UGA: Mark Richt will not coach Dawgs bowl game

-Toledo named offensive coordinator Jason Candle as its head coach after Matt Campbell left last weekend for Iowa State. During a 2007 game while the Gators were one of the top teams in the country, Richt instructed his players to celebrate the team’s first touchdown until they received a penalty.

Richt is a UM alum and he played quarterback for the Hurricanes from 1979 to 1982. Regardless if Eason chooses Miami or not, the hiring of Richt is already making an impact.

“We are blessed to have the opportunity to come to a world-class institution and world-renowned city and play a role in the life of the campus and community”, Richt said in a school release.

Richt was considering taking a year off. He reconsidered, in part, because “I knew this job wouldn’t be open again next year”, he said. Miami still has not announced its pick, but a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Richt and the Hurricanes had agreed in principle on a deal that will bring him back to his alma mater. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says Richt interviewed with Miami Hurricanes officials in an Atlanta hotel on Tuesday. Before that, Richt met with players in Athens, where he went 145-51 and won two SEC championships. “You couldn’t ask for anything more out of a head coach”. For his career at Miami, Richt threw for 1,431 yards and nine touchdowns, completing 103-of-229 passes with 17 interceptions. His defensive coordinator, Jeremy Pruitt, was the most highly regarded member of his Georgia staff. Since Golden was sacked October 25, players have expressed support for the retention of Larry Scott – who was promoted from tight ends coach/run game coordinator to interim coach when Golden was sacked October 25 – wide recievers coach Kevin Beard and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach James Coley. The news was first reported by WSB’s Zach Klein.

“This is home”, Richt said. Quarterman posted a message of support on Twitter soon after news of Richt’s decision broke Wednesday evening. He said he wants to work closely with quarterbacks. “I think splitting between would have been hard for me to do”. Richt was unable to capitalize on several recent down years in the SEC East as the team finished third, second and tied for second in the division over the last three years.

For now, the Hurricanes’ fair-weather fan base has a lot to be excited about. “Now Miami looks like they will be back”. The Hurricanes haven’t won 10 games in a season since joining the ACC in 2004 and haven’t won a bowl game since 2006.