New Arizona head coach Sean Miller has hired two assistant coaches who worked with him at Xavier, James Whitford and Emanuel Richardson. A university press release outlined the new assistants’ résumés.
Whitford, 37, joins Miller’s Wildcat staff after serving in a similar capacity for the last four seasons at Xavier with an emphasis on defense and recruiting. While working for the Musketeers, the program amassed a 103-35 (.746) record and collected three Atlantic-10 Conference championships, one A-10 tournament title and made four NCAA Tournament appearances. The 2007-08 XU squad advanced to the West Regional Final.
Prior to his tenure in Cincinnati, Whitford spent 11 seasons on the staff at Miami University (Ohio) for Charlie Coles, the last eight as the top assistant. In that span, the RedHawks won better than 60 percent of its games (201-130), captured the 2004-05 Mid-American Conference championship and advanced to the National Invitational Tournament.
“Book” Richardson, 36, just completed his second year as a member of Miller’s staff at Xavier. His impact was immediate, as the 2007-08 Musketeers posted a school-record 30 wins and advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s “Elite Eight.”
Prior to Xavier, Richardson was the Director of Basketball for the New York Gauchos/Teamwork Foundation in the Bronx, N.Y., from 2005-07. He also served as an assistant coach at St. Raymond’s High School for Boys in 2004 and was the head coach for ninth and 10th-grade players in the New York Gauchos system in 2003.
