No, Mark Richt Is Not Running For Governor Of Georgia

Mark Richt as a Miami senior in 1982. Richt went 145-51 at Georgia, including a 9-3 season this year.

Richt was mentioned as a potential fit for Miami nearly as soon as the Hurricanes fired Golden in October, with five games left on this year’s regular-season schedule and one day after the Hurricanes endured the worst loss in school history – a 58-0 defeat to Clemson.

That group includes Florida coach Jim McElwain, who stuck around through the BCS championship game to end the 2011 season before going to Colorado State. Schlabach sent out the following in successive tweets: “Was just told with 100-percent certainty that Mark Richt to Miami should be finalized tonight or tomorrow”.

He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Florida State in 1985 before serving as the offensive coordinator at East Carolina in 1989.

Richt’s status had been questioned following a disappointing showing against some of the Bulldogs’ top Southeastern Conference rivals. Richt has said that he wants to work hands-on with players, specifically quarterbacks, and Miami is returning quarterback Brad Kaaya next year.

But it turned out very good for Richt and Miami. If Georgia wins a bowl game, you can make that 10 times. It’s yet to be decided how many, if any, current members of Miami’s staff or the assistants who worked with Richt at Georgia will be with him in 2016.

McGarity wouldn’t reveal the reasons he decided a coaching change is needed.

He wouldn’t be the first head coach to try to make the leap. If Mullen has in fact interviewed for this job, and a couple of media outlets are now reporting that he has, he moves into that awkward position of having one job but looking for another that might be considered a lateral move by many.

Richt was sacked from his job at UGA after 15 years as the head coach. But you don’t pay someone $4 million for that – not in today’s climate of winning championships in college football. While Miami has achieved high levels of success in the past, it lacks the resources of other top football programs, with a smaller fan base, a stadium far removed from campus, competition for attention in a city like Miami and mediocre facilities. I actually got an email from someone last night that wrote he would no longer be a Georgia fan because they fired Mark Richt. “I think the guy would, and I’ve said this many times before, do a great job as a head coach”.

On the contrary, Richt ran a clean program. Still, given his track record, it’s reasonable to assume a re-energized Richt could finally get Miami over the hump in the ACC Coastal and compete for championships in the conference, if not nationally. A marriage of maybe the best young coach available and one of the best jobs on the market.

This hire could quite possibly enhance the decommitment of 5-star quarterback Jacob Eason to Georgia.

This coach was beloved and respected, and that’s understandable. Georgia was 2-14 since 2008 against teams that finished the season ranked. His teams have appeared in six bowl games.

It was only fitting that Richt settled at his alma mater, as former Georgia defensive back Kirby Smart is set to replace Richt for the Bulldogs. The moribund program was beginning to become something special, and Richt had a front-row seat – as Kelly’s backup.