Richard Speas is the Director of Athletic Recruitment and Fundraising at KWU.
He served as interim athletic director in the fall of 2022.
In May 2025, Speas added duties as Head Developmental Softball Coach to his resume.
He has served in a variety roles in athletics. Before coming to Kansas Wesleyan, Speas was an assistant athletic director at Dakota State University in Madison, South Dakota.
A native of Union, Iowa, Speas came to Kansas Wesleyan with a diverse background in education and athletics. He has served in multiple roles in higher education, including assistant director of admissions, HPER faculty, assistant athletic director, athletic director and as a coach in baseball, softball, cross-country and track and field.
With experience at the two- and four-year levels, Speas also served as the Director of Athletics and Student Life at Northland Community and Technology in Minnesota from 2014-17. Their women's basketball team captured a national runner-up honor in the 2016 season, and the baseball program captured the first conference title in school history in 2015.
Speas also served as the Director of Athletics at Western Texas College and Blinn College (Texas). While at Western Texas, the men's rodeo team captured a national championship. Speas moved onto Blinn College in Brenham, Texas, where the volleyball team won the national championship during the 2011 season.
His tenure also included stints as the Director of Athletics at Peru State (Neb.) and Southern Virginia where he implemented the inaugural athletic programs. Speas coached several sports and chaired the HPE department while serving as the Director of Athletics at Southern Virginia University.
He spent nine years coaching and serving in various roles at William Penn (Iowa). As the head assistant baseball coach for the Statesmen, the baseball program went 215-78 (.734 winning percentage) and qualified for regional play in the NCAA Division III and the NAIA.
Speas also served as the head cross country and track and field during his time at William Penn. He was named conference track and field coach of the year in 2004 and 2005, cross country coach of the year in 2004 and was named NAIA regional cross country coach of the year in 2004.
Speas earned a bachelor's degree in social sciences from William Penn and a master's degree in Athletic Administration from Truman State (Mo.).
