Richie Contartesi is an international speaker, founder of Next Play, 2 time Amazon number one bestselling author, former SEC and professional football player, and the creator of the Next Play System that helps athletes, families, and organizations reach their highest potential. He is one of the most trusted voices in the football recruiting space and a leading coach for performance and accountability.

Richie has spoken at more than 450 schools and has been hired by companies and organizations across the country like IBM, HP, and NRG Energy to help their teams improve leadership, culture, and results. He is the host of The Football Scholarship Podcast where he interviews active Division 1, 2, and 3 head coaches and breaks down how recruiting really works in today’s NIL and Portal era.

Richie is widely known for mentoring high school football families and coaching athletes through the proven Next Play System that helped him earn a Division 1 SEC scholarship at Ole Miss as a 5 foot 7, 150 pound walk on. His message blends mindset, confidence, and tactical action to help people take ownership, take action, and focus on their Next Play.