Oklahoma State's Greg Richmond Returns Home as Skyler Cassity Rises Fast in Coaching Ranks
In a sport where coaching staffs often resemble revolving doors, Oklahoma State has found a familiar face to anchor its defensive line - and a rising star to lead its defense.
Greg Richmond is back in Stillwater, and for him, this isn't just another coaching stop. It's home. A former standout for the Cowboys and a previous member of the OSU coaching staff from 2018 to 2022, Richmond returns to a place that clearly still means a great deal to him - professionally and personally.
“I’ve seen Greg break down in tears in my office,” head coach Eric Morris shared. “Because he missed his family and he missed his sons’ events and he was seeing all these other families.”
After two seasons away - coaching at Sam Houston in 2024 and North Texas in 2025 - Richmond is back in Stillwater with his wife, Jennifer, and their three sons: Jaylen, Jacoby, and Jamar. And unlike most of the new staff, who are still navigating cross-country moves and school transitions, Richmond has already settled back into his old life.
“All the other coaches right now, their families aren’t here,” Morris said. “They’re working on moving.
That’s the hard thing the first six months, and kids finishing school, all that stuff. So Greg’s been able to flip that.
He moved right back into his house, his kids are here.”
That family-first foundation is something Morris doesn’t take lightly. In fact, he sees Richmond’s return as a full-circle moment - not just for the coach, but for the program.
“It’s been cool for me to see his kids come up all the time,” Morris added. “Their one rule when they come to the office after school - they have to stop by and talk to me in the office. So it’s been fun to see them be able to be around dad.”
Richmond’s return wasn’t just about geography or nostalgia. It was also about trust - the kind Morris says he’d carry with him anywhere.
“He was the first one that texted me with all these things about Stillwater, what’s gonna happen here or there or there,” Morris said. “But if I would’ve went to the University of Montana, I would’ve taken Greg with me just because of the way he’s worked for me in the past, the short amount of time that I’ve known him, and the results that we’ve had on the field. I’m a loyal person at heart.”
That loyalty runs deeper than just one coach. Defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity, who worked alongside Richmond at Sam Houston in 2024, played a key role in bringing him back into the fold. And like Richmond, Cassity has his own ties to Stillwater - ones that go back to childhood.
Cassity’s father, Mike, was OSU’s co-defensive coordinator in 1999 and took over the full role in 2000. So when Morris talks about Skyler reminiscing about running around Boone Pickens Stadium as a kid, it’s not just a fun anecdote - it’s part of a deeper connection to the program.
“What a cool story,” Morris said. “Telling stories about running around Boone Pickens when he’s 8 and 9 years old, and bringing back the memory.”
But make no mistake - Cassity isn’t just here for sentimental reasons. He’s quickly building a résumé that screams future head coach.
At North Texas in 2025, Cassity’s defense ranked top-10 nationally in multiple key categories: third in fumbles recovered, fourth in turnovers gained, eighth in passing yards allowed, and 14th in interceptions. That followed a 2024 season at Sam Houston where his unit ranked seventh in turnovers gained and 13th in passing yards allowed - helping the Bearkats win their first bowl game in just their second year at the FBS level.
“Sky is a guy that will be a head coach in the next five or six years,” Morris said. “That’s just the kind of person he is.
Kids love playing for him. He does a phenomenal job building relationships, and I think he’s just so smart and has learned how to coordinate at such a young age.”
Cassity’s rapid rise is no accident. In just four years as a coordinator, he’s shown the kind of growth and game-day instincts that separate good coaches from great ones.
“You get so much better at calling plays and doing things on Saturday,” Morris said. “He’ll develop into something great.”
So while much of the Oklahoma State staff is still getting its bearings in Stillwater, two key pieces - one a Cowboy through and through, the other a fast-rising mind with deep roots - are already locked in. For Richmond, it’s a return to family. For Cassity, it might just be the next step on a path to the big chair.
Either way, the Cowboys’ defense is in trusted hands.