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BOTH: : Richard brings playing experience into coaching

Continued from page 16 more than just a coaching level.

“It’s a unique connection point for our guys to be able to look at him and understand he’s walked in the shoes, he’s gone through winter in Milwaukee, he’s been a freshman,” Stimmel said. “All those things are not only helpful for him connecting to players, but it’s helpful for us.”

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After just a couple seasons in the MLL, Richard made the swap over to the Premier Lacrosse League where he earned an All-Star selection in 2018 with Atlas LC. In 2020, the MLL announced it would be absorbed into the PLL where Richard has a contract with Atlas through the 2024 season.

Richard said coaching and playing at the same time is a balancing act. With the PLL season in the summer, he said it means he has to sacrifice some recruiting trips for Marquette.

“It ends up balancing itself out because most pro lacrosse players coach in their areas, so I have access through those relationships to most places in the country,” Richard said. “Lacrosse is such a small community that you can be one or two calls away from everybody at any time.”

Senior defender Mason Woodward said it’s been an advantage knowing that his coach is playing against the best lacrosse players in the world.

“Knowing that he’s going against the best players in the world is super cool because in the summer we get to support him when he’s playing,” Woodward said. “But also knowing that he’s also playing with the best players and he can give us tips from people he plays with.”

Throughout the ebbs and flows of professional lacrosse, Stimmel said Richard has been able to use his experience to grow as a coach.

“He’s learned how to do a really good job of taking what we have and playing to our games, Woodward said that he makes sure to give his coach feedback.

“I always text him after games when he plays and let him know what I think he did well or bad. And usually, he thinks it’s way worse than it actually was,” Woodward said. “I try and be a big fan of his because he’s there watching us every single day and supporting us in our games, so it’s pretty cool that we get to do strengths,” Stimmel said. “A lot of that has to do with him developing as a coach and the work he puts in. But, playing at that level is a really cool opportunity to learn from other guys and to learn other approaches.”

Woodward just passed Richard for second place on Marquette’s all-time career ground balls chart this past weekend against Providence.

Richard said he hopes Woodward can surpass not only his number but also achieve greater lacrosse heights.

“I believe Mason is a bonafide first or second rounder in the pro draft. He absolutely has a future, among other guys within our unit,” Richard said. “In terms of preparing Mason, he’s a guy that does everything the right way. He maintains an incredible attitude and you can tell how much he loves the game by how hard he plays, so there’s not much coaching or development to do.”

After watching Richard’s the same for him.”

Stimmel said that Richard playing professional lacrosse has helped to grow the university name and hopes that more players will be able to do the same in the future.

“We hope some other guys that are coming up here in the next couple of years will be able to keep growing the brand of Marquette,” Stimmel said. “It’s an awesome thing for the university. It’s an awesome thing for our program to be able to have guys that are playing in this league on the biggest stage.”

Richard said he’s happy to be a representation for Marquette at the top of the game.

“I carry a tremendous amount of pride being from Marquette at the pro level,” Richard said.

“And I know my teammates who are also at the pro level wearing Marquette on their chest or wearing Marquette on the bus, we all carry that pride of taking a different path.”

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