Jonas Richard added to Ragin’ Cajuns Women’s Basketball staff

Lafayette native has proven track record of developing players

LAFAYETTE – Head coach Garry Brodhead and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Women’s Basketball team welcomed Lafayette native Jonas Richard to the program’s coaching staff as an assistant coach effective October 2023.

Richard, who has a detailed history in player development and as a performance coach, returns to the Hub City where he prepped at Comeaux High School.

A recent inductee into the Shaw (N.C.) University Athletics Hall of Fame, Richard spent the previous two decades in the Raleigh, North Carolina area aiding in the development of athletes at all levels of basketball.

“We feel that Jonas (Richard) adds a wealth of knowledge about the game to our staff,” Brodhead said. “His ability to develop players over the years was the exact fit we were searching for with our player development coaching position.”

From 2011 through 2014, Richard served as the player development, guards, defensive and strength and conditioning coach for the Shaw University women’s basketball team. The squad garnered four straight Central Intercollegiate Athletics (CIAA) championships, a pair of NCAA Atlantic Regional titles, two Final Four appearances and the 2012 NCAA Division II National Championship.

While at Shaw, he helped develop two NCAA Division II All-Americans. The 2012 National Championship team was noted for its conditioning, coming back from a double-digit deficit to force overtime and claim the title.

Richard’s coaching journey dates back to 2002 when he began working with professional, collegiate, high school, and youth athletes across the country – continuing on until his time returning home to join the Ragin’ Cajuns.

In addition to coaching women’s basketball at Shaw, Richard played an integral part in developing basketball talent throughout the Carolina’s high school, middle school, and elite club Levels.

At the club level, he worked with multiple McDonald’s All-Americans and multiple athletes who went on to play collegiately, while serving as the director of player development and associate head coach for the Carolina Flames.

Richard started his collegiate basketball career at Southern University in Baton Rouge and finished at Tougaloo College where he received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science

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