Coach Banned by SafeSport Continues to Coach Teens in Texas Despite Suspension

**Disgraced Volleyball Coach Continues Working With Teen Girls Despite Lifetime Ban**

A Texas volleyball coach permanently banned from working with children due to substantiated allegations of sexual misconduct, physical abuse, and bullying remains actively involved with teenage athletes, an investigation by ProPublica and The Washington Post has found. Despite a lifetime suspension from the U.S. Center for SafeSport, Ryan Richardson continues to coach at his Pharr, Texas, gym, Texas Fierce Elite, where he trains young female players.

Richardson, 40, was placed on SafeSport’s public disciplinary list in February after the organization determined he had engaged in an intimate relationship with a minor, committed sexual misconduct involving a minor, and subjected athletes to physical and emotional abuse. The allegations first surfaced in early 2024 when USA Volleyball suspended him following complaints about inappropriate social media posts, including a mirror selfie in revealing underwear. That suspension led to broader accusations from former players and parents, including claims that Richardson had groomed and abused underage athletes.

One mother told ProPublica and The Washington Post that Richardson had been in a sexual relationship with her daughter beginning when the girl was 16 and he was 36. Richardson has not been criminally charged, and he has denied wrongdoing. In a 2024 statement to the local news outlet MyRGV, he called the allegations an effort to "retaliate and defame someone’s character" and insisted that athlete safety was his "primary focus and concern." He did not respond to multiple requests for comment from ProPublica and The Washington Post.

Despite his suspension, Richardson has remained a visible presence in youth volleyball. For the past two years, he has posted hundreds of videos on social media showing him coaching Texas Fierce Elite players, supervising practices, and promoting the club. While he was barred from USA Volleyball events, including the Girls Junior National Championship, he continued to attend tournaments hosted by other organizations. His club, Texas Fierce Elite, has also remained a member of Lone Star Region Volleyball, the state’s governing body for the sport, despite multiple reports that Richardson was still coaching.

The case highlights systemic failures in the oversight of youth sports. SafeSport, created by Congress in 2018 in response to widespread abuse scandals, including the Larry Nassar case in USA Gymnastics, is tasked with investigating allegations of misconduct in Olympic and Paralympic sports. The organization has the authority to suspend coaches during investigations and impose lifetime bans. However, ProPublica and The Washington Post found that SafeSport delayed suspending Richardson for months, even as serious allegations emerged.

Once Richardson was suspended, USA Volleyball and Lone Star Region Volleyball were legally required to ensure he was not working with athletes. Both organizations received reports that he was still coaching, but neither took action to remove his club from membership. SafeSport declined to comment on the case, citing the need to protect the integrity of its investigations.

Richardson’s continued involvement with young athletes raises questions about the effectiveness of the SafeSport system. The organization’s public disciplinary list was designed to prevent coaches accused of abuse from moving between teams or sports undetected. Yet, as this case demonstrates, enforcement gaps allow banned individuals to remain active in youth sports.

For years, Richardson positioned himself as a gateway to college scholarships for girls in the predominantly Latino, economically disadvantaged Rio Grande Valley. Many of his players and their families saw him as their best chance at higher education. Now, his ongoing presence in the sport underscores the challenges in protecting young athletes from abuse, even after formal disciplinary measures are taken.