For Miami Hurricanes Richts coaching football is family business
For the Richt family, coaching football is a family business. When Mark Richt was hired to return to his alma mater and coach the Miami Hurricanes he didn’t hesitate to hire his son Jon as the Quarterbacks Coach.
Richt’s hiring to coach the Miami Hurricanes football team in 2015 returned him to his roots. Richt grew up in Boca Raton and played football at Miami from 1978-82. He was the Hurricanes’ leading passer in 1982 throwing for 838 yards and four touchdowns.
Jon Richt first joined his father’s staff at Georgia in 2014 as a quality control assistant. He spent the 2015 season as an offensive assistant on Rex Ryan’s staff with the Buffalo Bills. Jon received a call from his father after that season to become the Miami Hurricanes Quarterbacks Coach for the 2016 season.
Jon Richt was a quarterback at Mars Hill College in North Carolina. He began his collegiate career at Clemson before transferring. Jon holds several Mars Hill passing records. Those include passing yards in a season as a Senior in 2012 with 2,912 and passing yards for a career with 8,093.
He also holds the Mars Hill school records for a game, season and career in completions, attempts and yards. Richt additionally has the school records for a season and career in total offense and passing touchdowns.
Like his father, Jon played quarterback with success. He can relate to what the players he coaches are seeing and going through.
Jon is appreciative of his father hiring him to be the Quarterbacks coach at a Power Five school at such a young age (he’s currently 28). He spoke to the Sun Sentinel’s Christy Cabrera Chiniros in 2016 and last November.
"“I was real excited that he had that faith in me at such an early age. To get that done … his trust means a lot…I also knew i had a lot to prove”"
As with any good coaching staff, Jon has become an extension of what Mark wants to do. Add in the fact that Jon grew up around football with the Georgia program and he intrinsically knows what Mark expects. Mark also spoke to Chiniros.
"“I want him to really understand how I teach and that he reinforces how I’m teaching. He has gotten to the point where there are certain things I know that he knows exactly how we’re going to do it.”"
The Miami Hurricanes’ all-time leading passer Brad Kaaya sees a bright future of his own for Jon.
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"I consider coach Jon almost an extension of coach Mark Richt…He’s a legit guy…he’ll be an offensive coordinator soon, or he might end up being a head coach somewhere like his dad. He’s a good dude and they’re both on top of their stuff.”"
As with any father-son, Jon learned a lot from Mark at an early age. It transcends just the father-son relationship. Jon has been able to take what his father taught him about life and use that in his own coaching philosophy.
"“The one thing I’ve learned from him from an early age is that coaching isn’t necessarily all about football…It’s about mentoring and growing these young men from boys to men and turning them into human beings that will have a great job and be able to support their families.”"
Mark reiterated that Jon is a good communicator with the quarterbacks.
"“Even in the heat of the game, I know I can trust him. He does a great job of knowing what’s going on upstairs. He can communicate it well to Malik and the quarterbacks”"
In two seasons as a young Quarterbacks Coach, Jon is proving his worth. His father did the same as the Quarterbacks Coach at Florida State from 1990-93 and the QB Coach and Offensive Coordinator from 1994-2000.
Kaaya set the school career passing yardage record under the Richts in 2016. Malik Rosier set the single-season total touchdown record last season.
With two seasons under their belts, the Richts are starting to settle in in South Florida. The 2018 season will bring a different challenge for Jon. This will be his first season working with the same quarterback as the year before. Rosier returns for his Senior season and the second as the starting quarterback.
Next: Mark Richts' first Miami football recruiting class mostly boom or bust
Miami went enter the season with their highest preseason ranking since at least 2005. It will be the Hurricanes first top ten preseason ranking since the same season.