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No bowl for Richt

Now that his former teammate is set to likely become Georgia football’s next coach, Bailey says he thinks the Bulldogs got the right man for the job – one that was basically a coach on the field back when they were college athletes.

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Interestingly, Richt’s coaching career began on Bobby Bowden’s staff at FSU back in 1985, and he was eventually promoted to be their offensive coordinator. The person spoke Wednesday, Dec. 2, on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been signed and the university has not announced the hire publicly. Hurricanes’ fans have been very outspoken in recent years of their disappointment in the program, as airplanes were seen flying over Miami football practices and games calling for Golden’s to be fired before the coach’s dismissal in October.

Richt automatically brings credibility to the Hurricanes, even though Miami has been a team that has struggled to fulfill expectations for pretty much the last decade. UM, which has the 19th-rated recruiting class according to 247Sports, can send Richt on the road as soon as he is cleared by its compliance office. Richt never reached a national championship game with Georgia, so, yes, Miami is hiring a coach to accomplish here what he failed to get done elsewhere.

That man is Richt, the former Georgia coach who agreed Tuesday to rejoin his alma mater.

The Miami Hurricanes may have already secured the best available coach in Mark Richt. Richt was making $4 million annually at Georgia, where he won 145 games as head coach over the last 15 seasons before the sides parted ways earlier this week.

MICHIGAN ASSISTANT TAKES OVER: Maryland has hired Michigan defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin on Wednesday to be its head coach, taking a key assistant away from its Big Ten East rivals. He already has a terrific quarterback in Brad Kaaya to provide training for Eason. After failing to win either a conference or national title in his final 10 seasons at Georgia, the school dismissed the coach.

Georgia said assistant head coach Bryan McClendon will serve as interim head coach in the bowl game. The Hurricanes are not expected to learn their postseason destination before Sunday, but the Pinstripe Bowl is a top choice of Miami’s players. “And we want to be the team that wins a bowl game again”. The Hurricanes are 8-4 this year, including 4-1 under interim coach Larry Scott. Greg Schiano, Butch Davis and Dan Mullen all had interviews as well.

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One high-ranking UM trustee not involved with the search heralded Richt, 55, as a major boost for the Hurricanes. In 2000, Richt coached Chris Weinke to the Heisman Trophy, and in 1991 he coached Casey Weldon to runner-up for the Heisman.

Mark Rict