The Baker Wildcats will take the field today in black jerseys with orange accents.

The jerseys are nothing new for the small Methodist university in Baldwin. They’ve been pulled from the closet and dusted off to honor former head football coach Charlie Richard.

Richard, who served in the position from 1980 until his death in 1994, was inducted in August into the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind. He will be honored at Baker during halftime of today’s football game at Liston Stadium.

“It’s just surreal, and that’s what Charlie would say, too,” said his widow, Nancy Richard, who is associate dean of student development at Baker.

A modest man who didn’t worry about appearance, Richard probably would think people were crazy to give him the award, Nancy Richard said.

“But he would say the honor belongs to players and the people in the stands,” she said. “And in a way, it belongs to all of us.”

‘Among the elite’

For a university that boasts about 900 students, the honor of having a coach inducted into a national hall of fame is reason to celebrate.

And that’s what Baker is doing. Students, faculty, staff and alumni have honored Richard with a weeklong celebration. It culminates today at the game against the undefeated Lindenwood Lions from St. Charles, Mo. Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m.

“It’s such an honor to be part of a university that is now recognized among the elite,” said Baker athletic director Dan Harris.

To be nominated for the College Football Hall of Fame, coaches have to have been out of coaching for at least five years and won at least 60 percent of their games.

During Charlie Richard’s 14 years at Baker, the Wildcats were nationally ranked for a record-setting 128 consecutive weeks, and, at 81 percent, Richard had the highest winning percentage of any coach at any level in the country. He took the Wildcats to the national playoffs 10 times.

Former Baker University football coach Charlie Richard watches a game from the sideline. BU plans to honor the late coach during halftime of today's football game against Lindenwood at Liston Stadium.

Harris said cards with Charlie Richard’s picture and coaching record were given to people around campus to educate them about the winning coach. Alumni also have returned to campus this week to speak about Richard and what it was like to play for him.

Ron Holden, who graduated from Baker in 1995, played for Charlie Richard.

The award was a matter of pride, said Holden, who is Baker’s multicultural affairs coordinator.

“You’re proud that you were part of it and learned from it,” he said.

‘A football guy’

Charlie Richard dedicated the better part of his life to football. His friends said he loved the game, loved to win and loved the people.

“He was a football guy all the way through,” Harris said. “Every moment of his life was dedicated to football.”

Clips of audio interview with Nancy Richard, widow of Charlie Richard: On her husband’s work habits. On the sacrifices made by her familiy. On the honoring of her husband. On whether the coach would have accepted the honors while alive. On what attracted her to her husband.

Harris coached under Richard in Moberly, Mo. — it was at the beginning of both of their careers. Many coaches are successful, but Charlie Richard perpetuated success for years, Harris said.

“He was pretty humble,” Harris said. “And he recruited players in a family style. He didn’t just want to coach them on the field. He cared about their life after college.”

Nancy Richard said she and their children, Pat and Amy, always were proud of him.

“We missed him and were upset with him lots of times because we felt like we were on the backburner,” she said. “But we were always proud of him. And we felt pretty proud of ourselves too. We felt like we were part of the whole thing.”

Charlie Richard died in 1994 from a massive heart attack.

His death was devastating and it was the equivalent to losing a parent, Holden said.

“You’ve never seen so many big, grown men — strong guys — just crying, just bawling,” he said.

For Nancy Richard, it would be years before she could return to Baker’s football stadium. She gradually got back involved with the football program by serving as the president of the Baker University Quarterback Club, a booster club.

It’s not the same as it was, she said. But Nancy Richard said she did love the football program.

“I know what Charlie’s contribution meant to it and I’m glad it’s strong,” she said. “It’s really great and that’s why receiving this honor for him is really special because you know his record and contributions live on and will forever. His grandchildren will come back and see his name. It’s a wonderful legacy for him.”