AN EYE ON 600: RICHMOND CLOSES IN ON MILESTONE

Lana Richmond laughs when she thinks about how she could have just as easily become a lawyer rather than one of the nation's winningest collegiate softball coaches.

"I don't think my mother will ever forgive me," said a grinning Richmond. "I was intending to go to law school at the University of Kentucky, then I got a flier about a graduate assistant coaching position at Georgetown (Ky.) College. I applied for it, got it and I don't think I've ever looked back about law school."

The legal profession's loss has without question been Southeast Missouri State University's gain. A Kentucky native who is in her 19th season at the school, Richmond is closing in on a career milestone that will place her among the nation's all-time elite softball coaches.

Richmond needs just two more wins to become only the 27th softball coach in Division I history to reach 600 victories (the all-time record is more than 900 wins, by a coach who is still active). She currently has a 598-320-2 record and is a virtual lock to accomplish the feat in the next few days, perhaps as early as today when the Otahkians host Tennessee State.

"That tells you how long I've been here," said Richmond, with a smile, of the approaching 600-win mark.

But longevity is certainly not the main reason behind her huge pile of victories. She's only 42 and figures to keep adding to the total for quite a while to come.

"I love coaching," said Richmond, who is also an assistant athletic director at Southeast and serves as the department's senior women's administrator. "I feel my purpose on earth is to do this."

Others deserve praise

While Richmond is understandably proud of all the success she has had, she has never been comfortable when the spotlight shines solely on her.

That's why she is quick to point out that all the players and assistant coaches she has worked with over the years -- along with the Southeast administration -- should share in her accomplishments.

"Everybody associated with the program has contributed to the win total," she said. "I've been surrounded by quality people. When you're surrounded by quality people, you can achieve those results.

"We've had tremendous athletes, but they have been good people. That's what I really respond to. Of course you have to have talent, but I look for good people, good students. I'm really careful about the kind of person I bring into the program. And you have to have good assistant coaches, which I've had."

Richmond praises Southeast for how well it has supported women's athletics over the years, particularly when the school made the move from Division II to Divison I a decade ago.

"When I first started coaching, we had maybe 2 1/2 scholarships, and it was that way for a while," she said. "When we made the transition to Division I, we got some great financial help and that made a big difference. Southeast has won the (Ohio Valley Conference) women's all-sports trophy six years in a row and that shows you the kind of commitment our university has to our women's programs."

Some special moments

Richmond, who along with husband Tim, has an 8-year-old daughter, Jordyn, said she cherishes virtually all of the teams and players she's had, but a few special memories take precedence.

"I think they're all pretty special, but I think probably that first win (in 1983, against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville) stands out," she said. "And I can remember the 500th win (in 1998, at Southern Illinois-Carbondale) really well because I wasn't there.

"My daughter had the chicken pox so I stayed here with her, but I was going to come to the game later. But she got really bad and I called my assistant Buddy Foster to tell him I wasn't going to make it. I found out later it was my 500th win. I knew it was getting close, but I didn't know that was it."

During Southeast's final season before moving up to Division I, in 1991, the Otahkians reached the Division II Final Four for the first time. And they did it with only 12 players after losing several to injuries and defections.

"That was real special because we made it with 12 players," Richmond said. "Again, it was 12 quality people. That team was so cohesive. They jelled together and were just a total unit.

"I've always stressed how important it is to be a team. Their unity, how they come together, how they support one another, are the biggest things."

Since making the move up to Division I, the Otahkians have won five OVC championships -- coming consecutively from 1995-99 -- and they made their first Division I Tournament appearance two years ago, becoming the first OVC team to win a regional game in the process.

"That was really special," said Richmond.

Getting an early shot

Richland played both softball and basketball at Berea (Ky.) College, near her hometown of Somerset, Ky., then she passed up law school to spend one year as a graduate assistant coach at Georgetown (Ky.) College before coaching in high school for a year.

Then Richmond got her big break. She was hired by Southeast to be the school's head softball and volleyball coach.

"Marvin Rosengarten (Southeast's former longtime athletic director) really went out on a limb," said Richmond. "Here I was, 23 years old, with very little experience, and he puts me in charge of the volleyball and softball programs.

"I wasn't much older than my players and it was quite a challenge, but it was a dream job for me, to coach in intercollegiate athletics."

Richmond coached the Southeast volleyball team for seven seasons, compiling a 203-91 record, before one of her ex-players and assistants, Cindy Gannon, took over the program and has led it to tremendous success.

A credit to Southeast

Southeast athletic director Don Kaverman speaks glowingly of Gannon, both as a coach and administrator.

"She's just a real credit to our university and we all rely on her as a resource. She's been our senior women's administrator for a number of years and it's comforting to know we have somebody like her in our department," said Kaverman. "She's done a tremendous job with the softball program. She expects a lot out of her student-athletes, both athletically and academically."

While Richmond said she has enjoyed her role as an assistant athletic director -- although it often can be time consuming -- she never loses sight of what brought her to Southeast in the first place and what has kept her bubbling with enthusiasm all these years.

"I've enjoyed the administrative side. It has allowed me to grow professionally," she said. "But I really enjoy coaching. I feel that's my calling, to work with young people, and more than coaching them, trying to prepare them to be productive citizens once they leave here.

"Someone once asked me if I don't get tired of doing the same thing year after year. I don't think it is the same thing every year, because the people change."