Kathleen Richey Walton

Kathleen Richey-Walton is a 1974 graduate of Bellefontaine High School.  Mrs. Richey-Walton, who was an outstanding basketball player at BHS, was the first female graduate to receive an athletic scholarship to college.

 

After coaching for more than 20 years at the college level, Kathy Richey-Walton accepted a coaching/teaching position in the DeKalb County School System in Decatur, Georgia. Mrs. Richey-Walton coached and taught for two years at McNair Middle School before transferring to Southwest DeKalb High School in 2002. Since arriving at Southwest DeKalb High School (SWD), the girl’s basketball program has posted a 296-93 record, winning back to back to back GHSA (Georgia High School Association) AAAA State Championships in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Then, returning to the championship game in 2012, finishing Runner-ups, before winning it all again as the AAAAA State Champions in 2013 and again Runner-ups in 2014. At the same time, Coach Walton was named the 2010 and 2008 Garland F. Pinholster High School Coach of the Year, 2009 BCA (Black Coaches and Administrators) National High School Coach of the Year, the 2009 Bobby Cremins State Coach of the Year, the 2010, 2009 and 2008 DeKalb County Coach of the Year and the 2009 GAHPERD (Georgia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance) Teacher of the Year. The 2014 year was top off by Mrs. Richey-Walton being named the 2014 Southwest DeKalb High School Teacher of the Year.

 

Mrs. Walton also had a two-year stint as a Talent Scout at the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) prior to her 20 years of coaching and teaching at the collegiate level. At the collegiate level, Mrs. Richey-Walton was an Instructor/Coach and Department Chair/Athletic Director at Spelman College, the Head Coach and a Master Teacher at Slippery Rock University as well as the number one assistant basketball coach at The University of Wisconsin and The University of Iowa.

 

Coach Walton has also garnered national and international experience as the coach for the Georgia Metros 16 and Under team who won four national championships; head coach at the 2005 USA Olympic Youth Development Festival in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the head coach at the first ever Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, in 2010.  Her other international experiences included training the Nigerian National Women’s Basketball team in 1991; serving as the Envoy for the Nigerian Olympic Team in 1994; working on several Olympic projects for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, which included serving as the Assistant Project Director for The Olympic Woman: A Curriculum for Georgia Middle School Students and as a training site manager for the basketball venues during the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games.

 

Mrs. Richey-Walton received her Bachelor of Science degree from Ashland College, Ashland, Ohio, and Masters of Arts degree from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. She currently resides in Decatur, Georgia with her husband, William, and her three children, Richey, Stephan, and Sydnee.

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