Hall of Fame
Highlights: Coached SRU to its only PSAC title in 1986, won two PSAC West titles, reached PSAC tournament five times, led SRU to NCAA playoffs.
Richey-Walton coached The Rock women's basketball team to an overall record of 82-68 (.546) over six seasons from 1982-86. During that stretch, she led the program to five straight PSAC tournaments, won two PSAC West titles and led the program to its only conference championship in 1986. Her teams ranked in the top 20 in the national poll in both 1983 and 1986 with the 1986 team finishing the year ranked 16th in the final poll after reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
In addition to her coaching role at Slippery Rock, Richey-Walton also served as an instructor for classes in coaching basketball, softball, volleyball and tennis from 1982-88.
She served brief stints as an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Iowa after earning her undergraduate degree from Ashland University and her master's degree from Iowa before taking her first head coaching job at SRU in 1982. Following her time at The Rock, Richey-Walton relocated to the Atlanta area, where she would build a legacy as a high school educator and coach.
In 2002, Richey-Walton began teaching physical education and coaching basketball at Southwest DeKalb High School in Decatur, Georgia. She has compiled an overall record of 392-123 and has led the school to five state championships since 2008. She has also led the team to three state runner-up finishes during that stretch and has claimed six regional titles. For her efforts, Richey-Walton has been named the DeKalb County Coach of the Year eight times since 2008. She has also been named the Bobby Cremins State Coach of the Year and was named the 2009 Black Coaches and Administrators National High School Coach of the Year. She was inducted into the Southwest DeKalb Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018 and was named the Southwest DeKalb Teacher of the Year in 2014.
Richey-Walton serves as a president in the Georgia High School Association, is a faculty representative on the Southwest DeKalb High School Council and is a member of the Southwest DeKalb Leadership Team. Her husband, William Walton, has a master's degree from Slippery Rock. The couple reside in Decatur and have three children, William, Stephan and Sydnee.
