Two Houston High School alumni are returning to their alma mater to coach varsity sports programs.
Loran Richardson and Jim Moore were hired in the closed session of last Tuesday’s school board meeting to fill coaching vacancies at HHS. Richardson was named the next leader of the Lady Tigers’ volleyball program while Moore comes home to take the reigns of the girls’ basketball program.
Incoming athletic director Brent Hall, a HHS alum himself, said hiring excellent coaches with community ties is a dream scenario.
“Those are the kinds of people that will stay,” Hall said. “If you can get somebody with great coaching credentials and who has ties to the area and wants to be here, you have a good chance to keep them around. If you’re born and raised here, you’ve got an investment in our kids and community.”
Richardson, who was Loran Ichord when she graduated from HHS in 2002, has a decade of coaching experience on multiple levels. She began her career as the head volleyball coach at Clinton High School for three seasons before entering the college ranks as an assistant at Trevecca Nazarene University and Texas Tech University. She was an assistant this past year at Missouri Baptist University.
She replaces Barry Wheeler, who is leaving Houston after one season to become head coach at Crowley’s Ridge College.
“She had an unbelievable interview,” Hall said. “She definitely has a plan.”
Richardson is familiar with what it takes to be successful at HHS. She was a member of the 2000 Lady Tiger volleyball team that reached the state quarterfinals and the 2001 squad that reached the same round in the state playoffs and was also conference champions.
Richardson played collegiately at Missouri State University-West Plains and Central Methodist University.
“I think our volleyball program will get back to its winning ways because she will work them, will be here and care for the kids,” Hall said.
Richardson, 32, said she is intrigued by the opportunity to build a legacy with the volleyball program both on the court and influencing the girls’ lives.
“I want to come in and immediately establish my system and expectations,” Richardson said. “In the long term, I want to see the program competing for conference and district titles once again. I know Houston is capable of this, and I want that expectation to be there.”
Moore, 41, brings a championship pedigree back to his hometown of Houston. In 13 years as a girls’ basketball coach, he has an overall 245-115 record with five district championships, four conference titles and one state semifinal appearance. He has four times been named his conference’s coach of the year.
Moore was one of three finalists for the HHS job. He inherits the Lady Tigers’ program from Brent Kell, who is retiring after 30 years leading the program.
“We wanted someone who would hopefully keep what coach Kell had, which is consistency and longevity,” Hall said. “We feel like he is coming home.”
Moore began his girls’ basketball head coaching career in 2003 at Pierce City, where he had a combined 82-29 mark. He then moved to Fair Grove, where his teams were 71-17, won two district championships and once finished third in the state.
Moore won another district title during a four-year stint at Carthage. He spent the past two years at Aurora and had a 31-20 record.
“I am extremely excited to be coming home to Houston,” Moore said. “I realize I have some big shoes to fill with taking over for a legend like coach Kell. He has set the expectations high for the program, and I have every intention of continuing those high expectations and continuing the winning tradition.”
Moore, who inherits a team that won the Lady Tigers’ second-ever district championship last season, said he prefers to play a defensive-oriented style that transitions into a fast-paced offense.
“We will guard baseline to baseline, putting as much pressure on the ball as we possibly can,” Moore said. “Offensively, I like to play uptempo. It creates a style of basketball that is fun to play and hard to guard. We do our absolute best to keep the opponent from scoring. However, if by chance they do score, we want to be shooting a layup on the other end before their fans have a chance to sit down from cheering.”
Moore was also hired as the head golf coach and assistant softball coach. He will be a high school teacher.
Richardson was named the district’s new wellness coordinator. Her husband, Jeff, is also coming to Houston as the assistant baseball coach and a middle school teacher. The two have been married nine years and have two sons: Tucker, 4, and Beckett, 1.
“With all our coaching hires, I think we’ve done well,” Hall said. “We’re getting the best coaches for our kids and for our future as well.”