BOISE -- The Boise State baseball program won't officially take the field until 2020, but the program continues to add to its already talented coaching squad.
Hilton Richardson, who played football for the Broncos from 2011 to 2012, is back in Boise after spending the last four years with the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team.
“I fell in love with this place as soon as we showed up and here we are seven years later, and to be on the blue, and hopefully on the blue in the springtime, it’s going to be pretty special.”
Richardson was taken in the seventh round by the Kansas City Royals in the 2007 MLB June Amateur Draft.
He played in 323 games in five seasons for the minor league affiliates of the Royals and Atlanta Braves.
After retiring from baseball, Richardson walked on to the Bronco football team, even though he had never played before.
He played for two seasons before leaving the team to focus on school.
Richardson graduated from Boise State in 2014 with a degree in criminal justice. After graduation, he joined the Phillies hoping to come out of retirement, ultimately becoming the team's northwest area scouting supervisor.
“I was really shocked when Gary called me, because I wasn’t expecting him, but at the same time, I would absolutely love to be here and jumped at the opportunity, so Gary and I’s relationship has been a long time coming, so another opportunity for us to build something special here.”