Eight Fun Facts About New Hurricanes Coach Mark Richt
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The Miami Hurricanes are expected to announce the hiring of head coach Mark Richt sometime this week.
The move is a big one for the Hurricanes as Richt was at the top of the school's list for potential replacements for Al Golden, who was fired earlier this season.
The hiring of Richt will instantly give the program a boost both from a national standpoint and with recruiting as well.
While his accomplishments and successes at the University of Georgia are well documented, here are some lesser known fun facts about Richt.
High School Star- Richt grew up in South Florida and was a star quarterback for Boca Raton High School in the 70s.
Backup To A Legend- After high school Richt took his talents to the University of Miami where he was the backup quarterback behind the great Jim Kelly, who is known as one of the best QBs to play for the Hurricanes.
Working With The Enemy- Richt began his coaching career in 1985 when he worked as a volunteer quarterbacks coach for the Florida State Seminoles, serving under legendary 'Noles head coach Bobby Bowden. Richt worked under Bowden for 15 years at FSU, eventually getting promoted to offensive coordinator in 1994. Florida State ranked in the nation's top five for scoring offenses in five of the seven seasons that Richt was the offensive coordinator.
Bowden Endorsement- When asked for his opinion about Richt taking the job with Miami, Bowden said that the school is a perfect fit for his former protégé.
Heisman Coach- During his time at Florida State, Richt worked with two quarterbacks that ended up winning the Heisman Trophy; Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke.
Celebration Incident- One of the biggest rivalries in the SEC is between Georgia and Florida. During a 2007 game while the Gators were one of the top teams in the country, Richt instructed his players to celebrate the team's first touchdown until they received a penalty. When Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno scored a one-yard touchdown to give the Bulldogs an early 7-0 lead, the entire team came running off the sidelines to celebrate in the end zone.
Wheaties Box- In 2006 General Mills featured Richt and the Georgia football program on the cover a Wheaties cereal boxes.
Great Father- Richt and his wife Katharyn, who he met while at Florida State, have four children including two that they adopted from Ukraine, Zach and Anya. Both were born with a rare disorder known as proteus syndrome.
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