Mark Richt Getting a “Second Wind” With Miami Football
Miami Football Head Coach Mark Richt is getting a “second wind” in his coaching career at Miami according to ESPN College Football Analyst Kirk Herbstreit. Herbie discussed a variety of things relating to Miami football during a conference call earlier this week.
After Richt was let go by Georgia many analysts including Herbstreit thought he would walk away from Football and focus on humanitarian work. Richt has been very open about being devout in his religious beliefs. He has seemed to have found the fountain of youth leading the Miami football program.
Richt restored Georgia to among the elite programs in the SEC. They were never able to take the next step to become one of the nation’s elite programs. That ultimately lead to Richt’s firing from Georgia.
He has had a resurgence at Miami. Returning to his Alma Mater where he played from 1978 through 1982, Richt has the Hurricanes on the right track to return to the nation’s elite. The Hurricanes won their first bowl game in ten seasons last year.
The Hurricanes had their best season since 2009 last year. They matched the 9-4 record of that team. Miami lost the Champs Sports Bowl 20-14 to Wisconsin following the 2009 season. The 2016 Hurricanes won the Russell Athletic Bowl over West Virginia.
The Russell Athletic Bowl was the updated name of the Champs Sports Bowl. It will be known this season as the Camping World Bowl to be played in Camping World Stadium.
Speaking about Richt’s return to the U, Herbstreit said:
"“It’s exciting to see the direction that they’re heading right now under Mark Richt. Just thinking about this program seems like for over a decade has just been — we’ve always been waiting for the Canes to come back to college football and be that team that they were not only back in the ’80s and ’90s, but some of those great teams they had in 2000, and 2001 and 2003.I think Mark Richt being an alum — I personally thought Mark Richt after Georgia probably would step down and go find some other things that are appealing to him beyond coaching. He’s such a humanitarian that I thought he might go that route.This was maybe three years ago. I just felt like maybe he was running out of a little bit of gas. Man, not only is it great for Miami, him going down there, it seems to have, in my opinion, given Mark Richt a second wind. He looks as young and energetic as I’ve seen him.He looks excited about the challenge of trying to bring his old school back to the glory years. He has, from everybody I’ve talked to, the support, which is so important at that school, of the brotherhood and the Miami alums. So I think it’s exciting. Think about it, nine wins in his first year?”"
There are a lot of examples to back Herbstreit’s hypothesis about the Miami Football program. The Hurricanes currently have the third best-recruiting class for 2018. Richt has led a fundraising campaign for the development of the Carol Soffer Indoor practice facility.
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His impact in less than two years on the Miami football program has been immense. The Hurricanes are still trying to return to being one of the nation’s elite programs on the field. In recruiting and from a respect standpoint Richt has Miami headed in the right direction.