In early June 2025, news quietly spread through Davidson, North Carolina: Coach Richard “Coach Rich” Greene, the beloved assistant coach who had mentored dozens of Davidson basketball players — including Stephen Curry himself — had passed away at age 83.
Though Coach Rich never made headlines, he had been like a second father to Curry during his college years. He was the one who stayed late with Steph in the gym after losses, whispering advice like, “Keep your soul in the game, not just your shot.”
Stephen had just wrapped up the 2024–25 NBA season. He was already scheduled to visit Davidson that week for a board meeting — he’s now an official Davidson trustee and deeply involved in education initiatives.
But when he heard about Coach Rich’s passing, Curry changed his plans. Quietly, without any public statement or entourage, he arrived at the small memorial held in the Davidson College chapel.
He sat with the Greene family, hugged old teammates, and when invited to speak, shared a short, heartfelt memory:
“When I was 19 and thinking of quitting after a rough game, Coach Rich walked up to me, handed me a blank notebook, and said, ‘Your story’s just starting — write it how you want.’ I still have that notebook. And Coach — I’m still writing.”
After the service, Stephen met privately with Coach Rich’s family. A week later, Davidson announced the launch of the “Coach Rich Legacy Scholarship,” fully funded by an anonymous donor — though most people had a pretty good guess who that was.
Later that summer, Steph returned to the NBA spotlight. But in Davidson, they still talk about the quiet day when a global icon came home — not as a superstar, but as a student, a friend, and a man honoring the one who helped shape him.