Marc Richards enters his first season as the Football Research Analyst in 2022.
In his current position, Richards reports to Statistical Analysis Coordinator Mike Frazier, assisting Head Coach Andy Reid and the Chiefs coaching and personnel staffs with player statistics and situational analysis, as well as team and league-wide trends.
Prior to arriving in Kansas City, Richards spent time with the Oklahoma City Thunder as a Data Science Intern, working with the Thunder's Strategic Planning Group in Basketball Operations.
In 2021, Richards took home the grand prize in the Big Data Bowl. His team used Next Gen Statistics to develop a framework for accessing individual defensive performance in coverage. Richards was also a finalist in the 2022 NFL Big Data Bowl as his team used Next Gen Statistics to explore punter's optimal aiming location and hang time.
As he completed his Ph.D. in Statistics at Pittsburgh, Richards was a lead instructor, teaching undergraduate statistics courses: Applied Statistical Methods and Statistics in the Modern World. His main research areas involved using classical statistical inference to understand modern machine learning algorithms as well as spatial-temporal modeling of crime such as quantifying the impact of COVID-19 on crime across US Cities.
The Wayzata, Minn., native also has a background in hockey. On the ice, Richards played right defense at St. Olaf and was elected team captain for the 2015-16 season. And off the ice, he won the RITSAC Data Competition in 2019 and was a finalist in the Big Data Cup in 2021.
Education:St. Olaf College (B.A. 2016); Pittsburgh (M.A. 2020; Ph.D. 2022). Born:Wayzata, Miinn. Family:Wife - Kate.
