Mark Richt will be Miami Hurricanes coach until he retires

Richt was grateful for the time he spent at Georgia. He never considered leaving until he was fired. He was able to raise his kids there for the most part.

Although he would never have left Georgia had he not been fired, Richt is grateful for his time in Athens and equally grateful to be back coaching at a place that means so much to him.

"“I spent 15 years of my life at Georgia. It was great. We embraced it and poured our lives into it. But when it was time to go, it was time to go…We really do trust God with what’s going on. There have been so many awesome things that have happened here at Miami. It’s been incredible. It’s a time in our lives when [my wife] Katharyn and I are empty-nesting. We live in Coconut Grove and are having a ball, and I’m also getting a chance to help my alma mater. Even this new building right here (Soffer Indoor Practice Facility), whenever I’m gone — whether it’s a year from now or 10 years from now — we would have made some kind of impact on the program in a big way. Everywhere you go, there are people who need you.”"

Next: Mark Richt creating lasting legacy with Miami Hurricanes

Richt’s return to his alma mater was a mutual case of need. The timing could not have been any better. Richt needed a job and no coach in the country had better credentials to lead the Miami Hurricanes.