Who was Katie Richards? Tributes pour in as Mayville State University director dies in tragic car accident 

In the early hours of November 2, Katie Richards, the Director of Student Success and Disability at the Mayville State University, North Dakota succumbed to a road accident at the age of 45.

Katie Richards was a resident of Hope, North Dakota, and her sudden death shocked and grieved her community. Mayville State University paid tribute on Facebook.

As per Pinaku, she was driving her 2021 Buick Enclave on the 22nd Avenue NE highway, 8 miles west of Reynolds in eastern North Dakota, when she reportedly lost control.

This is when the vehicle left the highway, jumped a side ditch, and rolled over, rendering Katie Richards dead almost instantly. Investigation is currently underway to figure out what exactly caused the tragic accident.

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Katie Richards had a master's in special education

According to her LinkedIn profile, Katie Richards was the Director of Student Success and Disability Support Services at North Dakota’s Mayville State University.

Richards was not only a part of the faculty at Mayville State University, but also a mentor, guide, and friend to students and colleagues alike. In fact, in the role, she strived to make sure that every student of the university had the proper resources to succeed in their careers. She was also an advocate of equal opportunities and inclusivity in education.

Besides, Katie worked as the varsity boys’ basketball coach at May-Port-CG High School since 2009, according to Wuw News. She was also a basketball instructor at Mayville State University and served on the University of North Dakota Letterwinners Association.

She went to Hope High School and was part of the state’s women’s basketball team. Later, Katie Richards attended the University of North Dakota (UND) where she earned her master’s in special education.

Katie Richards was also an Athletic Hall of Famer at her alma mater, as per Wuw News, and was part of multiple national inter-college basketball victories as part of UND’s Sioux, including four NCAA tournaments, two North Central Conference crowns, and three consecutive national championships (1996-1999), reported fightinghawks.com.

She was also named Miss Basketball North Dakota for playing 123 games with UND and winning the majority of them, with 1512 points and 769 rebounds to her name, which earned her All-NCC awards, Daktronics All-North Central Region Second Team honors, and an All-American Honorable Mention by the WBCA.

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Paying tribute to Katie Richards

Katie Richards died on Thursday in a fatal car accident in Reynolds, North Dakota. Bill Chaves, the Director of the University of North Dakota Athletics mourned the death of Richards and told fightinghawks.com in a statement:

“We are all devastated and heartbroken to hear the news about Katie. She was one of the most influential alums we have had at UND and her legacy will live on forever.”

Likewise, the University of North Dakota’s basketball head coach Mallory Bernhard stated to the media source:

“The news of Katie’s passing is absolutely devastating. She was not only just one of the greats of our program but so much more. She was a great teammate, not just to those she played with, but with everyone that put on the North Dakota jersey.”

Bernhard said that Richards was one of the most giving persons she had ever met, a loving friend, and a devoted mother. UND coach also mentioned that Katie put her 100 percent in everything she did and gave all her heart to it.

She also called Richards supportive and someone who always gave her honest opinion “both as an alum and real friend,” and considered herself lucky to have had the opportunity to know Katie closely.