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There is a new darling of the NCAA Tournament as the Furman Paladins are showing the early signs of a Cinderella story. Entering the tournament as a No. 13 seed, Furman has produced the most notable upset of the tournament thus far.
It took a bad turnover from 4th-seeded Virginia and a last-second 3-pointer to give the Paladins a 68-67 victory. In just the second game of the first round, one of the most memorable moments of March Madness has been witnessed already.
At the heart of this win is Bob Richey. The coach is in his sixth season at Furman. Under his tenure, the Paladins have gone 138-53, and this is their first time making the NCAA Tournament since 1980. This was the first victory in the NCAA Tournament for the program since 1974.
How did Bob Richey get to Furman?
At 39 years old, Bob Richey is on the younger side of head coaches. However, he has still paid his dues to earn the opportunity.
Richey's coaching career began in 2006, when he accepted a job at Charleston Southern University. During his five years at Charleston Southern, he recruited five of the program's top 11 scorers of all time. Richey climbed from an assistant coach to an associate head coach.
Richey joined the Furman staff in 2011, serving as an assistant coach for the next few years. In 2017, after then-head coach Niko Medved accepted a job at Drake University, Richey was promoted to interim head coach for the 2017 postseason tournament and officially got the job following that season. This is his 12th season at Furman as a whole.
The program got off to a hot start under Richey's tenure. Furman kicked off the 2018-19 season with the program's first 6-0 start, including a victory over defending national champion Villanova.
The Paladins produced back-to-back seasons with 25-plus wins in 2019 and 2020. Under his tenure, the Paladins have also won 20-plus games in four consecutive seasons for the first time in program history.
For now, Richey and the rest of the Furman basketball program will focus on facing the winner of the game between Charleston and San Diego State. The Paladins made quite a statement in the opening round on Thursday, but the slates will be wiped clean ahead of the Round of 32.
He will surely not let it distract him at the moment, but it is likely Bob Richey will be on the radar of some bigger college programs as well. Considering his success and the great job he has done at Furman, don't be surprised if a Power Five school gives him an opportunity at the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament.
