CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Mark Richt said he wants the University of Miami football program to experience greatness again.
He decided someone else will have to lead the Hurricanes there.
Surprising his boss, his staff and his players, Richt announced his retirement as the team’s coach Sunday – days after the end of an underachieving season and with five years left on his contract.
“My love for The U is simply great,” Richt said in a released statement. “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.”
Richt, 58, told his staff Sunday morning and informed athletic director Blake James of his decision around the same time. With players away for the holiday break, Richt and James alerted them by text and email shortly before the school issued a news release.
Miami struggled to a 7-6 record this season, falling to Wisconsin in the Pinstripe Bowl on Thursday night. The Hurricanes have lost nine of their past 16 games since a 10-0 start to the 2017 season and were horrendous on offense at times in 2018, totaling just 100 passing yards in their last two games of the season.
James and Richt spoke Saturday about the direction of the program. James said there was no indication Richt would retire during that conversation, though he declined to offer specifics about what was said.
“I wanted Mark to be our coach,” James said Sunday at a news conference. “Last night, I thought he was our coach.”
Richt’s son Jon, the team’s quarterbacks coach, was a frequent target of fan criticism. James wouldn’t say if he asked Richt to make a change involving his son.
“I don’t think it’s a secret to anyone here that as a program offensively we hadn’t operated at the level that any one of us would want, including Mark, and we talked about what we need to look at and do differently,” James said. “Mark is a very smart guy, and he recognized that things needed to change on that side of the ball.”
Richt, a Hurricanes quarterback from 1979 to 1982, was Florida State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach before taking his first college head coaching job at Georgia in 2001. He went 145-51 and won two Southeastern Conference titles with the Bulldogs before being fired after the 2015 regular season, but he soon had a job at his alma mater.
He went 26-13 in his three seasons in charge at Miami. Richt said he was not forced out and the decision to retire was his, but he gave no indication previously he was considering an early exit.
After arriving at Miami in December 2015, he campaigned for the building of an indoor practice facility that opened earlier this season, and he signed a contract extension in May that kept him under contract through 2023. He was making just more than $4 million annually.
“The decision came after a great deal of thought, discussions with my family and prayer,” Richt said in his released statement. “This was my decision.”
Through Saturday, the Hurricanes ranked fifth nationally in total defense this season and 18th in scoring defense out of the 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams. The Hurricanes were 67th in scoring offense, 104th in total offense and 112th in passing offense – all areas in which Miami expected to excel when it hired Richt three years ago.
This season clearly took a toll. Miami lost four straight games midway through the schedule, with Richt calling that time “probably the most difficult time that I have been through as a coach.”
Confusion reigned after Richt’s announcement Sunday. Some assistant coaches and staffers who walked into the building that houses the football offices expressed shock. Tight ends coach and special teams coordinator Todd Hartley walked out of the building and got into his vehicle, shook the hand of a well-wisher in the parking lot and shrugged.
Some members of Richt’s staff turned down other jobs in recent days to stay with him. They’ll likely soon be looking for work elsewhere.
“I want to express my sincere appreciation to the entire Hurricane family for welcoming me back home and for supporting the outstanding young men in our program,” Richt said in the statement. “I only wish that we could have achieved greater things in return.”
Players took to social media to express shock, with wide receiver Brian Hightower writing “I’m sick.”
Tight end Brevin Jordan tweeted at James, expressing hope Hartley is retained. Former Miami wide receiver Sam Bruce, who was dismissed by Richt in 2016 for violations of team policy, said he would like to return to the school.
James said he will now aim to “go and get the best person for the job.” Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, who likely would have been a strong candidate for the job – and may be approached by the Hurricanes now anyway – left Miami earlier this month to take over as coach at Temple. Several underclassmen also are considering leaving Miami early for the NFL draft, and running back Travis Homer signed with an agent Sunday.