Greg Richmond Put Family First for Years, Now Eric Morris Brought Him Home

STILLWATER — Most of the coaches associated with Oklahoma State football will spend the coming months learning about Stillwater and the program’s history.

The exception to the rule is defensive line coach Greg Richmond, a decorated Cowboy player who now returns to the same role he had from 2018-22.

“I’ve seen Greg break down in tears in my office,” coach Eric Morris said. “Because he missed his family and he missed his sons’ events and he was seeing all these other families.”

Richmond spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons working on staffs at Sam Houston and North Texas, respectively, but it sounds like he and his wife, Jennifer, decided the family should remain in Stillwater for the sake of their three sons, Jaylen, Jacoby and Jamar.

Due to the high level of turnover in college coaching, it’s common for coaches to make such decisions to provide more stability to their families.

“All the other coaches right now, their families aren’t here,” Morris said. “They’re working on moving. That’s the hard thing the first six months, and kids finishing school, all that stuff.

“So Greg’s been able to flip that. He moved right back into his house, his kids are here. So while we all struggle, that’s kind of what he did over the course of the last two years being away from here. So it’s been cool for me to see his kids come up all the time. Their one rule when they come to the office after school, they have to stop by and talk to me in the office. So it’s been fun to see them be able to be around dad.”

Morris said it meant something special that his new job gave him the chance to reunite the Richmond family.

“He was the first one that texted me with all these things about Stillwater, what’s gonna happen here or there or there,” Morris said. “But if I would’ve went to the University of Montana, I would’ve taken Greg with me just because the way he’s worked for me in the past, the short amount of time that I’ve known him, and the results that we’ve had on the field. I’m a loyal person at heart.”

Richmond owes the reunion in part to defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity. He also coordinated the defense at Sam Houston in 2024 and likely played an instrumental part in getting Richmond on Morris’ staff last season.

Funny enough, Cassity also has some experience with Stillwater. His dad, Mike Cassity, served as OSU’s co-defensive coordinator in 1999 before taking over as DC in 2000.

“What a cool story,” Morris said. “Telling stories about running around Boone Pickens when he’s 8 and 9 years old, and bringing back the memory.”

To hear Morris talk about him, it doesn’t sound like Skyler’s second stint in Stillwater will last much longer than his first.

Cassity’s UNT defense ranked third nationally in fumbles recovered, fourth in turnovers gained, eighth in passing yards allowed and 14th in passes intercepted.

In 2024, his Sam Houston team ranked seventh in turnovers gained and 13th in passing yards allowed. The Bearkats won their first bowl game in only their second year at the FBS level that season and were one of only eight Group of 5 defenses to give up 21 points or less.

“Sky is a guy that will be a head coach in the next five or six years,” Morris said. “That’s just the kind of person he is. Kids love playing for him. He does a phenomenal job building relationships, and I think he’s just so smart and has learned how to coordinate at such a young age. … Cool thing for me is, he’s only been a coordinator now for four years. And just learned so much. As you get so much better at calling plays and doing things on Saturday. He’ll develop into something great.”