As Mississippi State University’s assistant strength coach, Richard Akins used a precise blend of intimidation and compassion to inspire athletes to test their limits.
“Motivator and disciplinarian: those are the two words that best describe me and my coaching philosophy,” Akins said. “Fear is a great motivator. By fear, I mean that if I say I’m going to run the crap out of you if you’re late, you know I will, but only because I care about making you better.”
Akins retired in July after 20 years of directing strength training for every MSU athletic team except football, and although he will no longer discipline MSU athletes with his infamously brutal 6 a.m. workouts, he will continue to motivate them.
“I miss my kids, the athletes, already,” Akins said. “I want to make it to as many State games as possible.”
Akins’ busy schedule will not permit him to attend as many games as he would like since he accepted positions as the defensive line and strength coach at Heritage Academy in Columbus immediately following his retirement from MSU.
Whether or not Akins sits in the stands or not, MSU athletes will remember the authoritative presence and encouraging words of the man who former graduate assistant trainer Jake Pfeil affectionately called the “oldest, meanest,most- whistling-when-he talks, over-worked, under-paid, under-appreciated, rickety and most out of shape strength coach in the SEC.”
Former volleyball player and current Centenary College Head Volleyball Coach Jenny Hazelwood said she fondly remembers her early intimidation of “this loud, bald man that had a dip in his mouth all the time.”
“Probably one of the most dreadful things in one of Coach Akins’ athletes’ lives was the fear of being late and receiving a 6 a.m. workout,” Hazelwood said. “You see, everybody went by ‘Coach Akins time,’ and although his watch was always about 10 minutes faster than anyone on the planet, you still set your watch to that time. Even though I never experienced the 6 a.m., I did work harder under Coach Akins than I had ever before, and I can honestly say that Coach Akins was the best coach that I have ever had.”
Although Akins presented a stern facade, softball player Lindsay Nelson called him a “teddy bear” because of his warm heart.
“He’s the most inspirational coach I’ve ever had,” Nelson said. “You feared him as in you didn’t want to be late or cross him, but you knew he really loved you and wanted to make you better.”
Former volleyball player Jill Bender said that newcomers often feared Akins, but their fear quickly turned to fondness.
“When a little fear and a lot of love are combined, that is what’s called respect,” Bender said. “He didn’t have to demand it-he deserved it. He didn’t have to ask for it-we willingly gave it.”
Former baseball player Lee Parks said that he also developed the utmost respect for Akins, whom he initially feared.
“This intimidation factor helped me develop my work ethic, which I became known for around the athletic department,” Parks said. “Akins’ athletes had to earn his respect and he in turn earned theirs. I had no idea I could respect a man so deeply that I once feared so much.”
Akins said that he thinks athletes respected him because he treated everyone equally.
“As a coach, I always expected people to do the right thing,””Akins said. “If someone cut corners, I disciplined them. If you treat people the same way, nobody has a problem with discipline.”
Former men’s basketball player Marcus Grant said that “the one characteristic that stood out about Coach Akins was his fairness.”
“It didn’t matter how many All-Star teams you were on or how many accolades you had accumulated, Akins expected you to give 100 percent,” Grant said. “There was a price to pay if you didn’t.”
Another crucial aspect of Akins’ coaching style was his forthcoming personality. He said he treated his athletes like his own kids, and he made an effort to know each one on and off the playing field.
“You have to know the athlete to coach the athlete,” Akins said.
Former women’s basketball player Meadow Overstreet said that Akins “has always been the players’ ‘parent.'”
“Coach Akins is foremost the man of big smiles and even bigger hugs,” Overstreet said. “I have never met a coach better at the unimaginable feat of making players love him for putting them through pain.”
Graduate assistant athletic trainer Matt Verret said that Akins’ paternal nature extended beyond the athletes.
“When I first arrived in Starkville, Coach Akins took me in his office and told me, ‘Matt, I will do anything for you under one condition. I’m going to treat you just like my son,'” Verret said. “And that’s what he did.”
Even though Akins no longer occupies the corner office in Shira Field House’s weight room, he continues to leave a lasting impression upon the Bulldogs he interacted with.
“I know for a fact, every athlete he has worked with will miss him and remember him always,” Parks said.
Bender agreed and posed a final question to illustrate Akins’ importance to MSU athletics: “When are they going to officially name it the ‘Akins-Shira Field House?'”