Tahlequah Sequoyah Names Head Football Coach

Shane Richardson has been named the new head football coach for Tahlequah Sequoyah high school. Richardson has been serving as the interim head coach since October 2012. Before that he was the team's defensive coordinator.

Athletic director Marcus Crittenden says he is confident Richardson will take the team in the right direction.

"Shane did a great job of keeping the team focused for our last two games of the season despite numerous extremely difficult circumstances and distractions," Crittenden said. "We are confident that he is the right person to lead the program going forward, so we have removed the "acting" portion of his title. He is more than deserving of the opportunity."

In a release, Richardson says he's looking forward to the new position.

"I'm very excited for the opportunity, and I'm grateful to the Cherokee Nation and Sequoyah for allowing me to have this opportunity," Richardson said. "I want to provide solid leadership. If I provide solid leadership and hardworking values, then hopefully it will trickle down through the program."

Richardson, 33, has been a staff member on the team for eight seasons. He is a Sallisaw native who graduated from Northeastern State University in 2002. He also served as an assistant coach at Sallisaw High School for three years.

Sequoyah Schools also officially named girls' basketball coach Larry Shade as the new slow pitch softball head coach.