Clarion Athletics

Ron Righter came to Clarion in the 1988-89 season after a 7-year stint as George Raveling’s assistant coach and the rest is Clarion history. With 402 career wins (402-299 – 57.3%) Ron is simply the winningest men’s basketball coach in Clarion history. He led the Golden Eagles to 18 winning seasons, three PSAC-West titles (1997, 2000, & 2005) and the school’s only PSAC Championship in 2001. He had an amazing 9-year span from 1997 through 2005 when the Golden Eagles were a remarkable 171-79, a winning percentage of 68.4%. He was also 69-39 in the PSAC-West, a winning percentage of 63.9%. The 1997 squad started the run posting a 22-7 overall mark and a 9-3 record in winning the West. The Eagles were 20-7 overall and 8-4 in the West in 1998, 19-8 overall and 7-5 in the West in 1999 and won the West going 10-2 in the league and 20-7 overall in 2000. The 2001 PSAC Championship team ended 19-10 and 7-5 in the West, but the PSAC title run was amazing. It started by winning at IUP 79-73, then won the semifinals over Bloomsburg 70-65 (at Edinboro). The Eagles then won the PSAC Championship defeating West Chester 80-77 in a thrilling overtime game. The win also vaulted the Eagles into the NCAA Playoffs. In 2002 Clarion was 15-11 overall and 7-5 in the West, 19-10 overall and 7-5 in the West in 2003, 18-10 overall and 6-6 in the West in 2004 and 19-9 overall and 8-4 in 2005 while capturing the PSAC-West title. Righter coached some amazingly talented players led by Kwame Morton (1992-95), who was Clarion’s and the PSAC’s leading career scorer with 2,543 points and who led the nation in scoring average in 1995 at 32.5ppg. Other greats included Oronn Brown, Rollie Smith, David Shearer, Lormont Sharp, Ryan Wells and so many more. At the time of his retirement, 15 of Clarion’s 29 career 1,000 point scorers were coached by Righter. He was PSAC-West “Coach of the Year” in 1997 and 2005. The 1975 St. Joseph’s grad was a hoop standout there and inducted in their HOF in 1991. Head coach at Wilkes for 2 years (1980 & 81), he was George Raveling’s Assistant at Washington State (1982 & 83), Iowa (1984 – 86) and USC (1987 – 88) before Clarion. He is also a member of the Bucks County Chapter of the PA. Sports HOF, C.B. West and Pittsburgh Basketball Club HOF and Markward Basketball Club “Player of the Past”. A native of Doylestown, Pa. and a 1970 grad of Central Bucks West High School, Ron and wife Juliet currently reside in Perkasie, Pa. They have a son Matthew and daughter Emily.