14 Facts About Nolan Richardson

Ol' Mama had a profound impact on Nolan Richardson by helping instill the drive and determination to succeed.

Nolan Richardson then returned home to play for Texas Western College, playing his junior and senior years under Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins for the Miners.

Nolan Richardson began his coaching career at Bowie High School in El Paso, Texas.

Nolan Richardson was the head coach at Tulsa from 1980 to 1985, leading Tulsa to the NIT championship in 1981.

Nolan Richardson is credited with bringing the Tulsa program to national prominence when hired in 1980, and led the school to season conference championships in 1984 and 1985 and conference tournament titles in 1982 and 1984 to go with the previously mentioned 1981 NIT championship.

In 1985, Nolan Richardson became the head coach at the University of Arkansas after Eddie Sutton left for Kentucky.

Nolan Richardson became the first African-American coach at a major university in the South, and the first African-American head coach of a men's program in the Southwest Conference.

Nolan Richardson inherited a team and program that was used to Sutton's halfcourt-oriented, walk-it-up-the-court style.

Nolan Richardson was named the National Coach of the Year in 1994.

Nolan Richardson is the only head coach to win a Junior College National Championship, the NIT Championship, and the NCAA Championship.

Nolan Richardson is among an elite group including Roy Williams, Denny Crum, Jim Boeheim, John Calipari and Tubby Smith as the only head coaches to win 365 games in 15 seasons or fewer.

In December 2002, Nolan Richardson filed a lawsuit against the university, the board of trustees, and the Razorback Foundation, citing a racially discriminatory environment; the lawsuit was dismissed in July 2004.

From 2005 to 2007, Nolan Richardson, served as the head coach of the Panama national team.

In March 2007, Nolan Richardson was named head coach of the Mexico national basketball team.