Miami head coach Mark Richt abruptly announced his retirement as the school’s head football coach on Sunday.
Richt took over Miami three years ago after a long career as the head coach at Georgia. He was fired at UGA and replaced by Kirby Smart.
Richt played quarterback at Miami.
In a statement, Richt wrote:
Dear Hurricane Family:
A few hours ago, I informed UM Director of Athletics Blake James that it is time for me to retire from coaching so I am stepping down as the Head Coach of UM Football. The decision came after a great deal of thought, discussion with my family and prayer. 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.
I want to express my sincere appreciation to the entire Hurricane Family for welcoming me back home and for supporting the outstanding young men in our program. I only wish that we could have achieved greater things in return. I also want to thank President Frenk and Blake for their incredible support, as well as the outstanding men and women in UM Athletics. Most importantly, I want to thank the incredible coaches, staff, and their families who gave their all to The U each and every day, and our student-athletes, who wore The U jersey with pride and who worked hard towards their degree.
Katharyn and I will be cheering on the Canes in the years to come and The U will never leave our hearts.
Sincerely,
Mark Richt
Miami is coming off a 35-3 loss to Wisconsin in the Pinstripe Bowl, a loss school officials called “unacceptable.”
Richt went 26-13 in three years at his alma mater, including 7-6 this season. He led Miami to a 10-3 mark and Orange Bowl berth in 2017 after debuting with a 9-4 record in 2016.
At Georgia, Richt went 145-51 in 15 years, including two SEC championships and five East division titles.
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