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Richardson named to WeCOACH Board of Directors

Utah’s Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director to serve three-year term.

Utah’s executive senior associate athletics director has been named to the WeCOACH Board of Directors and will serve a three-year term with its leadership group.

Richardson is joined by Marlene Bjornsrud, a gender equity consultant, and Teresa Gould, Pac-12 Conference senior associate commissioner, as the new appointees. Additionally, Charmelle Green, a former All-American softball player at Utah and current Penn State University’s senior associate athletics director, assumes the role of Board president effective this month.

“We are thrilled to welcome Marlene, Teresa and Nona to our Board,” said Green. “They join WeCOACH at an exciting time as we continue to broaden our programmatic offerings across levels and build deeper relationships across the landscape. We are confident their skills and experiences will provide valuable perspectives to our already talented group of Board members.”

Richardson, a 30-plus-year veteran of athletics administration, has been Utah’s executive senior associate athletics director and senior woman administrator since January 2015. Richardson oversees all student-athlete support services at the U, including academics, sports medicine, nutrition, psychologists, student-athlete well-being, and the Ute Academy personal development program. She also supervises several sports, serves as Utah’s gender equity and diversity coordinator and is a representative on the Pac-12 Conference Council. Richardson’s previous administrative stops spanned roles at UC Davis (2007-14), Ball State (2002-07) and Valparaiso (1996-2002). She began her career in collegiate athletics as a volleyball coach and was honored as the 2017 Women Leaders in College Sports DI-FBS Administrator of the Year.

“I am honored to be a part of an organization whose values of educating, supporting and developing woman coaches, is core to their mission,” said Richardson. “I look forward to working with the board and executive director, Megan Kahn and her team, as we continue to enhance the advancement of woman coaches in the profession of sports.”

Founded in 2011, WeCOACH has become the premier membership organization committed to recruiting, advancing, and retaining women coaches across all sports and levels. Previously known as the Alliance of Women Coaches, the organization reinvigorated its brand in August 2018. By providing a supportive and unified network, educational programs and resources, and access to in-person and digital resources, WeCOACH is changing the landscape for female coaches.