Siena Heights University Women's Track

Richards is in his fifth season as head coach of the Siena Heights womens track and field team and fourth season as head coach of the SHU women's cross country team. He is also in his eighth year as an assistant coach for the Saints mens track and field team. Richards' specialties include, but are not limited to, the pole vault, high jump, hurdles and multi-events. He is responsible for recruitment and overseeing the academic progress and eligibility of all student-athletes for the Saints. Richards also serves as Meet Manager for all home meets and acts as Stadium Director for Sienas state-of-the-art track and field venue, OLaughlin Stadium. The 2015-16 seasons were incredible for the Womens Track and Field and Cross Country teams. The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Association rated the Saints program as the 5th best in the NAIA overall. Most of all, Richards' teams' GPA has improved by leaps and bounds. The Saints Cross Country team shared about a 3.7 GPA while the Womens Track team averaged about a 3.5. This is the teams biggest accomplishment. On the National scene, the Womens Track and Field Team finished 4th at the NAIA Indoor National Championships, finished 3rd at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships and the Saints won the WHAC Outdoor Conference Championships; its first since 1997. Richards was also named the WHAC Conference Coach of the Year. During his eight seasons at Siena Heights, Coach Richards mentored 14 individual National Champions, 17 National Champion runners-ups, 77 NAIA All-America honorees, 281 National Championship Qualifiers, 64 individual Conference Champions, 3 American Record Holders, 1 NAIA Record Holder, 11 WHAC record holders and his athletes have broken Siena Heights collegiate records 92 times. In its third season under Richards' guidance last season, the Women's Cross Country team rose from the bottom-third of the WHAC Conference to second place at the Conference meet. The team also qualified for the NAIA Cross Country Championships, the first time in school history. Prior to joining SHU, Richards coached in the Michigan high school ranks for 18 years. During that time, he helped develop 14 regional championship teams in both cross country and track and field. He has also earned 42 conference championships as well as many individual state champions in pole vault, hurdles, distance, long jump and sprint relays. Richards earned his Associate's degree in liberal arts from Mott Community College and his Bachelor's degree in English from Oakland University.  Richards has four children and one grandchild. Charlie, a 2x All-American runner for SVSU and now teaches and coaches at Berrien Springs High School. Ben, also a stand out performer on the SVSU Track and Field team is a Health and Wellness Director in Ann Arbor, Joe, a senior at Adrian College, studying Violin Performance and Music Education and on its Golf team, and daughter Andrea, a senior and 3x All-conference athlete on the Siena Heights women's golf team who won the prestigious Thomas Emmet award for studentathlete of the year at Siena. Coach Richards is also the proud grandparent of Evelyn, Charlie and daughter-in-law Elizabeth are the blessed parents.

Bauer took over the track and field and cross country programs as head coach in 1984 after completing a distinguished running career for Siena Heights and graduating in 1982. Bauer was an All-American Honorable Mention in 1980. He spent one year working in the private sector before returning to SHU in 1983 as a graduate assistant coach. Bauer has had the opportunity to coach and work with over 300 All-Americans, 100 All-American Honorable Mentions, more than 80 NAIA Scholar-Athletes, 27 National Champions, three Olympic Trials qualifiers and one American Champion (who was ranked as high as third in the world).  The Saints running programs have won over 45 championships, including 30 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference titles, and had eleven individuals win 14 national championships and two relay teams claim national championships during Bauers tenure. In addition, Bauer has had numerous teams finish in the Top 10 at the various NAIA Championships. Coach Bauer was named Alumni of the Year during the 1999-2000 academic year. Bauer has also served as the President of the NAIA Track and Field Association and the President of the NAIA Cross Country Association. Bauers family includes his father, Norm, his brother and sister-in-law, Brad and Debbie, and the three children of Brad and Debbie.