The term ‘dynasty’ tends to be overused in
sports circles and yet no team seems more appropriate to describe
the coaching career of Donna Richey at Aliquippa High School. Donna
was a multi sport athlete at Triadelphia (WV) and moved on to
Western Carolina University. She began her teaching and coaching
career at Perrysville (MD) for one year then went to Duquesne High School
for a year before coming to Aliquippa. For her three years with the
Quips, she coached a girls’ team in the county league because girls'
basketball was not yet sanctioned by the WPIAL. After taking time
off to give birth to her son, Jason, she was asked to coach
the Quips again in 1976 when the WPIAL decided to give girls' basketball a
trial run. After a couple of rough early years, Donna got the Quips
rolling as they captured their first section title in 1979-1980,
which began a string of 11 consecutive section crowns. In addition
to those section titles, the Quips were WPIAL champs four times,
runners-up twice, and culminated their fantastic run with
consecutive PIAA AA championships in 1989 and 1990. Overall,
Richey’s record at Aliquippa was 324-67 losses, and she
was named Section Coach of the Year seven times and WPIAL Coach
of the Year four times.
The term ‘dynasty’ tends to be overused in
sports circles and yet no team seems more appropriate to describe
the coaching career of Donna Richey at Aliquippa High School. Donna
was a multi sport athlete at Triadelphia (WV) and moved on to
Western Carolina University. She began her teaching and coaching
career at Perrysville (MD) for one year then went to Duquesne High School
for a year before coming to Aliquippa. For her three years with the
Quips, she coached a girls’ team in the county league because girls'
basketball was not yet sanctioned by the WPIAL. After taking time
off to give birth to her son, Jason, she was asked to coach
the Quips again in 1976 when the WPIAL decided to give girls' basketball a
trial run. After a couple of rough early years, Donna got the Quips
rolling as they captured their first section title in 1979-1980,
which began a string of 11 consecutive section crowns. In addition
to those section titles, the Quips were WPIAL champs four times,
runners-up twice, and culminated their fantastic run with
consecutive PIAA AA championships in 1989 and 1990. Overall,
Richey’s record at Aliquippa was 324-67 losses, and she
was named Section Coach of the Year seven times and WPIAL Coach
of the Year four times.