Community comes together after loss of athletic director
STROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— A Monroe County school district is mourning the loss of its athletic director following a tragic crash the night of their prom.
Stroudsburg High School Coach Sean Richmond was killed this weekend after being struck by a tractor-trailer on Interstate 380.
28/22 News spoke with a player who remembers Richmond as the man who rekindled his motivation to join the wrestling team.
“If I had to say a favorite memory it’s when he kinda like pulled me off to the side one day and told me, ‘You’re gonna be playing varsity wrestling,’ and I was just really happy about that and I just really saw him as my coach and he was just an amazing person,” Karis Wilkins stated.
Cosmas Curry, Superintendent of the Stroudsburg Area School District, says he remembers his athletic director as a great administrative teammate and tremendous friend.
I grieve along with you as we are all devastated at his untimely passing. He was an outstanding athletic director poised to take on bigger roles in our School District and District XI. His wrestlers loved him and always had students’ best interests in mind. He was a great administrative teammate to me and many of you, and an even more tremendous friend. Sean’s service is most appreciated. He had a propensity for leadership in the athletics and activities department. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and we ask you to respect their privacy at this time. In this situation, words cannot adequately define feelings and emotions, I simply ask for your support as we mourn the loss of our colleague. He will be sorely missed.
Cosmas Curry, Superintendent of the Stroudsburg Area School District
School district mourns wrestling coach killed in Monroe County crash
“It was shocking, and I’m still in disbelief because he was a very good coach, he pushed the kids even when they were super shy,” said parent Vilmarie Hernandez.
Students tell 28/22 News they’re heartbroken over the loss of coach Richmond who they say was a pillar of their school community.
“If it wasn’t for him, Stroudsburg wouldn’t have one of the best wrestling teams and that’s a true thing. We have one of the best wrestling teams in the district right now, we got one of the best fighters, wrestlers, and I appreciate everything he has done,” said Stroudsburg High School Junior Sebastian Berrios.
Parents say he had an impact on many of their kids’ lives as both a coach and a mentor.
“He just always someone that played fair and taught the kids and had patience, and you could just see the love in him teaching the kids,” Hernandez continued.
State police say the investigation is still ongoing into how the deadly crash happened. Richmond’s autopsy is scheduled for Monday morning.
A GoFundMe raising money for Coach Richmond’s family has reached almost $55,000 in under 24 hours. 28/22 News will bring you the full story of what Coach Richmond meant to his community later today.
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