The Miami football program will be looking for a new Head Coach for the second time in just over three years. In shocking news early Sunday afternoon, ESPN reported that Miami Head Coach Mark Richt has announced his retirement from Coaching.
The news of Richt’s retirement comes as a shock. Richt went 26-13 in three seasons coaching the Miami football program. His .667 winning percentage ranks sixth in Miami history among coaches who have coached three seasons or longer.
The surprising news came after Richt signed a contract extension in May that was scheduled to take him through the 2023 football season. This past season was a colossal disappointment. Miami finished 7-6 after beginning the 2018 season ranked eighth in both the AP and Coaches Polls.
The Hurricanes 2019 recruiting class has also been a big disappointment. The Miami football Surge ’19 Class currently is currently 33rd according to the 247 Sports composite rankings.
The timing of Richt’s resignation seems a bit curious. It was likely heavily influenced by Miami’s 35-3 blowout loss to Wisconsin in the Pinstripe Bowl. The expected heir apparent was former Miami Hurricanes Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz who is was hired by Temple just ten days ago.
The next likely person to be mentioned as a candidate is Oregon Head Coach Mario Cristobal who is a former Miami offensive lineman. The hope would be that Miami Athletic Director Blake James conducts a national search to find the next Head Coach.
James issued a statement following the loss to Wisconsin that he was committed with Richt to getting the Miami football program back to national prominence. Richt’s decision could have been influenced by his refusal to make changes in his coaching staff. Richt has been widely criticized for his antiquated offense.
— Miami Athletics (@CanesAllAccess) December 28, 2018
There was reportedly disagreement between Richt and the Board of Trustees regarding hiring a new Offensive Coordinator. The majority of Miami fans wanted Richt to part with his son Jon who is the quarterbacks coach at Miami. It’s very possible that Richt refused to do both and instead decided to retire.
Richt has been known to be both stubborn and extremely loyal. Those can be positives and detriments to a coach. In the end, it might have been the impetus for the end of the Richt era at Miami.
Richt has not issued anything official on his Twitter account, nor has the Miami football or James accounts posted anything yet regarding the retirement. ESPN quoted Richt announcing his retirement.
"The decision came after a great deal of thought, discussions 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.”"
The next Head Coach of the Miami Football program could make or break James’ tenure in Coral Gables. Cristobal and Diaz are going to be tough to pry away from their programs. Diaz was an obvious choice less than two weeks ago, but will he leave Temple before even starting there?
Florida Atlantic Head Coach Lane Kiffin, former Miami and current Florida International Head Coach Butch Davis and former Ohio State and Florida Head Coach Urban Meyer will be the names most frequently discussed to succeed Richt. There are numerous other candidates for James and the Board of Trustees to consider.