Only two of the four full-time assistant coaches for the Missouri S&T football team will be retained on the staff of new head coach David Brown.
The two holdover assistants who will have their respective contracts renewed for the 2010-11 school year are Travis Boulware and Andy Ball.
The two coaches who will not be retained are Rolla native Josh Richards and Kyran Weaver.
Current contracts for the assistant coaches run through June 30.
It was announced on Monday that Brown, an assistant coaching defensive backs at NCAA Division I Ohio University, has been hired as the new S&T football head coach. Brown replaces Kirby Cannon, who resigned after 11 years on the job to accept an assistant coaching job at NCAA Division I program Central Michigan.
Brown was in town on Friday and is scheduled to have a “meet and greet” press conference with the public on Wednesday, March 17 in the Hall of Fame Room at the Gale Bullman Multi-Purpose Building.
S&T is in the process of hiring two assistant coaches who have previously worked with Brown on the Ohio University staff.
Boulware is the longest-tenured coach on the Miner staff, starting his 24th season. He came to S&T in 1987. Under Cannon, Boulware served as defensive backs coach and was also assistant head coach the past four years.
Ball, son of former Western Illinois and Missouri State head coach Randy Ball, is in his fourth season serving as offensive line coach for the Miners. Ball, age 32, has previously served on the coaching staffs at Culver-Stockton and Central Missouri.
Richards, age 35, is a 1993 Rolla High School graduate and quarterbacked at both RHS and Central Methodist. He has been on the Miner staff for five years, including the past three as the team’s offensive coordinator.
In addition, he served as St. James High School football head coach for four seasons.
Weaver is a former Miner player and has served the past three seasons on the S&T coaching staff. He served as Miner defensive line coach as well as equipment coordinator.
Richards indicated he was interested in the Miner head coaching opening. He applied for the position but was not granted an interview.
He said he wanted to stay at S&T as part of Brown’s staff.
“The outcome was disappointing,” Richards said. “I was prepared to stay at S&T the rest of my career.”
A proponent of the spread formation, Richards’ offenses set school records at both S&T and St. James.
Under Richards the Miners set school records for points scored with 408 and offensive yards with 4,945 in 2008, eclipsing the 50-point mark three times that year. During 2008 S&T had its highest point total in a game in 85 seasons and also scored 60 or more points in back-to-back games for the first time since 1914.
In his last two seasons at St. James Richards’ squads averaged more than 330 yards and more than 30 points per game with a team that included current Miner standout receiver Chad Shockley.
Richards also served as Rolla High School freshman head coach for two years and an assistant on the Waynesville High School staff one year.
Josh’s wife, Karen, is the Fitness Supervisor at The Centre in Rolla and the couple have three children. He said he is currently looking for a coaching/teaching job at either the high school or college level where his family could continue to live in Rolla.
During the 2009 season Richards was suspended for one game after an altercation with Cannon on the sidelines following a home loss. Both Cannon and Richards deemed the incident a misunderstanding, both adding their relationship was closer than ever following the incident.
After he resigned Cannon called Richards a loyal assistant, said he gives him his highest recommendation and hoped he would be heavily considered for the S&T head coaching job.
“The best scenario for me and my family would be in a situation where we could continue to live in Rolla,” Richards said. “I’m looking for the best fit to keep a balance between family and continuing to coach football. High school or college...either one is great with me.”
There are currently a couple of area high school head coaching openings, including West Plains and St. Clair. Richards would not indicate where he may have interest in positions.
“It’s been an outstanding experience at S&T,” Richards said. “What it has done is give me options for the future, to either go back to high school or go to another college position.”
After a string of 19 consecutive years without a winning season, the Miner football program has had winning seasons in three of the past five seasons under Cannon. An injury-marred 2009 resulted in a 4-7 campaign, although the team won four of its final five games.
