Chris Mooney inherited quite a challenge in his first year as head basketball coach at the University of Richmond. The Spiders had no returning guards and just two players who had averaged more than 15 minutes of action per game.

Injuries left Richmond with just seven scholarship players in uniform for the last half of the season, but the Spiders still won 13 games, blew out NCAA-bound Seton Hall, knocked off two of the top three Atlantic 10 teams (Charlotte and Saint Louis), and had two single-digit losses to nationally ranked opponents (No. 5 Louisville, and No. 22 Wake Forest).

The Spiders led the nation in fewest points allowed per game for most of the 2005-06 season and finished the year ranked seventh in the country, holding teams to 57.8 points per game.

Mooney's second year started off well (3-0), and ended with the Spiders winning two of their last three regular-season games, but with freshmen making up Richmond's top four scorers, the Spiders experienced growing pains.

Then in 2007-08, with a roster made up of 10 freshmen and sophomores, the Spiders won 16 games and finished fourth in the Atlantic 10, pulling off one of the most dramatic turnarounds in the country. The fourth-place finish tied for Richmond's best regular-season A-10 finish in seven years as a league member and Mooney earned Richmond's second A-10 Tournament bye. Freshman Kevin Anderson was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and Dan Geriot was the only sophomore to earn a spot on the Atlantic 10 All-Conference Teams.

Now as Mooney enters his fourth season, the Spiders seemed poised to secure a spot as one of the top programs in the Atlantic 10. Mooney and his staff have continued to add depth to the program and have laid the groundwork for the Spiders to do what Mooney has done at every stop in his playing and coaching career: Win.

Since high school Mooney has been a part of setting the school record for wins in a season as a player at Archbishop Ryan High, as a player at Princeton, as a coach at Lansdale Catholic High, as a coach at Beaver College and as a coach at Air Force. Princeton's 20th all-time leading scorer, is the 13th head coach in Richmond men's basketball, and the youngest coach in the Atlantic 10 Conference at the age of 34.

Mooney was hired as a Division I coach at the age of 31, taking over at Air Force after serving three years as an assistant coach and one year as an associate head coach on Joe Scott's staff.

The Falcons posted their second best all-time record (18-12) in Mooney's first year at the helm, while setting a program mark in three-pointers (266) and leading the nation for the third consecutive year in fewest points allowed per game (54.3). His 18 victories were the most by a first-year head at Air Force.

Under Mooney's direction, Air Force ranked second in Division I for fewest turnovers per game (9.8) and third in turnover margin (+6.6). That is a trend that has carried over to Richmond as the Spiders led the Atlantic 10 in fewest turnovers per game (11.06) in conference games in 2006-07. The Falcons, who received votes in the national polls, were one of only two Mountain West Conference teams with five all-conference honorees.

In his final season as Air Force's associate head coach, Mooney was instrumental in guiding the Falcons to their most successful season. The 2003-04 squad went 22-7, won the Mountain West Conference regular-season championship with a 12-2 mark, and earned the program's first NCAA Tournament berth since 1962.

In conjunction with the on-court success, Mooney fostered strong relationships in the community. Air Force's home attendance increased every season Mooney spent in Colorado Springs, including an all-time high in 2004-05. The Falcons enjoyed a program-record 24-game home win streak during his last two seasons.

By fostering connections to alumni, Mooney helped build a network that enabled Air Force to travel to Sweden and Denmark, and the Spiders visited Spain in the summer of 2008. He believes being a recognizable and active part of the community is essential, for his entire program.

During his playing days for Hall of Fame coach Pete Carril at Princeton, Mooney twice earned the B.F. Bunn Trophy, given annually to the varsity basketball student-athlete who, through sportsmanship, play and influence, contributed most to the sport at the school. He finished second for Ivy League Rookie of the Year as a freshman, honorable mention all-conference as a sophomore, First-Team All-Ivy League as a junior and Second-Team All-Ivy his final season.

A 1994 graduate with a B.A. in English, Mooney led Princeton to the NCAA Tournament twice following a pair of conference titles. The four-year letterwinner amassed 1,071 points, while starting all 107 games in his career. He currently ranks seventh with 142 career three-pointers and is one of five Princeton student-athletes to score 1,000 points, grab 350 rebounds and dish 200 assists.

Following his playing career, Mooney took over the reigns at Landsdale Catholic High School at the age of 22 and Division III Beaver College (now Arcadia University) at the age of 25. In his second year at Beaver College, Mooney led the team to a school-record 16 wins and a playoff berth in the conference tournament.

Mooney is married to the former Lia Chomat, a Princeton graduate who also has a doctorate in psychology from Penn.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT MOONEY AND THE SPIDERS
"They are so well coached. What Chris has done with this young basketball team is absolutely incredible. I've watched probably every game they've played this year and the progression of this team getting better is impressive. They are a very good team."
Oklahoma State Coach Travis Ford, formerly of UMass

"Give Richmond a ton of credit, Chris is doing a great job with that team. They are young, but he has added some athletes with ability and quickness, so that is good in that type of offense. It's when they are playing defense well they can beat people. That's how they beat Virginia Tech. They are successful causing problems, containing penetration and getting steals."
Dayton Coach Brian Gregory after the Spiders' 80-63 win over No. 16 Dayton

"It doesn't happen overnight. What their doing here I think is magnificent. I love their young players and I can see this thing in the right direction. I like this basketball team. The young kids give them some energy and Gonzalvez has taken his game to the next level. They've got another year in the system, and the system is revved up right now. You see them pushing it a lot more, and really defensively they have made great strides. I'm extremely impressed with their players and how they play. "
Virginia Tech Coach Seth Greenberg after the Spiders' win over the Hokies

"That offense is a pain-in-the-neck to play against and it will only get better."
Virginia Coach Dave Leitao

"Coach Mooney is one of the best young minds in the game."
Andy Katz, ESPN.com

"Chris is a bright guy who is a hard worker. Guys want to play for him because he is tough and personable. His offense is more open than the traditional Princeton style, more freedom and less restriction. He is a special guy. I'm sure he will be very good for Richmond."
Bill Carmody, Northwestern head coach

"Chris Mooney's pedigree as a player at Princeton and his coaching background at Air Force are a great fit for the University of Richmond. Spider basketball teams will be well-coached by someone with great energy and integrity."
Fran Fraschilla, ESPN college basketball analyst