Georgia Bulldogs Fire Football Coach Mark Richt

Mark Richt stepped down as Georgia’s coach on Sunday in what is being called a “mutual” decision.

Richt had served as the Bulldogs’ head coach for 15 seasons and finished the 2015 regular season with a 9-3 record.

According to the statement, Richt met with Athletics Director Greg McGarity Sunday morning to discuss the state of the football program.

From playing at the University of Miami to Bobby Bowden’s coordinator at FSU, Richt was hired at Georgia to bring some stability to the program and to win.

Georgia went 9-3 this year, but lost 38-10 to Alabama, 27-3 to Florida and blew a 21-point lead in a loss at Tennessee.

ESPN reports that Richt has agreed to coach the Bulldogs in their bowl game, citing anonymous sources. In his tenure at the school he won two Southeastern Conference championships and took the team to five SEC Championship games, most recently back-to-back appearances in 2011 and 2012. He leaves Athens with 145 wins. Not helping matters is the fact Richt’s record against Florida, Georgia’s biggest conference foe and second-biggest rival behind Georgia Tech, was 5-10.

It’s early, so it’s unclear whether or not the 55-year-old Richt will seek another coaching job or retire from the grind to work in the UGA athletic department and/or run his Paul Oliver Network charity full time. I know all UGA alumni and supporters will look forward to celebrating the successful conclusion of his coaching career at UGA in a bowl game later this year. “I am deeply grateful for his many years of dedicated service to he University of Georgia, and I particularly appreciate the positive way he has represented UGA”.