Published March 06, 2015
For years, the Men’s Basketball team at the University of Louisiana at Monroe was
marred by poor Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores. When Keith Richard was named the
Head Coach of Men’s Basketball in April 2010,he made improving the team’s APR a top
priority. Prior to Richard’s arrival, the team earned a disappointing APR rate of
712. Through the efforts of Richard and an academic taskforce, the team earned its
first-ever perfect APR score of 1,000 in 2014.
“These devastatingly-low academic results from our basketball program required fast
and decisive action,” said ULM President, Dr. Nick J. Bruno. “I was assured by Coach
Keith Richard that we had his complete commitment to the team’s academic success.”
The team was placed into receivership—a situation which requires that all academic
decisions, including admission of new student-athletes, to be delegated to an APR
taskforce. This group was charged with developing policies to address the academic
restoration of men’s basketball, which included the writing of a progress plan to
establish practice time limits, study hall requirements, and pre-screening of recruits.
The ULM taskforce, which was honored during the men’s basketball game on March 5,
includes Committee Chair, Brett Bennett, associate professor and director of the radiologic
technology program; Dr. Michelle McEacharn, professor and director of the School of
Accounting, Financial, and Information Systems; Karen Crowley, associate university
registrar; Barbara Michaelides, director of retention; Dr. Brian Wickstrom, athletic
director; and ex-officio member, Meghan Mazza, assistant athletic director for compliance.
“Few can appreciate the number of hours and level of commitment given to ensuring
the academic progress and excellence of our men’s basketball program,” said Bruno.
“Coach Richard is to be commended for his commitment to his student-athletes’ success.
The amazing turnaround we have witnessed in men’s basketball has truly been a team
effort, with many individuals contributing to this new-found academic achievement.”
Over the last two years, the men’s basketball team has earned consecutive Team Academic
Excellence Awards from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), and
consecutive Sun Belt Conference Academic Awards after posting the top team grade point
average (GPA).
