#388: Chris Richardson-Cerritos College | Becoming Uncommon

How does someone who barely graduated high school become a college professor, head coach, author and podcast host? Cerritos College head track and field coach Chris Richardson joins Mike Cunningham to explain how coaches, second chances and growing self-awareness completely changed the direction of his life. Chris navigated special-education classes, dyslexia and ADD before arriving at Cerritos College with plans to become a police officer. Instead, he discovered that he could succeed academically—and that his athletic future might be found in ten events rather than one. After developing into a championship decathlete and transferring to Long Beach State, a serious knee injury forced Chris to reconsider where his journey was taking him. That setback became a doorway into coaching, education and a career devoted to developing athletes whom others may have overlooked. 🫶 The coach who bought Chris his first jumping spikes and continued believing in him 🔟 His unexpected introduction to the decathlon at Cerritos College 🧠 Going from special-education classes to earning advanced degrees 🏥 How a major knee injury redirected his athletic ambitions 🎓 Why Chris believes so strongly in the California community-college system 🦅 Helping overlooked athletes earn scholarships and reach NCAA championships 📖 Writing Coaching in the 21st Century 🎙️ Stepping outside his introverted comfort zone to launch Becoming Uncommon This conversation is about more than track and field. It is about recognizing your strengths, accepting when a path no longer fits and extending the same grace to others that someone once extended to you. Listen now and meet Coach Chris Richardson. Dive into nearly 400 episodes featuring insights from coaching legends such as Boo Schexnayder and Dan Pfaff, Diljeet Taylor (BYU) and Beth Alford-Sullivan , as well as superstar coaches Petros Kyprianou (Illinois), Althea Thomas (Vanderbilt) and many more! Find us on Twitch.tv , YouTube , Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more! 🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode: Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very own Gill1918 Project episode , which airs Tuesdays through Sundays. Find YOUR voice on the Gill Connections Podcast Network. 📲 Stay Connected: Want to get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Instagram ( @MikeCunninghamTF ), email at mcunningham@gillathletics.com , or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍