By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
For years, the Cleveland High School football program has been searching for stability and a leader who can restore it to its former days of success. That call has been answered by Robert Richmond, a proud Eagle alum and the school’s new head coach. For Richmond, taking the helm of Cleveland’s struggling program is more than a coaching opportunity — it’s a homecoming.
“I have always told people that I have had an eye on the football program. I went to Cleveland, this is my high school, and everybody can see that,” said Richmond. “My motivation for the school is that I didn’t go to college. I went to the Marine Corps, so I am not going anywhere. I told these guys that I am here, and I am not building up a program just to leave it.”
Richmond steps into the role at a time when Cleveland football faces an uphill battle. The program has endured years of turnover and dwindling numbers, leaving the new coach with just a handful of returning players. He’s prepared to rebuild from the ground up, starting with the development of younger athletes and reshaping the team’s mindset.
“My whole mentality is to start young; we are going to have a ton of freshmen,” said Richmond. “We are dealing with kids and a team who are disenfranchised and who need a lot of love. I just want to rearrange their mindsets to say, yes, we can do this.”
Central to his plan is strengthening the offensive line. Richmond believes that building in the trenches will set the foundation for a competitive roster and, eventually, a winning program.
“I have three solid freshmen right now that I am very proud of, and they are going to be really good, especially in four years, hopefully sooner than that. But that starts with the offensive line,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of returning players because of what happened last year, so it is a down program right now, but that is okay, because we are going to be back up. And, when we do, it will be because of the right way.”
The 2025 season kicked off last week, but Cleveland doesn’t yet have the numbers to field a varsity squad.
“We don’t have enough players for a varsity schedule, but we are on track to play on October 3rd,” Richmond said. “I know we can do three games with Nathan Hale, Rainier Beach, and Chief Sealth, so I am hoping to get at least those games on the calendar. We are doing a JV schedule this year, which is not my favorite, but it’s where we’re at, and we are just trying to find enough players so that we can play.”
Still, Richmond is optimistic about the future, saying the JV season will allow his young team to focus on fundamentals and lay the foundation for growth.
Recruitment has become Richmond’s biggest task. More than designing plays or mapping out strategies, his focus is on simply getting students to suit up.
“Honestly, I am not even there yet in terms of preparing for the season. We are just trying to get bodies out of the seats and onto the field. We are starting over, and that is not a bad thing; it is just where we are at,” said Richmond. “I have all the patience in the world, and everybody knows this is a five-year plan. I want to establish self-responsibility and accountability, that is, homegrown and comes from within.”
To attract players, Richmond has been leveraging his culinary skills with the desires of young athletes to eat. He cooks for his players, offering everything from eggs to ribs, hoping word will spread and more students will give football a try.
“I’m giving out eggs, chicken, steak, and ribs. I am cooking for my guys,” he said. “And the teachers know, friends, everybody knows about it, but I am trying to do everything I can to get butts out of seats and onto the field.”
While some coaches might feel discouraged stepping into a program in need of such a rebuild, Richmond embraces the challenge. He believes starting from scratch offers the chance to build something lasting.
“Yes, we started at the bottom, but that is totally acceptable to me. When we get big, through hard work and dedication, we are going to be great. There are going to be some bumps — I’m not going to lie about that — but we are coming. I have a couple of kids who are on the right track, and as long as I don’t lose them, we are going to be really good,” said Richmond.
For Richmond, becoming Cleveland’s head coach is more than a job — it’s a dream fulfilled. Coaching the program he once played for brings both pride and purpose. He’s determined to stay for the long haul and sees no reason to look elsewhere.
“This is my dream job. Literally my dream job, and that is the truth. I tell everybody that when we get good, and they call me, I am going to tell them to kick rocks because you are on my schedule next year, and that is how confident I am about what we are doing,” said Richmond. “I am going nowhere. This is my school, and I wouldn’t want to take over any other team because they are already established. I have been after this job for three years, and that is how dedicated I am to my guys and my school, and we are coming after everybody.”
