HUDSON, NC (October 30, 2017)…Richie Covington may be new to the Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute campus, but he’s certainly not new to the area. Covington was recently hired to be the new women’s basketball coach at CCC&TI, his first coaching job and a continuation of a life spent involved in sports.
Covington’s father, Rick, was the former Sports Information Director at Appalachian State University. Covington played two seasons of basketball at Watauga High School before moving to Fort Worth, Texas, where he graduated from North Crowley High School. While at North Crowley, Covington was a two-time All-District selection, and, as a senior, was captain of the top-ranked 4A team in the state, which featured nine future college players and three future professionals.
His college basketball-playing career included two years at Texas A&M Commerce and two years at Mars Hill University in North Carolina. During his time at Mars Hill, Covington was team captain, leading the team in rebounding and blocks and was third in scoring. He also met CCC&TI men’s basketball head coach Matt Anderson and assistant coach Jamison McIver at Mars Hill.
“The chance to be a head coach at the college level was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down,” Covington said. “It’s great to be back in the area that I consider my home.”
Even though the Lady Cobras will not put a team on the floor this season, Covington plans to spend the next year connecting with local high school coaches and recruiting students to continue the strong CCC&TI basketball tradition next season.
Among the factors that brought Covington to CCC&TI was the reputation of success for CCC&TI basketball, as well as the emphasis on academics.
“The focus for the first year will be putting together a team that the college and community will be proud of and we can build from there,” Covington said. “Everyone has been so welcoming. I am excited about the potential for the women’s program. We have strong academics here and this area loves basketball.”