Richard H. Brown graduated in 1946 from Union-Endicott High School, where he won Triple Cities and Section 4 honors as a sprinter on the varsity track team. After serving in the U.S. Army, he attended Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in physical education from Springfield in June 1952. He was hired in August 1952 as a physical education teacher and coach at what would become, in 1954, the Owego-Apalachin Central School District. At Owego Free Academy (OFA), he coached varsity baseball, wrestling, football, and cross-country. OFA began its wrestling program in the fall of 1950. After a year as OFA's junior varsity wrestling coach, Richard became varsity wrestling coach in the fall of 1953 and developed the Indians into a Section 4 powerhouse. He was a pioneering coach who helped foster the growth and success of the sport in Owego, Tioga County, and the Southern Tier of New York. His consistently outstanding teams were at the forefront of smaller schools that proved they could compete with larger schools and win. His 173-74-3 record and winning percentage of .699 over 19 seasons are among the best in Section 4 history. When Richard was head wrestling coach, the Indians competed in two different leagues. From 1953 to 1967, his teams competed in the Southern Counties League (SCL). Beginning in the fall of 1967, his teams competed in the recently formed Southern Tier Athletic Conference (STAC). His teams won six SCL titles (1957, 1960-1964), one Section 4 Class B title (1957), one STAC Eastern Division title (1969), and one shared Section 4 Western Zone title (1969). He coached 51 individual SCL champions and 10 individual STAC champions. He also coached six Section 4 tournament champions: Bob Leonard (the first sectional champion from Tioga County); Tom Riley (the first wrestler from Tioga County to compete in the New York State wrestling tournament); Dale Wales; Jerry McTamney (who placed third in the New York State wrestling tournament in 1969 and was part of the Section 4 team that captured the state title); Brian Bidwell; and Steve Burrell. (Section 4 wrestling tournaments began in 1945; New York State wrestling tournaments began in 1963.) Overall, Richard's wrestlers placed in the top four of Section 4 tournaments a total of 34 times. In 1957 alone, four of his wrestlers made the finals of the Section 4 tournament. By 1963, at least 30 schools were competing in Section 4 wrestling tournaments. From 1963 to 1971, Richard's teams finished in the top nine of Section 4 tournaments a total of five times and had five wrestlers advance to the New York State wrestling tournament. In 1971, his team placed fifth at the sectionals, the program's highest finish during the 1960s and early 1970s. From 1958 to 1971, the only Tioga County school besides OFA to produce Section 4 wrestling champions was Newark Valley, which had one each in 1964 and 1967. OFA also helped lead the way for other up-and-coming Tioga County wrestling powers, such as Waverly and Tioga Central. Richard was appointed acting athletic director at Owego in August 1971. He stepped down from coaching in August 1972, when he was appointed permanent director of health, physical education, and athletics. In this role, he helped build a very successful sports program that included a major expansion of athletic facilities and girls' interscholastic sports. During his 11 years as permanent athletic director, OFA won 53 team titles between 1973 and 1983, a fourfold increase from the 13 team titles won between 1962 and 1972. His tenure as athletic director was the most successful in OFA history up to that point, with girls' sports being a large contributor. He also served as STAC vice president (1977-1982) and STAC president (1982-1983). After 31 years at Owego, Richard retired in 1983. In 1984, he was the first OFA coach elected to the Section 4 Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was chosen as an inaugural member of the Owego-Apalachin Wall of Fame, located at OFA. In 2015, he was selected to the Upstate New York Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, based in Stillwater, Oklahoma. His wrestling record and subsequent local, regional, and national recognition make him one of the most successful and honored coaches in the long history of OFA athletics.