An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Nov. 30, 2018

Idaho Army Guard Soldier coaches school to football title

By Capt. Robert Taylor Idaho National Guard

SUGAR CITY, Idaho - When Sugar-Salem High School won its first football state title Nov. 17, the win solidified five years's worth of work Idaho Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Tyler Richins put into building his championship roster.

"If I've learned anything since I took over as head coach, it's (that) success isn't something that falls into your lap," Richins said. "It's taken a great deal of time and hard work to build a culture of what we want in a program. To be able to win one with this group of kids, coaching staff and school is really special."

Richins didn't have to look far to find an organization with a culture he wanted to duplicate. The high school math teacher has served in the Idaho Army National Guard since he was a junior in high school.

"I use so much of what the Army has taught me as a Soldier to teach and coach my players," he said. "The Army Values in general are a great place to start building a program. We talk constantly about duty, integrity, personal courage and selfless service and about being part of a team. That's what the Guard is: a team."

Sugar-Salem High School is located in Sugar City, Idaho, and has about 530 students. Its athletic teams compete in the Idaho High School Activities Association's 3A classification, which is for schools with 320-639 students. Richins knows more than most about winning football championships at small Idaho high schools.

Richins quarterbacked nearby Teton High School to a state title as in 1999. That team was coached by his dad, Dwight Richins, who also coached Shelley High School to four 3A state titles, most recently in 2009.

Richins got into coaching while working on his engineer degree while he studied at Idaho State University and Brigham Young University – Idaho. He found he didn't have a passion for engineering but he quickly realized he liked coaching young student-athletes. He was able to apply the math classes he took as an engineering student toward a degree in math education and history education. He is currently pursuing his master's degree at Northwest Nazarene University.

While Richins hadn't planned on following his dad into coaching, he did intend to follow him into the Idaho Army National Guard. Dwight Richins retired from the Idaho Army National Guard in 2012 as a lieutenant colonel.

"For me, the Guard was something I grew up around," he said. "My dad was a Guard officer and I got to see his passion for serving and being part of the organization. When I got to be a junior in high school, I started looking into my future and seeing where I wanted to go and what I wanted to be. The Idaho Army National Guard offered me a way to accomplish some of those goals through education benefits."

Richins's grandparents and several family friends also served in the military. He saw enlisting into the Idaho Army National Guard as a way to give back to those who had served before him.

"The Guard has treated me well," he said. "A lot of what I have, where I've been and who I've met, I can attribute to the Guard."

Richins currently serves as a 13J fire direction controller in A Battery, 1-148th Field Artillery Regiment and is a section chief. His brother, 2nd Lt. Chase Richins, also serves in the 1-148th FAR as an artillery officer.

"I'm thankful the Guard gives a guy like me a chance to serve and teach and coach," Richins said. "The Idaho Army National Guard has shaped me into who I am."

 

 

Related Articles
Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, adjutant general of Louisiana, discusses briefing details with Col. Augusto Villalaz, director of the Joint Staff for the Louisiana National Guard, during the annual Hurricane Rehearsal of Concept (ROC) Drill at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, May 21, 2025. The drill helps synchronize plans and strengthen coordination across LANG’s senior leadership ahead of hurricane season.
Louisiana Guard Rehearses Emergency Plans for Hurricane Season
By Capt. Peter Drasutis, | May 28, 2025
NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana National Guard conducted its annual Hurricane Rehearsal of Concept (ROC) Drill at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Baton Rouge May 21, uniting key personnel across multiple commands to refine...

U.S. Soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 197th Field Artillery Regiment, New Hampshire Army National Guard, sling load a reduced range practice rocket to a Moroccan CH-47 Chinook during a multinational sling load operation at African Lion 2025 (AL25), May 17, 2025, in TanTan, Morocco. AL25, the largest annual military exercise in Africa, brings together over 50 nations, including seven NATO allies and 10,000 troops to conduct realistic, dynamic and collaborative training in an austere environment that intersects multiple geographic and functional combatant commands. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF,) on behalf of the U.S. Africa Command, AL25 takes place from April 14 to May 23, 2025, across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia This large-scale exercise will enhance our ability to work together in complex, multi-domain operations - preparing forces to deploy, fight, and win.
New Hampshire Guard Teams with Morocco for Sling Load Training at African Lion 2025
By Sgt. 1st Class Jessica Forester, | May 28, 2025
TAN TAN, Morocco – Soldiers assigned to the 744th Forward Support Company (744TH FSC), 3rd Battalion, 197th Field Artillery Regiment, New Hampshire Army National Guard partnered with the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR), for...

From left, Sgt. Edward Acda, Lt. Col. Vern Perez, Sgt. 1st Class Celine Taitano, Capt. Ryan Arellano, Staff Sgt. Jovencio Mortera, and Sgt. Avery Tyquiengco of the Guam National Guard participate in Balikatan Cyber Defense Exercise, Manila, April 27, 2025. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the U.S. and Philippine armed forces designed to strengthen the alliance, showcase the capable combined force, and demonstrate the commitment to regional security and stability. (Courtesy asset)
Guam Guard Participates in Balikatan 2025 Cyber Defense Exercise
By Mark Scott, | May 28, 2025
MANILA, Philippines – A team of cyber professionals and an intelligence analyst from the Guam National Guard attended Balikatan 2025, participating in the three-week Cyber Defense Exercise alongside teams from various...