Temple University Athletics
Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Head Coach
Diane Richardson was named the 21st head women's basketball head coach of Temple University on April 5, 2022.
In her third season at Temple, Richardson guided the Owls to a 20-11 record while finishing fourth in the AAC with a 13-5 record. Head coach Diane Richardson made history by becoming just the fourth coach in program history to surpass 50 wins. She is also one of only two Temple coaches to secure two 20-win seasons within their first three years.
In 2023-24, just her second year at Temple, Richardson led the team to a share of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Championship. The Owl’s finished in a three-way tie for first place in the AAC with a 13-5 record, which marked their first conference win since the 2011-12 season. This was the first year that the Owls have won this many conference games since the 2015-16 season. Temple surpassed the 17-win mark for the first time since 2016-17, when they posted 24 victories. Following an 11-win season in 2022-23, Temple tied the program record for the best turnaround with a nine-game improvement. Richardson won the “Coach of The Year” award at the 2024 Stella’s. In addition, she was named to the ABIS Black Coaches Watchlist.
In her first season on North Broad, Richardson led the team to an 11-18 record while competing with just eight players through the second half of the season. Guard Aleah Nelson earned All-American Athletic Conference honors, the 23rd consecutive season a Temple athlete was named all-conference.
Richardson, who guided Towson to more postseason appearances (2) in her five-year tenure than the program had seen in its previous 49 seasons combined (1), achieved an impressive 80-66 overall record as head coach. In her last season at Towson, she led the Tigers to a historic milestone of 24 wins, setting a new school record, and secured the team's second-ever berth in the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).
In 2018-19, her second season as Towson's head coach, Richardson led the Tigers to the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament Championship and the program's first NCAA Tournament berth in program history. Towson finished that season with a 20-13 overall record, marking just the second 20-win season in program history.
Under Richardson, Towson's Kionna Jeter became the first player in program history to be selected in the WNBA Draft when she was drafted in the third round of the 2021 draft. Jeter enjoyed sustained success under Richardson's guidance as she was also the first player in program history to earn three consecutive All-CAA first team selections.
Before Towson, Richardson worked as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at West Virginia University (2016-17) following her coaching at George Washington University (2012-16), the University of Maryland (2007-08), and American University (2006-07). As the recruiting coordinator at West Virginia, Richardson led the efforts which helped the Mountaineers' 2017 recruiting class to be ranked No. 17 by ESPNW.
At Maryland, she helped lead the Terrapins to a 33-4 record and a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. In eight years of head coaching experience at the high school level, Richardson led Riverdale Baptist High School in Upper Marlboro, Md. to five National Championships and was ranked in USA Today's Top 10 in five of her eight years. Richardson was named the National High School Coach of the Year in 2005 and coached a host of talented players including Temple alum Tyonna Williams, a 1,000-point career scorer.
From 2009-2016, Richardson coached WNBA All-Star Jonquel Jones at Riverdale Baptist (2009-12) and again at George Washington (2012-16). Jones was selected sixth overall in the 2016 WNBA Draft after being one of the most decorated players in George Washington's history. Jones went on to become the 2021 WNBA Most Valuable Player.
Richardson's path to coaching was a unique one. A highly successful businesswoman who was named one of the top female executives in the country in 1995, Richardson, who at the time was the Founder and COO of American Security Corporation, decided to walk away from corporate America to pursue her passion for mentoring young women through coaching basketball.
Richardson earned her master's degree in management from Central Michigan in 1984 and holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and sociology from Frostburg State. As the 1979 NCAA Regional Champion in the 200- and 400-meter races, she earned a spot on the 1980 U.S. Olympic team.
Richardson and her husband, Larry, have four children – Dana, Larry "Donnie" II, Jonquel, and Michael.
Coaching Experience:
2023-24: Temple, Head Coach, 20-12 Overall, 13-5 AAC; AAC Regular Season Champions
2022-23: Temple, Head Coach, 11-18 Overall, 6-10 AAC
2021-22: Towson, Head Coach: 24-8 Overall, 14-4 CAA; CAA Regular Season Champions
2020-21: Towson, Head Coach: 13-9 Overall, 13-9 CAA
2019-20: Towson, Head Coach: 14-15 Overall, 9-9 CAA
2018-19: Towson, Head Coach: 20-13 Overall, 11-7 CAA; CAA Tournament Champions
2017-18: Towson, Head Coach: 9-21 Overall, 4-14 CAA
2016-17: West Virginia, Asst. Coach and Recruiting Coord.
2012-16: George Washington, Asst. Coach
2009-12: Riverdale Baptist HS (Md.), Head Coach
2007-08: Maryland, Asst. Coach
2006-07: American, Asst. Coach
2000-06: Riverdale Baptist HS (Md.), Head Coach
