Region News

[BuckLateral]

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/05/13/richards-out-as-portage-high-school-head-football-coach/

[Bobref]

4 hours ago, BuckLateral said:

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/05/13/richards-out-as-portage-high-school-head-football-coach/

I find this really troubling. I have known Roy Richards ever since he started at Morton. Worked many games involving his teams. He is a fine person and a terrific coach. What he did with a moribund Morton program was nothing short of miraculous. As soon as open enrollment hit Hammond, his program became a magnet for every kid in Hammond who aspired to play football.  Kids ran toward a great program, not away from an abusive coach.

Coach Richards is “old school” and he coaches his kids hard. Sounds like some people in Portage didn’t like that. Frankly, that tells me more about Portage than about Coach Richards. There’s a reason this once proud program has been a dumpster fire for years now. Soft.

[Julio]

I don't know about soft, the wrestling team does a great job.  I know they are coached hard.  I have know Roy for a long time and have had some great games against him, but moving from school to school like i have, Hammond is not the same as Portage.

[scarab527]

I'll just say that if anything close to what I've heard is true, Coach Richards has no one to blame for this other than himself. 

[Boilernation]

30 minutes ago, Bobref said:

I find this really troubling. I have known Roy Richards ever since he started at Morton. Worked many games involving his teams. He is a fine person and a terrific coach. What he did with a moribund Morton program was nothing short of miraculous. As soon as open enrollment hit Hammond, his program became a magnet for every kid in Hammond who aspired to play football.  Kids ran toward a great program, not away from an abusive coach.

Coach Richards is “old school” and he coaches his kids hard. Sounds like some people in Portage didn’t like that. Frankly, that tells me more about Portage than about Coach Richards. There’s a reason this once proud program has been a dumpster fire for years now. Soft.

Where are you reading it was due to his coaching style? Not much, if anything at all has been leaked as to why he was originally placed on paid administrative leave.

[CoachMack219]

49 minutes ago, Bobref said:

I find this really troubling. I have known Roy Richards ever since he started at Morton. Worked many games involving his teams. He is a fine person and a terrific coach. What he did with a moribund Morton program was nothing short of miraculous. As soon as open enrollment hit Hammond, his program became a magnet for every kid in Hammond who aspired to play football.  Kids ran toward a great program, not away from an abusive coach.

Coach Richards is “old school” and he coaches his kids hard. Sounds like some people in Portage didn’t like that. Frankly, that tells me more about Portage than about Coach Richards. There’s a reason this once proud program has been a dumpster fire for years now. Soft.

Couldn't agree more @Bobref! I have A LOT more questions for Portage than I do for/ about Roy Richards after this debacle. 

20 minutes ago, scarab527 said:

I'll just say that if anything close to what I've heard is true, Coach Richards has no one to blame for this other than himself. 

If it's anything like Facebook comment sections suggests, it's not true.. Lol 

[Bobref]

54 minutes ago, Boilernation said:

Where are you reading it was due to his coaching style? Not much, if anything at all has been leaked as to why he was originally placed on paid administrative leave.

The article quotes parents who did not like the way their kids were treated.

[Boilernation]

39 minutes ago, Bobref said:

The article quotes parents who did not like the way their kids were treated.

Copy. I just noticed I was paywalled and could only read a slight blurb on the posted article.

[RegionFBFan]

I agree with scarab527. This has absolutely nothing to do with his coaching style and pushing his players. It has everything to do with some really bad decisions on his part. The administration made the correct decision to remove him.

[Boilernation]

The Tribe are now onto their 4th HC since 2019. 25% of the enrollment is Hispanic and 60% of the enrollment is on free or reduced lunches. Tough combo to crack when your comp just at the Sectional level is more upscale communites like Crown Point, Lake Central and Penn. 

[BuckLateral]

By Doug Ross | Post-Tribune

UPDATED: May 13, 2025 at 12:27 PM CDT

Roy Richards is out as head football coach at Portage High School.

He had been suspended with pay pending a personnel review.

“We recognize and appreciate the contributions Coach Richards has made to the program, and we wish him well in his future opportunities,” the Portage High School Athletic Department said in a statement Monday night.

Tony Klimczak will remain as interim head coach during the transition, and off-season workouts will continue, the athletic department announced.

“Our priority moving forward is to mentor our students, motivate our students to be successful both on the field and in the classroom, support the overall health and safety of our student athletes, and instill a sense of Portage Pride in Portage football and all of our athletic programs,” the statement said. “We remain committed to the continued growth and development of our football program and will take the necessary steps to provide both stability and support for our student athletes moving forward.”

Four people spoke about the issue at Monday night’s Portage Township School Board meeting.

“If he’s gone, the team won’t be the same,” football player Anton Mathis said.

“We feel like it’s a mistake” to suspend coach, he said. “He has been a big impact in our lives.”

Nicole Rains, who has a son on the team said, “They have learned a lot. They have grown.”

“This coach is very respectful. He teaches these kids academics. He teaches these kids how to be respectful,” she said. “He promotes being a human over how to be a good player.”

“The coach has done nothing wrong but encourage these kids,” Rains said. “Coach has never done anything wrong to these boys, and the ones who are crying about it are probably the ones who never had any morals.”

The other two people who spoke had differing views.

“He’s very divisive,” Jean Gholson-Warmick said. She told the board she has text messages to back up her opinion.

“He put on a big front at the team meetings,” but belittles dual-sport athletes, she said. “You have to have an adult in the room.”

When football players took a water break at the same time as wrestlers, Richards belittled the football players for interacting with the wrestlers, Gholson-Warmick said.

“It wasn’t just one infraction; it was a month,” she said.

Another parent, Fred Joseph, commended the administration for taking action against the coach.

“I personally, with my son, had a very negative experience,” Joseph said.

As a coach, “you are charged with the health and safety of our athletes first and foremost,” he said. Coaches are trained on issues like concussions and other issues to protect students’ health and safety.

Joseph’s son, a freshman, was on the junior varsity team, playing two games a week, a total of eight quarters. But national rules say an athlete can play a maximum of five quarters a week, Joseph said. “Those are rules put in place for the health and safety of our athletes.”

“Fundamentally, it comes down to the health and safety of our kids. He had complete disregard for that,” Joseph said.

“We’re not going to be debating issues with you,” School Board President Andy Maletta said before inviting public comments.

“It will not be a Q&A,” board attorney Ken Elwood said, because the administration and board are forbidden by state law to comment on personnel matters.

No details of Richards’ case were released.

Richards had been with Portage High School two years, with a winless 2023 season and a 4-6 record last year. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach at Michigan City High School.

In 2015, he left Morton High School in Hammond after 16 seasons, amassing a record of 118-66 before resigning as football coach and athletic director. He had been under paid suspension but was cleared of charges against him by the Indiana Department of Child Services, the Post-Tribune reported at the time.

According to Post-Tribune archives, Richards said at the time that the school placed him on paid suspension to investigate a complaint about inappropriate behavior with a female student.

Morton called in Indiana Child Protective Services to investigate the complaint immediately after it learned of the incident. Richards said then that the girl’s boyfriend confronted him about touching his girlfriend in his office.

A security camera in Richards’ office captured the incident. The girl, Richards said then, had asked him who the 10 cutest football players were. Richards put his arm around the girl briefly and started pointing to the pictures of the players he had on the wall.

In the CPS report, the girl said she was “uncomfortable,” according to Richards.

Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

Originally Published: May 13, 2025 at 11:55 AM CDT

[Boilernation]

Not a good look for Richards if Fred Joseph doesn't have your back. He's a 2 time State Champion wrestler at Portage who wrestled during an era when the Indians were a state powerhouse and extremely tough. The weak minded wouldn't last a day in that era. All they knew was how to train hard and be tougher than the opponent. 

 

Edited May 15, 2025 by Boilernation

[CoachMack219]

56 minutes ago, Boilernation said:

Not a good look for Richards if Fred Joseph doesn't have your back. He's a 2 time State Champion wrestler at Portage who wrestled during an era when the Indians were a state powerhouse and extremely tough. The weak minded wouldn't last a day in that era. All they knew was how to train hard and be tougher than the opponent. 

 

Apparently (according to the above article) the STRONG (not weak minded) Fred Joseph who grew up in Portage when "All they (he) knew was how to train hard and be tougher than the opponent," has a problem with kids playing TOO MUCH FOOTBALL to *checks notes* train hard and be tougher than their opponents (something Portage has failed to do since the days of Buzz)? Seems to be a BIT contradictory to me. Spare me the "health and safety of the athletes" speech. There are kids ALL OVER this state playing more than 5 quarters a week and if this man is (as you say) a strong minded, mans man that grew up when all you knew was train hard and be tougher than the opponent, then why is he crying foul when his kid is being worked "too hard" for his liking? 

Seems like a weird defense to mount, to me. Best of luck to Portage on their 4th head coach in 6 years. I'm sure the community will support the next guy! 🙄

[RegionFBFan]

There is a lot more to the “Health and Safety” comment than just working hard and pushing them.

It states the Administration did not and will not release details causing his release. Good decision on their part and for Richards reputation. Admin is taking the high road which is appropriate.

[Boilernation]

32 minutes ago, CoachMack219 said:

Apparently (according to the above article) the STRONG (not weak minded) Fred Joseph who grew up in Portage when "All they (he) knew was how to train hard and be tougher than the opponent," has a problem with kids playing TOO MUCH FOOTBALL to *checks notes* train hard and be tougher than their opponents (something Portage has failed to do since the days of Buzz)? Seems to be a BIT contradictory to me. Spare me the "health and safety of the athletes" speech. There are kids ALL OVER this state playing more than 5 quarters a week and if this man is (as you say) a strong minded, mans man that grew up when all you knew was train hard and be tougher than the opponent, then why is he crying foul when his kid is being worked "too hard" for his liking? 

Seems like a weird defense to mount, to me. Best of luck to Portage on their 4th head coach in 6 years. I'm sure the community will support the next guy! 🙄

Or possibly someone who understands what commitment to excellence looks can also understand when priorities such as health + safety are being compromised. And in this case they could have likely been compromised in areas we'll never know due to the lack of information provided. 

[vicvinegar]

I don't know the Coach or really anything about Portage so I don't have an opinion on the situation. I am confused about the player playing eight quarters. Is he playing 4 quarters on varsity and 4 on JV? Is JV playing 2 games a week? I've never heard of that happening. Is he playing Freshmen and JV? From my experience, they play at the same time. One at home, the other away. I'm just simply curious. 

[CoachMack219]

12 minutes ago, vicvinegar said:

I don't know the Coach or really anything about Portage so I don't have an opinion on the situation. I am confused about the player playing eight quarters. Is he playing 4 quarters on varsity and 4 on JV? Is JV playing 2 games a week? I've never heard of that happening. Is he playing Freshmen and JV? From my experience, they play at the same time. One at home, the other away. I'm just simply curious. 

From my DAC experience, Freshman games are on Thursday evenings and JV games are on Saturday mornings. Meaning a young man COULD play 8 quarters (albeit against the rules) in a week if their schedule allowed. I will say I REALLY love this JV and Freshman play at the same time at different locations thing. Is that what goes on in the HCC? That's pretty sweet. Lol 

[vicvinegar]

Yes, that's how the HCC does it. That format would certainly help prevent situations like this (if that's happened).

[First_Backer_Inside]

I wish my coach played me for 8 quarters a week when I played...maybe I wasn't as good as I thought I was in high school.

Edited May 15, 2025 by First_Backer_Inside
Typo

[US31]

In Northern IN, it is very common for some of the better Frosh (who mostly play Thursday night up there) to play extra quarters in the Saturday JV game.  Again, this is VERY common.  Way back in the 1900's, I think I played in over half of the JV games as freshman...but only for a quarter or a half....

....Playing 8 quarters would be a no-no.

 

(As an aside....does anyone still play JV on Mondays?  That is a practice that I was glad to see die out in Central Indiana.  The switch to Frosh/JV playing opposite on Saturday mornings is one of the best quality of life changes to football coaches anywere)

[First_Backer_Inside]

9 hours ago, US31 said:

In Northern IN, it is very common for some of the better Frosh (who mostly play Thursday night up there) to play extra quarters in the Saturday JV game.  Again, this is VERY common.  Way back in the 1900's, I think I played in over half of the JV games as freshman...but only for a quarter or a half....

....Playing 8 quarters would be a no-no.

 

(As an aside....does anyone still play JV on Mondays?  That is a practice that I was glad to see die out in Central Indiana.  The switch to Frosh/JV playing opposite on Saturday mornings is one of the best quality of life changes to football coaches anywere)

Yes we do. It is harder for the smaller schools to do this. Not as many coaches, so our DC is also our JV coach. Would be hard to cut up and watch film of the other team to be prepared for meeting to implement the gameplan for the next week. Mondays are more of a walk through and conditioning day during the season, so Mondays work well for us to get JV guys to practice for special teams work, and then get ready to play that night. Again at a small school, we have a lot of JV guys that also play a lot of special teams for us on Friday nights. Playing on Thursday or Saturday runs the risk of injury either before the Varsity game or during it resulting in no time for adjustments for the Varsity or JV game on Saturday. Like the idea, just doesn't really work for us personally. I believe a lot of the teams around us play on Mondays as well.

[US31]

On 5/15/2025 at 11:35 PM, First_Backer_Inside said:

Yes we do. It is harder for the smaller schools to do this. Not as many coaches, so our DC is also our JV coach. Would be hard to cut up and watch film of the other team to be prepared for meeting to implement the gameplan for the next week. Mondays are more of a walk through and conditioning day during the season, so Mondays work well for us to get JV guys to practice for special teams work, and then get ready to play that night. Again at a small school, we have a lot of JV guys that also play a lot of special teams for us on Friday nights. Playing on Thursday or Saturday runs the risk of injury either before the Varsity game or during it resulting in no time for adjustments for the Varsity or JV game on Saturday. Like the idea, just doesn't really work for us personally. I believe a lot of the teams around us play on Mondays as well.

When I was at a smaller school we actually liked the move to Saturdays.  Was hard to do get ready for Friday on Monday's when most of the staff and all your 2's (and a lot of special teams guys) were still at a game for "last week's" opponent.  Was still plenty of time to get things done after that 10am JV game (and I was a coordinator).

I agree 100% on the Thursday night Frosh thing.  If you are a smaller staff, doing JV & Frosh at the same time would be difficult. For a while (mid 2000's?) we used to do JV/Frosh double headers on Saturday's with some schools.  That was a long day, and it didn't last long for good reasons.

Edited May 19, 2025 by US31

[vito]

I believe Fred Joseph was at one time the AD of Portage HS. Not sure if that does or does not play into the situation? The current AD, Brett St. Germain, is as old school as they come and was a hell of a football coach in his own right 

[1st_and_10]

It's 6 quarters now, right?  And if the kid is playing special teams on JV and then playing a Freshman game that is legal, correct?  I would agree playing any offensive or defensive position for 8 quarters is illegal. 

[Bobref]

Over on the “Eve of Rule 19” thread, @RegionFBFan has reported a rumor of mass exodus of football players from Portage in the wake of Coach Richards’ termination, now that the new transfer rule is in effect.