Former San Jose State women's basketball coach Janice Richard has beaten breast cancer, and now she's heading home to resume her career.
Richard, whose contract wasn't extended by SJSU in April, is the new head coach at Louisiana College - her alma mater. The Division III school, located about 10 miles from Richard's hometown of Alexandria, La., is where she was a two-time All-American in the mid-1980s.
"I'm feeling great physically - I feel like a new person," Richard said. "I just feel a strong need to be at home, with family and with people that care about what's going on in my life."
There certainly will be an abundance of friendly faces awaiting Richard and her 8-year-old son, Lee, when they arrive next week. Richard's father, Clarence Joseph, six of her eight brothers and both of her sisters live in the area. Joseph is recovering from surgery to remove a tumor in his stomach.
Richard, 43, received her final round of radiation treatment this month, followed by a clean bill of health from her doctor. But it has been a tumultuous 10 months.
In August, her breast cancer was diagnosed and she was placed on medical leave to have surgery. Then began rounds of chemotherapy and an eventual mastectomy this year.
Meanwhile, the program she had turned from a laughingstock into a budding conference power was losing games and mired in controversy. Its interim coach had been suspended, a player had accused a member of the men's team of rape, and a star player had left the squad for the second time in six months. In February, SJSU officials announced the school's second-winningest coach would not be back. Last month, Pam DeCosta was named as Richard's replacement.
"The last year and a half was really difficult, but for the most part I really enjoyed my time at San Jose State," Richard said. "It was disappointing how things ended, but it's over. I have some good memories here, and those are the things I'll take with me."
In seven seasons at SJSU, Richard led the team to a 93-106 record. The Spartans had 18 wins in 2005 and finished with a winning record three times. Before Richard arrived, SJSU had just one winning season in 18 years.
"We wish Janice good health and good luck as she returns to her alma mater," SJSU Athletic Director Tom Bowen said in a statement Wednesday.
Richard said she always hoped to return to coaching. She was 29 when she was named head coach at Xavier and last season would have been her 14th as a head coach.
"Going through chemo, you have your doubts that you will even survive," Richard said. "But I had a lot of people around me that kept encouraging me. I thought that if God was willing and he was going to help me through this and I was healthy enough, I was definitely going to coach again.
"I'm feeling great. I love what I do. I'm looking forward to getting back on the sidelines."
Richard probably could have waited for another DivisionI job to come around. But she said she feels a deep connection to her alma mater. Louisiana College men's basketball coach Gene Rushing was at the school when Richard played, and he kept in close touch with her throughout Richard's illness. So did the school's athletic director, Tim Whitman, who had not met Richard until last month but wanted to reach out to the former Wildcat.
"I can't say we do this every time, but it's a family," Whitman said. "When we know that one of our own is hurting or ill, we try to touch base."
The groundwork for Richard's homecoming became possible this month when Robin Potera-Haskings resigned to take a job at a DivisionII school in Florida. Whitman called Richard to gauge her interest, and the response was overwhelming.
"It is a perfect situation for me," Richard said. "Of course, they are not going to be able to match the dollar amount San Jose State paid me. It does not matter to me. It is about being happy and being with people that care."Labels: financial aid, high school, scholarship, student loans, study abroad |
