Mark Richt, now suddenly a free agent, is also a bit of a hot commodity.
Richt was contacted by “about five” schools on Monday, the soon-to-be-former Georgia football coach said on his radio show Monday night. He did not name any of them.
“Yeah, there’s about five today,” Richt said, chuckling. “It’s kinda crazy. But I’m not sure, again, what I’m gonna do yet. But it’s nice to have opportunities and options.”
Richt on Tuesday interviewed at Miami, his alma mater. Florida Sun-Sentinel's Dave Hyde also notes that Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen and former Hurricanes Butch Jones are in the running for the vacancy.
There were multiple reports out of Maryland on Monday night that the Terrapins, who have an opening, had contacted Richt. One report went so far as to say he would be interviewing there. There is a connection between the Bulldogs and Terrapins. Damon Evans, who was Georgia's athletics director from 2004 to 2010, is now an associate athletics director at Maryland.
ESPN reported late Tuesday that Richt also would be interviewing for the vacancy at Virginia.
Power Mizzou’s Gabe DeArmond tweeted that Missouri also has asked to interview Richt.
Richt interviewed at Missouri 15 years ago before it hired Gary Pinkel. Richt eventually went to Georgia. Missouri is replacing Pinkel, who resigned to focus on his health after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
» Mark Richt waits for opportunities after Georgia
A source who spoke to him Monday cast doubt that he would actively interview anywhere over the next two weeks. But Richt made clear that he would at least now listen if somebody called.
“In the past 15 years if I’ve had a headhunter call me and say: ‘Are you interested in this job, are you interested in that job, or whatever job that may be, it’s always been a real simple answer for me, to say no, this is where I want to be. Now I’m losing the opportunity to be the coach at Georgia I think it’s at least respectful to listen to what they have to say, and just try to decide what’s in the best interest of my family, and not even so much that, but just try to be obedient into what God’s got in store for me. So that’s kind of where I’m at.”
Host Chuck Dowdle asked Richt if the fact he and his wife Katharyn are empty-nesters now – their children are spread about the country – would make it easier for them to leave Athens.
“It’s nice to have a home base in Athens, because my mom, my dad, my brother and two sisters all live in town. We enjoy family,” Richt said. “But if we were to make some kind of move, it certainly would not change how often we see our kids. It might put us closer to some of them. The bottom line is we want to carefully consider what to do and then do it.”
About the Author
