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Coach Richards’ enters her 14th season as the McKinney North Assistant Cross Country and Head Girl’s Track & Field coach. Previously, she was the head coach at Douglass ISD from 2006-2012. Richards competed in both cross country and track & field at Stephen F. Austin State University from 2001-2005. During her time, the Ladyjacks earned four Southland Conference titles (2 XC, 1 indoor, 1 outdoor) while she earned All-Conference honors in cross country 2003 and was an annual point scorer in both steeplechase and the 5,000m run. 

Over her 13 seasons at MNHS, Richards has coached multiple state champions in both cross country and track & field. In cross country, London Culbreath won the UIL State XC championship in 2016, 2017 and 2018 while McKinney North has had representation at the State XC meet every year since 2014. Culbreath was the Texas Gatorade girls runner of the year in each of those years as well. Since 2012, ten student-athletes signed to compete at the next level of college athletics for cross country. 

In track and field, the MNHS lady bulldogs won the 2016 and 2017 Texas Track & Field State championships while finishing runner-up in 2018, third in 2019 and 2025. All together, the Bulldog program has finished top 5 in Texas (5A) every year since 2015. The 4x100m and 4x200m relays currently hold the state meet record while Sasha Harber holds the all classes pole vault record of 13'9.25" (2023) and Ryhan Balous holds the 5A long jump record on 21'2.5" (2025). Richards has coached state champions in the following events: 200m, 400m, 1600m, 3200m, 4x100m, 4x200m, 4x400m, pole vault and long jump; additional medalists in the 100m, 100H and high jump and additional qualifiers in discus, 100H and 300H. Since 2006, thirty seven student-athletes have signed to compete at the next level of college athletics for track & field.

Coach Richards first started bringing her teams to camp in 2017 upon approaching Coach Christensen about the summer camp he ran with his Lovejoy teams. They haven’t looked back since. The uniqueness in important areas of discussion for runners such as nutrition, sleep and training conversations as well as the individuality of one-on-one meetings was the main draw to this particular camp. Being able to spread the love of running to others is a gift!