With Brady Hoke's firing pretty much inevitable, we’re profiling the candidates to take over as Michigan HC. Today, we’re taking a look at Georgia HC Mark Richt.
Richt backed up Hall-Of-Fame QB Jim Kelly at Miami (FL) before starting his coaching career at rival Florida State under Bobby Bowden in 1985. Richt served as a graduate assistant and volunteer QB coach before he was offered the offensive coordinator position at East Carolina four years later in 1989.
After one mixed season with East Carolina (the Pirates went 6-5), Richt returned to Florida State as Bowden's quarterbacks coach, and he took over as offensive coordinator when Brad Scott left to coach South Carolina. With free reign to install his own offense, it was then that Richt's career really took off.
Richt's Seminoles offense consistently ranked among the nation's best, and FSU finished in the top five in total scoring in five of his seven years in Tallahassee. Richt was part of two national championship teams in '93 and '99, and he quickly rose to prominence as one of the nation's top coordinators.
When Georgia went looking for a replacement for Jim Donnan in 2001, Richt was the first name on their list...and he didn't disappoint. The Dawgs went 8-4 in his first season, but won 13 games in his second year, winning the Sugar Bowl and ending the year ranked #3 in the nation. Richt's tenure has been a consistently successful one - Georgia has only one losing season under Richt's watch (a 6-7 2010 campaign), and the Dawgs are 8-5 in bowl games during his tenure.
The Good: Richt is a proven winner with experience at the highest level of the college game. His resume dwarfs what Brady Hoke brought to the table when he was hired in 2011, and while he might not be a "Michigan Man", the school will be better off running their search without that handicap. Richt is a top-level recruiter who would have no problem bringing elite talent to Ann Arbor. At 54, he has plenty of experience but plenty of gas left in the tank.
The Bad: Richt won't be easy to pry away from Georgia. He has a good thing going in Athens, and while there are rumors that he's finding the job stale, there have been no outward indications that he's looking to leave. Richt also has a young family who he'd be reluctant to uproot.
How The Fans Would React: Richt would be an extremely popular hire among the vast majority of the fanbase. While there would be a handful of fans with reservations about bringing an SEC guy to Michigan, the complaints will be few and far between. Let's be frank: Richt isn't the most realistic name on Michigan's list, but if they think there's a chance he'd take the job, they'd be crazy not to go after him.
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