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Longtime, legendary track coach CB Richards has been tapped to serve as the interim Athletic Director for South Pasadena High School by South Pasadena Unified School District (SPUSD).
Richards has become one of the most successful and respected track coaches in the Southland, winning numerous titles and sending many top athletes to the college ranks.
Richards will begin his new role immediately and replaces the position of former Athletic Director Anthony Chan who accepted a promotion to be the assistant principal at his alma mater, Temple City High School.
“Having been a part of the SPHS school community for several years, I am deeply invested in the success and growth of our Tiger athletes both on and off the field,” says Richards. “My goal is to foster an environment that encourages personal and team development, sportsmanship, and a sense of camaraderie that extends beyond the game.”
Richards has coached 27 seasons at South Pasadena High School, including serving for 10 years as head coach and five years as assistant coach of Varsity Track & Field. He also served for two years as the head coach and for six years as the assistant coach of Varsity Football.
Under the direction of Coach Richards as head coach and assistant coach, the SPHS Boys and Girls Track teams earned 17 Varsity League Team titles. In addition, the 2021 Boys Track & Field Team and the 2012 Girls Track & Field team earned CIF-SS Championship Team Titles for SPHS. Individual student athletes also have excelled under his guidance. Since 2010, SPHS has claimed two Individual State Champions, 17 Individual/Relay Qualifiers for State Finals and 12 CIF-SS Division 3 Individual Event Champions. Richards has assisted 114 athletes on their journeys into college/university sports teams.
As Athletic Director, Coach Richards also will bring extensive experience managing large scale events and hundreds of athletes. Since 2010, he has served as the manager of the Tiger Invitational hosted at SPHS, which includes more than 140 high schools from across the country and international teams from Australia and New Zealand. He also has served as the meet manager for the Rio Hondo League Track & Field Finals and Pasadena Games Track Invite.
“SPHS continues to prove itself as a district that provides students with an opportunity to excel no matter what it is they choose to be in, whether it’s academics, sports, the arts, or any combination of these,” said SPHS Principal John Eldred. “I am so pleased to welcome Coach Richards as our Interim Athletic Director and to watch him leverage a roster of talents for the benefit of our student athletes.”
In 2021, Richards was inducted into the SPHS Coaches Hall of Fame. He also is a four-time winner of the Pasadena Star News All Area Track & Field Coach of the year title. Most recently, in 2023, he earned the honor of being named San Gabriel Valley Boys Track & Field Coach of the Year.
Henk Friezer contributed to this article.
