Mark Richt retiring from coaching Miami Hurricanes
After a bad loss in a bowl game, to end a disappointing season, Mark Richt is retiring as head coach of the Miami Hurricanes.
The Miami Hurricanes finished the 2018 season with a 7-6 record, capped by a dismal 35-3 loss to Wisconsin in the Pinstripe Bowl on Thursday. On Sunday, as reported by Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and The Athletic, head coach Mark Richt announced his retirement.
Richt just finished his third season back at Miami, where he played quarterback from 1979-1982. A 10-0 start last year had the Hurricanes riding high, but they are just 7-9 since with back-to-back bowl losses and amid struggles to find consistency at quarterback.
After Thursday’s loss to the Badgers, Miami athletic director Blake James classified the team’s effort as “unacceptable” while still expressing support for Richt. Based on that he was in no real danger of being fired in the short-term, but any list of coaches on the hot seat looking toward next season was sure to have Richt featured prominently.
— Miami Athletics (@CanesAllAccess) December 28, 2018
Richt did not cite any specific health issues in a statement announcing his retirement, but he appears to feel he’s not the man to bring the program back to the heyday of “The U.”
"The decision came after a great deal of thought, discussions with my family, and prayer,” Richt said. “This was my decision.“The University of Miami has been a part of my life for more than three decades. It shaped me as a young man and provided me with the coaching opportunity of a lifetime. My love for The U is simply great. My true desire is for our football program to return to greatness, and while terribly difficult, I feel that stepping down is in the best interests of the program."
Prior to taking over at his alma mater, Richt spent 15 seasons (2001-2015) at Georgia. He has an overall record of 171-64 as a head coach (.728 winning percentage).
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Richt is still a relatively young man, approaching his 59th birthday (Feb.18). We’ve seen coaches retire and come back before (Urban Meyer), so it’s possible Richt will just take a one or two-year break and resurface. Or, based on the way things went downhill at a place that’s as special as Miami is to him, there’s a solid chance he makes a permanent transition into a life after coaching.