showed how great a coach and evaluator of talent Dale Brown was.”

Northeast Louisiana coach Lenny Fant saw things differently. So Richard departed for Monroe, beginning a journey as a player and coach in northern Louisiana that covered most of the last 30 years....

Go here for the remainder.

Keith Richard to join Trent Johnson at LSU

Former LA TECH Coach Keith Richard will soon be joining up with the newly-hired LSU Coach Trent Johnson in Baton Rouge. The background: Trent Johnson is friends with USC's Tim Floyd who has strong ties to Louisiana basketball and was the first choice of the powers-that-be at LSU. Floyd is also friends with Richard. Plus, as the article details, Jophnson and Floyd have some familiarity.

<span style="font-weight:bold;">New LSU coach wants to talk to former Tech coach
Shreveport Times
April 10, 2008

New LSU basketball coach Trent Johnson says he wants to talk to former Louisiana Tech coach Keith Richard about a spot on his staff.

"Right now, there is one gentleman I definitely want to have on board,'' Johnson said during his news conference today. "And that's Keith Richard. The ex-coach at La. Tech who I competed against when I was at Nevada and I want to talk to everybody on the staff now and a couple of guys I want to talk to that will work for me.

"I have not set in stone other than I really want to pursue Keith Richard at this point. I want to take my time."