Georgia’s fan base has been divided since Sunday, when Athletic Director Greg McGarity fired Richt after 15 years.
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Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt leads his players on the field prior to the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Sanford Stadium.
The former Miami quarterback has reached a tentative agreement to be the Hurricanes’ next head coach, pending the completion of contract talks, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press.
Richt will be Miami’s fifth coach since 2000, taking over the historic football program after it finished the season under interim head coach Larry Scott, who replaced Al Golden.
Mark Richt will not coach Georgia in the Bulldogs’ bowl game, a source said.
Richt, 55, interviewed with the Hurricanes on Tuesday and was immediately considered the frontrunner for the job after parting ways with Georgia last week. No. 2 Alabama and No. 18 Florida both have NFL-calibre talent on defense and Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Kirby Smart is a hot name in head coaching searches. However, Richt may not take over the team until bowl season is over.
Here’s a look at some of the schools that have filled their head coaching vacancies and others still on the hunt. Quarterman posted a message of support on Twitter soon after news of Richt’s decision broke Wednesday evening.
Richt, who grew up in Omaha, moved to Boca Raton during his youth and played quarterback at Boca High. The Bulldogs’ season this year was indicative of Richt’s career, as they went 9-3 overall and 5-3 in the SEC, finishing second in the Eastern division.
A couple hours after Thursday’s meeting, Richt boarded a plane bound for Miami, officially leaving Georgia football behind.
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An official announcement from Georgia could come quickly after the championship game Saturday in Atlanta. Golden was an underwhelming 32-25 in four-plus seasons with the Hurricanes, who have yet to make the ACC championship game since joining the conference in 2004. You need a coach that can float in this element, and Mark will be able to float it. Yes, he will. If he’d never played here, I’d question it. But he did.
