Former Miami All-American offensive tackle and national champion Bryant McKinnie and onetime Hurricanes’ quarterback and head coach Mark Richt were selected for the College Football Hall of Fame on Monday. McKinnie is the 10th player and Richt is the fifth former Miami head coach selected to the Hall of Fame.
McKinnie redshirted in 1999 after transferring from Lackawanna Community College. In a dominant two seasons with Miami, McKinnie was a unanimous All-American in 2001 and won the Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman in college football as well as finishing eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
McKinnie famously did not allow a sack during his two seasons with Miami. The Outland Trophy was only the second in Miami history after defensive tackle Russell Maryland who won the award in 1990 before becoming the first pick in the 1991 NFL Draft. McKinnie became the Minnesota Vikings’ seventh pick in the 2002 NFL Draft.
Richt played QB at Miami from 1978 through 1982 and was the Hurricanes’ head coach from 2016 through 2018. In three seasons with the Hurricanes Richt was 26-13 and finished his career with a career record of 171–64 overall. Richt led Miami to a 9-4 2016 season that included a 31-14 Russell Athletic Bowl win over West Virginia.
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The win for Miami over West Virginia is the sole bowl victory for the Hurricanes since 2006. Miami finished 10-3 in the 2017 season that included the only Miami ACC Coastal Division title. The Hurricanes were ranked as high as second in the National Polls following a 10-0 start to the 2017 season.
Mark Richt led Georgia to SEC Championships in 2002 and 2005 and Eastern Division titles in 2002, 2003 and 2005. Prior to being hired as head coach at Georgia, Richt was the QBs coach on the 1993 Florida State national championship team and was elevated a year later to offensive coordinator where he stayed through 2000.
Richt joins former Miami head coaches Andy Gustafson, Jack Harding, Dennis Erickson and Jimmy Johnson in the College Football Hall of Fame. Among the Miami players who have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame are Jim Kelly, Michael Irvin, Cortez Kennedy, Warren Sapp, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Edgerrin James.