Richie is the son of Richard and Valerie McNiel.  Richie is from West Virginia and was born and raised in Cross Lanes, WV.  He is a 1998 graduate of Nitro High School and a 2003 graduate of Marshall University with a degree in Sports Management and Marketing.  While at Marshall Richie competed in Track & Field where he ran hurdles and sprints.

In 2006 Richie graduated from United Theological Seminary and received his Master of Divinity.  While attending Seminary he worked at the Dayton Correctional Institution as assistant Chaplain for four years and also received his certification for chaplaincy from Dayton Veterans Affairs Hospital.  His hobbies are basketball, running, lifting weights, Playstation 2, and golf.  Richie's favorite college football teams are Marshall University and Notre Dame.  His favorite college basketball team is Duke.

Richie's wife, Leslie, is the daughter of Reverend Tex and Devona Frye.  Leslie was born and raised in West Virginia.  She is a 1996 graduate of Winfield High School.  She received a degree in Biology from West Virginia State University.  In 2006 she received her Doctor of Pharmacy at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio.  She is currently a pharmacist at CAMC Memorial Hospital in Charleston.  One of Leslie's hobbies is tennis.

The McNiels have two daughters, Sophie Lea and Rylee Grace.