Walz-Richey wants to be known as "caring person"

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

The honors for her great playing career may continue to trickle in 17 years after the amazing career ended.

Jaime Walz-Richey just received induction into the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame. But above anything else, the 35-year-old wants to be known as “a very caring person.”

That’s why Walz-Richey said coaching is tough sometimes. Her older brother Jeff Walz said virtually the same thing weeks ago. Walz is the head coach of the University of Louisville women’s basketball team.

“I have to make basketball decisions that may affect (parents’) daughters’ playing time,” Walz-Richey said. “I wish everyone could play equally, but I can’t do that. As a coach, I have a job to do. As a person, that hurts me because I care about every one of those girls on and off the court. When you talk to them, they’ll tell you that.”

Her husband of nearly 10 years, Bert Richey, said her personal plaques and trophies like the 1996 Gatorade Player of the Year are stored away in their downstairs basement. But pictures with players current and past grace the refrigerator because the relationships are more important to her than her personal awards.

Richey even said the entire family is that unselfish. Walz-Richey said and her three older brothers along with her parents had dinner and took vacations as a family.

The family played a vital role in her basketball career. She still leads the state of Kentucky with 4,948 all-time career points.

“It’s been neat to watch her grow,” Walz said. “My brothers and I have been really proud of what she accomplished. She has a positive impact on a lot of players. I like how she handles herself on the sideline. I think she’s done a great job with the teams she’s had at Highlands.”

During her playing days, Walz-Richey helped Highlands to three 9th Region championships. The Bluebirds finished state runner-up to the now defunct M.C. Napier of Hazard her sophomore year in 1994. While she likes to win, Walz-Richey said not winning a state championship as a player does not drive her coaching-wise.

“I just want them to have the same experiences I did in high school,” Walz-Richey said. “This group of girls this year got a taste of it. They saw people at the regional tournament games from the community that hadn’t been to our games all year. When teams do well, the community of Fort Thomas comes out to support you.”

Walz coached his sister for a year at Western Kentucky University. He said things worked out well and she learned some things from him that year.

“It was the same thing,” Walz said. “We enjoyed the year we had together. It was no problem. You’re just coaching basketball at that point in time.”

Richey has been an assistant at Highlands for a couple of years. He said he understands his role as an assistant and the couple does not bring the coaching job home while around their two daughters Jenna and Bailey.

“As the assistant coach, it’s my job to make suggestions just like all the other assistants,” Richey said. “She asks me what I think about certain situations and I tell her my opinion. Sometimes, you goes with it and sometimes, she goes with what she feels is best to make the kids successful.”

Six seniors graduated from this past year’s 26-8 squad that won the 36th District Championship and finished 9th Region runner-up to eventual state runner-up Notre Dame. Three are playing college sports next year. Leah Schaefer and Jesse “Dirt” Daley will play at Xavier University and Thomas More College respectively and Ava Abner will play soccer at Arkansas State University. Ava Abner said her bond with Walz-Richey developed over a period of time.

“She actually has been coaching me for seven years,” Abner said. “She’s like my mom. I even call her Mom. She taught me a lot about my ability, myself and how to step up to the plate when my team needs it. When it comes to life, I’ll be able to use it on the job.”

One of her former players in Angela Healy played at nearby Northern Kentucky University. Healy now teaches sixth grade and was just named head coach at Greeley Central just north of Denver, Colorado and Walz-Richey was one of the first people to know that.

“(Walz-Richey) taught me that hard work and dedication will breed success,” Healy said. “She was an example of it throughout her entire playing career when I watched her play in high school and in college. She showed me that same work ethic and commitment as a coach. She also allowed players to develop as leaders on the court with play calling and decision making. As a coach myself now, I hope to grow my players into that role, too.”

The relationships with the current players developed because Walz-Richey has been head coach for 11 years. The Bluebirds are 201-125 during that time with three district championships.

“It’s nice for the school and community to have a consistent coach,” Walz-Richey said. “The elementary and middle schoolers see me at their practices and some of their games. When they get to high school, they know me already.”

That’s been the case for returning players like rising sophomore Brianna Adler. Adler’s older sisters Mallory and Alex also played for Highlands during Walz-Richey’s tenure.

“I think if you want to be good, you have to put the time and effort into it every day,” Adler said. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned so far is to play with your heart. That’s something I think our team struggles with every year. We may not be into the game as much as we should be.”

Adler and Haley Coffey will be the returning starters this season. Other returning players looking to take bigger roles include Tomi Blanton, Whitney Quillen, Lydia Graves, Alex Combs and McKenzie Leigh.

“We all have to get physically stronger,” Walz-Richey said. “We have a great group of girls coming back. Everyone will have to step up and do more. I think we have the ability to do that as long as we work hard in the offseason and get better. A lot of them are playing AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) so they’re back at it getting better.”

Walz-Richey said the staff is already gearing toward the next steps with the program. During the summer, Highlands often partakes in team camps and summer basketball. That has included trips to Louisville in the past.

Walzing the Cardinals to National Prominence

 

Contributed Photo. Jeff Walz, a 1990 Highlands graduate, has led the University of Louisville women's basketball program to national championship game appearances in 2009 and 2013 and a 148-65 record.

 

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

 

The next step for Jeff Walz and the University of Louisville Cardinals women’s basketball program may be a national championship.

 

But in terms of national prominence, the 1990 Highlands graduate said he believes the program has arrived. The Cardinals along with the Connecticut Huskies and Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the only three teams that have played in two national championship games in the last five years.

 

“We feel that we’ve made that next step,” Walz said. “That says a lot about our program in that we’re here and plan on challenging for Final Fours.”

 

Louisville has been on the rise ever since Walz arrived in 2007. The Cardinals lost to Connecticut in both title game appearances in 2009 and this past season by a 93-60 count on April 9 in New Orleans. The Cardinals are 148-65 in those six seasons. They’d never been past the second round of the NCAA Tournament prior to his arrival.

 

Walz’ Division I coaching career began in 1995 when he served as an assistant under Paul Sanderford at Western Kentucky University. He had stops at Nebraska, Minnesota and Maryland. He served as Associate Head Coach under Brenda Frese at Maryland before coming to Louisville.

 

Maryland won the national championship in 2006. Walz said he learned a lot of his x’s and o’s from Sanderford and a lot about recruiting from Frese.

 

But the 41-year-old Walz likes being within an hour and a half of his Fort Thomas roots. His oldest brother Scott lives in Louisville and his brother Brian lives in Fort Thomas and his sister Jaime Walz-Richey lives in Northern Kentucky, where she teaches at Highlands and has been the head girls basketball coach since 2002.

 

“It’s great because my family gets to come down and see a lot of games,” Walz said. “It’s nice to have family close by.”

 

Louisville has struggled against Big East powers Notre Dame and Connecticut during his tenure. The Cardinals are 0-10 against Connecticut and 1-8 against Notre Dame. Walz said that comes down to recruiting players that can battle against teams like Geno Auriemma and the Huskies.

 

“They’re a great team,” Walz said of Connecticut. “Geno (Auriemma) has done a remarkable job with them. Our goal is to beat them. When you beat them, you’re normally going to be one of the top two teams in the country. He’s fortunate to normally get the top players in the country each year.”

 

Walz said the first recruiting priority is obviously Kentucky. Then the staff works out to the surrounding states like Indiana and Ohio before going nation-wide. They have players from New York, Missouri, Illinois and New York.

 

One player that Walz won out against Auriemma is sophomore Sara Hammond. Hammond chose to stay in Kentucky. She led Rockcastle County to the state championship in 2011.

 

“We have the best coaching staff in the country,” Hammond said. “I’d put them up against any other coaches in the country and I’d still choose ours every single day.”

 

Louisville finished 29-9 this past year beating defending champion Baylor in addition to national power Tennessee on the way to the national championship game. The Cardinals battled injuries to key players along the way. They graduate three seniors, but return Hammond and standout Shoni Schimmel.

 

Walz said the support in Kentucky’s largest city is great. He said Louisville Director of Athletics Tom Jurich supports all the sports. Louisville men’s basketball Head Coach Rick Pitino came to New Orleans to watch the title game after leading the Cardinals to the national title over Michigan the night before.

 

“We’re fortunate to have an athletic department that supports each other,” Walz said. “The coaches and student-athletes support each other. That’s what makes it so special.”

 

In coaching, Walz said he wants to make sure the players know there is a difference between things on the court and off the court. It’s about basketball on the court.

 

“We work on building relationships off the court so they understand that he might get on me on the basketball court demanding me to do the right things,” Walz said. “They know I care about them off the court. Once you get to that point, the players understand that on the floor, it’s not personal.”

 

Walz said the game strategy is different for each opponent. The Cardinals might play a Man-to-Man Defense against some teams and zone defenses against other teams.

 

Louisville has some new challenges going forward. The Cardinals enter the American Athletic Conference for one year before entering the Atlantic Coast Conference. Some former Big East teams will play in the AAC next year.

 

“We’re excited about the opportunity to join the ACC in two years,” Walz said. “It’s going to be a great basketball league. It will be good for all of our sports. It’s going to be a challenge. There’s no question about it, but one we’re excited to take on.”

 

Walz has two kids in daughter Kaeley and son Jacob. Walz said they live with their mother in Charleston, S.C. now.

 

“I’m very fortunate. My kids are fantastic,” Walz said. “She’s a fabulous mother. They were with me the entire NCAA Tournament run so they enjoy coming to the games and being around the players. It’s like their second home.”

 

Walz married for Vanderbilt basketball player Lauren Lueders in September. Lueders was a senior on the 09-10 Vanderbilt team.

 

“She’s been great,” Walz said of his wife. “She understand (basketball) having played it herself. She understand the time commitment that comes with it. She also traveled with us the entire NCAA Tournament run.”

 

Nashville is the home of the Final Four in 2014. Walz said he hopes the Cardinals make that journey down Interstate-65 next year.