Mark Richt
Encyclopedia
Mark Richt is the head coach
of the University of Georgia
Bulldogs
football
team. His previous affiliations include fourteen years at Florida State University
, where he served as offensive coordinator
and quarterback
s coach, and one year as offensive coordinator at East Carolina University
.
and grew up a Nebraska Cornhuskers football
fan, but was not recruited by the Huskers
. He graduated in 1978 from Boca Raton High School
in Boca Raton, Florida
, where he was a star quarterback
. He played for the University of Miami
in the early 1980s, graduating in 1982. He served as backup quarterback to future Pro Football Hall of Fame
quarterback Jim Kelly
, although an injury to Kelly early in the 1982 season
put Richt in the starting role for most of the season.
, serving under Bobby Bowden
. Richt left the Seminoles to join East Carolina University
as their offensive coordinator in 1989. After one year at East Carolina, Richt returned to Florida State to serve as the Seminoles' quarterbacks coach. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 1994 upon the departure of Brad Scott
. Under Richt’s direction, Florida State had some of college football's most explosive offenses; in his seven years as offensive coordinator, the Seminoles ranked in the nation’s top five scoring offenses on five occasions, were top twelve in total offense five times, and top twelve in passing offense five times. The 2000 Seminoles offense finished the regular season ranked first nationally in total offense (549.0 yards per game), first in passing offense (384.0 ypg), and third in scoring offense (42.4 points per game).
While an assistant coach at Florida State, Richt coached two Heisman Trophy
winners, quarterbacks Charlie Ward
and Chris Weinke
, and was part of two national championships (1993 and 1999).
. Richt recounted the moments leading up to being named UGA's head coach in an interview, saying:
In December 2000, [the University of Georgia's] President Michael Adams and then Athletic Director Coach Vince Dooley came to Tallahassee and interviewed me for the position of Head Coach of the UGA Bulldogs. After many hours of prayer, Coach Dooley called me and I accepted the position. We moved to Athens in January 2001 and have truly been blessed. We have a great church, an outstanding school for the children and a wonderful staff. Throughout all of life I try to live according to COLOSSIANS 3:23 – “And whatever you do, do heartily, as to the LORD and not to men.
In his first seven seasons at Georgia, Richt's teams won two Southeastern Conference
Championships (2002 and 2005), and as of 2011, has won four SEC Eastern Division titles (2002, 2003, 2005, and 2011). His team represented the SEC in three BCS bowl appearances with a record of 2–1, and finished in the top ten of the final AP Poll
five times (2002–2005, 2007).
While coaching at Georgia, Richt has been a strong opponent of oversigning
, a practice popular in the SEC, believing that a scholarship is a 4 year commitment.
, the Bulldogs would rebound a month later to shock Tennessee in Knoxville 26–24 on a touchdown pass from David Greene to Verron Haynes
with only five seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The play, known in Georgia lore as the "Hobnail Boot" (a phrase coined by legendary Georgia football announcer Larry Munson
following the play), was one of the most memorable in school history, and the win established Georgia as a rising program under Richt's leadership. The team would go on to defeat in-state rival Georgia Tech for the first time since 1997, but close losses to Auburn
and Boston College
put a damper on Richt's rookie campaign. Some fans blamed the Auburn and Boston College losses on Richt, claiming that the coach's poor clock management had cost the Bulldogs opportunities to win both games. The Bulldogs finished the season with a record of 8–4.
, the Bulldogs were 8–0 and ranked No. 4 in the country, with a chance to clinch the SEC East title. Missed opportunities in the game's second half marred Georgia's chances, and they went on to suffer a devastating loss that essentially ended any chance of winning a national title. The Bulldogs would rebound the following week by easily defeating Ole Miss, setting up a matchup on the road against Auburn
with the division championship on the line. Georgia trailed for most of the game, but pulled to within 21–17 late in the fourth quarter. After getting inside the Tigers' red-zone late in the game, Georgia's final drive stalled, and they were left with a 4th and 14 situation on Auburn's 19 yard-line and little more than a minute remaining. With their SEC championship hopes down to a flicker, Greene completed a miraculous touchdown pass to Michael Johnson, giving Georgia a 24–21 lead and the victory. With the SEC East title in hand, the Bulldogs played with new-found confidence to end the season. They drubbed Georgia Tech 51–7 in Athens, the second most lopsided win in the history of the series, and then crushed Arkansas
30–3 in the SEC Championship game
, giving the school its first SEC crown since 1982. Richt would go on to defeat his mentor Bobby Bowden and Florida State 26–13 in the Sugar Bowl
, giving Georgia a 13–1 record and No. 3 national ranking in both polls.
. Richt and the Bulldogs rebounded and defeated Purdue in the Capital One Bowl
, 34–27 in overtime, despite surrendering a 24–0 first half lead. It was another solid season for Richt, as his team finished with an 11–3 record and a No. 7 finish in the AP Poll.
and a veteran defense, Georgia got off to a fast 7–0 start, including a 27–14 win over Tennessee that gave the Bulldog's control of the division. Georgia would lose two straight heartbreakers to Florida (without the services of Shockley, who was injured in the previous game versus Arkansas) and Auburn before clinching the SEC East with a win over Kentucky. Another win over Georgia Tech gave Georgia a 9–2 regular season finish. Playing in their third SEC Championship game in four years, the Bulldogs ambushed 3rd-ranked LSU, jumping out to a quick 14–0 lead and cruising to a 34–14 win, giving Richt his second SEC title at Georgia. However, the season ended on a sour note for Georgia, as they could not overcome a 28–0 deficit to West Virginia in the Sugar Bowl, falling 38–35.
. The team would go on to play Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, and Florida all at home, managing to beat only Mississippi State. The team then traveled to Kentucky where it was defeated by four points before closing out the season with wins over Auburn and Georgia Tech, and then beating Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A bowl in Atlanta. While Georgia failed to reach ten wins or finish in the top-10 of the polls for the first time since 2001, the strong finish provided optimism heading into the 2007 season.
. Georgia again donned black jerseys and routed the Warriors 41–10 to close the season 11–2 and ranked No. 2 in the AP poll, giving Richt his highest finish to date. It also marked Georgia's highest end-of-season ranking since winning the national championship in 1980. This win also gave Mark Richt the distinction of being the only head coach at Georgia to win the Sugar Bowl game more than once during his career.
On October 27, 2007, during the Bulldogs' heated rivalry game against the Florida Gators
, the entire Georgia football team rushed into the end zone to celebrate after Knowshon Moreno
's one-yard touchdown run gave Georgia an early 7–0 lead. The celebration drew two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that eventually forced the Bulldogs to kick off from their own eight yard line; during halftime, Richt told CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson
that he had told his offense to celebrate the first touchdown until they received a penalty. The entire team planned to rush the field themselves. Georgia went on to win 42–30. The victory gave Georgia their 47th win in the series with Florida, which Georgia leads 48–40–2 even though Richt is 3-8 against the Gators.
Richt later apologized in writing to Southeastern Conference
commissioner Mike Slive: "I apologize that I put everyone in that situation and specifically apologize to you, the Southeastern Conference, and the University of Florida
. You can be assured I will not ask our team to do this type of thing again." The Southeastern Conference took no disciplinary action against Richt and the NCAA also did not impose sanctions.
. His contract runs through the 2013 season. His team finished the season 10–3 after ranking No. 1 in the preseason, with losses to Alabama, Florida, and Georgia Tech. His two offensive stars, Matthew Stafford
and Knowshon Moreno
, declared for the NFL draft following the season and were both picked in the first round.
began featuring Richt and the Bulldog football program on the cover of Wheaties
cereal boxes. The side of the box states this:
Tradition is defined as "the handing down of beliefs, legends, and customs from generation to generation," and over the past century, Georgia has built a profound legacy around college football, putting its stake in the ground for generations to come. University of Georgia teams have been recognized as national champions five times (1927, 1942, 1946, 1968 and 1980) throughout history. In addition, the Bulldogs have earned the sixth-most bowl invitations in the history of college football and boast two Heisman Trophy winners.
Richt appeared in the movie Facing the Giants
as the former coach of the movie's main character, Grant Taylor. IMDB lists Mark Richt as himself in the movie credits, but in the movie credits he is listed as "Grant's former coach".
. The couple have four children: Jonathan (born March 11, 1990), David (born December 1, 1994), and two children they adopted from Ukraine in 1999, Zach (born May 15, 1996), and Anya (born February 13, 1997), who was born with a rare disorder known as proteus syndrome
.
ESPN
's College GameDay featured a documentary on October 25, 2008 entitled "GameDay looks at the Richt family's adoption of a young boy and girl from Ukraine" detailing the Richts' personal story of the adoption of their two youngest children Zach and Anya. The Richts had declined on several occasions to publicly share their adoption story before deciding to proceed with the hope that it would encourage other families to explore the rewards of adoption.
Richt's oldest son Jonathan "Jon" Richt verbally committed to play football for Clemson University
in February 2007 before signing his letter of intent with the Tigers a year later. He decided to transfer from Clemson following the 2008 season; he transferred to a smaller school, Mars Hill
, where he is the starting quarterback. Jon Richt threw for 1,600 yards during his junior year at Prince Avenue Christian School, a Class A school in Athens, Georgia.
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
Bulldogs
Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams of the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team. His previous affiliations include fourteen years at Florida State University
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, where he served as offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
and quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
s coach, and one year as offensive coordinator at East Carolina University
East Carolina Pirates football
The East Carolina Pirates is a college football team that represents East Carolina University . The team is currently a member of the Conference USA, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association .The Pirates have won seven conference championships and...
.
Early years and playing career
Richt was born in Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
and grew up a Nebraska Cornhuskers football
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
fan, but was not recruited by the Huskers
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
. He graduated in 1978 from Boca Raton High School
Boca Raton High School
Boca Raton Community High School is a public, coeducational high school that is part of the School District of Palm Beach County, Florida. The school has been rated an "A" school each consecutive year by the Florida Department of Education since the year 2005. In 2010, Boca High ranked 62 in the...
in Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...
, where he was a star quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. He played for the University of Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
in the early 1980s, graduating in 1982. He served as backup quarterback to future Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
quarterback Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
, although an injury to Kelly early in the 1982 season
1982 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1982 Miami Hurricanes represented the University of Miami in the 1982 NCAA College Football season.-Regular season:Jim Kelly finished his career at Miami with 406 completions in 646 attempts for 5,233 yards and 32 TD's...
put Richt in the starting role for most of the season.
Coaching career
Mark Richt started his coaching career in 1985 as a volunteer quarterbacks coach for the Florida State Seminoles (FSU)Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, serving under Bobby Bowden
Bobby Bowden
Robert Cleckler "Bobby" Bowden is a retired college football coach. He coached the Florida State Seminoles football team from the 1976 to 2009 seasons...
. Richt left the Seminoles to join East Carolina University
East Carolina Pirates football
The East Carolina Pirates is a college football team that represents East Carolina University . The team is currently a member of the Conference USA, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association .The Pirates have won seven conference championships and...
as their offensive coordinator in 1989. After one year at East Carolina, Richt returned to Florida State to serve as the Seminoles' quarterbacks coach. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 1994 upon the departure of Brad Scott
Brad Scott (American football)
Brad Scott was the associate head coach and offensive line coach for the Clemson Tigers football team. Previously, from 1994 to 1998, he was the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks.-Career:...
. Under Richt’s direction, Florida State had some of college football's most explosive offenses; in his seven years as offensive coordinator, the Seminoles ranked in the nation’s top five scoring offenses on five occasions, were top twelve in total offense five times, and top twelve in passing offense five times. The 2000 Seminoles offense finished the regular season ranked first nationally in total offense (549.0 yards per game), first in passing offense (384.0 ypg), and third in scoring offense (42.4 points per game).
While an assistant coach at Florida State, Richt coached two Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winners, quarterbacks Charlie Ward
Charlie Ward
Charlie Ward, Jr. is a retired American professional NBA basketball player, college football Heisman Trophy winner, Davey O'Brien Award winner and a Major League Baseball draftee. Ward is considered one of the best all-around athletes in the last quarter century...
and Chris Weinke
Chris Weinke
Christopher Jon Weinke is a former professional American football and baseball player. After spending six years in the Toronto Blue Jays minor league baseball system, he enrolled at Florida State University at the age of 26, and played quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles...
, and was part of two national championships (1993 and 1999).
Georgia
Richt was hired as head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs before the 2001 season, replacing Jim DonnanJim Donnan
Jim Donnan is a former American football player and coach and now a television analyst for college football and a motivational speaker. He served as the head football coach at Marshall University and the University of Georgia , compiling a career record of 104–40–1...
. Richt recounted the moments leading up to being named UGA's head coach in an interview, saying:
In December 2000, [the University of Georgia's] President Michael Adams and then Athletic Director Coach Vince Dooley came to Tallahassee and interviewed me for the position of Head Coach of the UGA Bulldogs. After many hours of prayer, Coach Dooley called me and I accepted the position. We moved to Athens in January 2001 and have truly been blessed. We have a great church, an outstanding school for the children and a wonderful staff. Throughout all of life I try to live according to COLOSSIANS 3:23 – “And whatever you do, do heartily, as to the LORD and not to men.
In his first seven seasons at Georgia, Richt's teams won two Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
Championships (2002 and 2005), and as of 2011, has won four SEC Eastern Division titles (2002, 2003, 2005, and 2011). His team represented the SEC in three BCS bowl appearances with a record of 2–1, and finished in the top ten of the final AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
five times (2002–2005, 2007).
While coaching at Georgia, Richt has been a strong opponent of oversigning
Oversigning
Oversigning is an unofficial term for the practice of American college athletic departments signing recruits to a National Letter of Intent that may exceed the maximum number of athletic scholarships permitted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, a practice popular in the SEC, believing that a scholarship is a 4 year commitment.
2001 season
Richt's first season was an up-and-down one for him as well as the team. After a disappointing early-season home loss to South Carolina2001 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
The 2001 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the Southeastern Conference. The Gamecocks were led by Lou Holtz in his third season as USC head coach, and played their home games in Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC.Carolina followed up one of...
, the Bulldogs would rebound a month later to shock Tennessee in Knoxville 26–24 on a touchdown pass from David Greene to Verron Haynes
Verron Haynes
Verron Ulric Haynes is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
with only five seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The play, known in Georgia lore as the "Hobnail Boot" (a phrase coined by legendary Georgia football announcer Larry Munson
Larry Munson
Lawrence Harry "Larry" Munson was a sports announcer and talk-show host based out of the U.S. city of Atlanta. He was best known for handling radio play-by-play of University of Georgia Bulldogs football games from 1966 to 2008...
following the play), was one of the most memorable in school history, and the win established Georgia as a rising program under Richt's leadership. The team would go on to defeat in-state rival Georgia Tech for the first time since 1997, but close losses to Auburn
2001 Auburn Tigers football team
The 2001 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season.They posted a 7–5 record, including a record of 5–3 in the Southeastern Conference...
and Boston College
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
put a damper on Richt's rookie campaign. Some fans blamed the Auburn and Boston College losses on Richt, claiming that the coach's poor clock management had cost the Bulldogs opportunities to win both games. The Bulldogs finished the season with a record of 8–4.
2002 season
If Richt had skeptics after his first season, they began to disappear in 2002. After winning several close games early in the season, the Bulldogs steadily climbed towards the top of the SEC standings and national polls. Entering their annual showdown with SEC rival Florida2002 Florida Gators football team
The 2002 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2002 college football season...
, the Bulldogs were 8–0 and ranked No. 4 in the country, with a chance to clinch the SEC East title. Missed opportunities in the game's second half marred Georgia's chances, and they went on to suffer a devastating loss that essentially ended any chance of winning a national title. The Bulldogs would rebound the following week by easily defeating Ole Miss, setting up a matchup on the road against Auburn
2002 Auburn Tigers football team
The 2002 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season. Auburn, led by head coach Tommy Tuberville, finished with record of 9–4, including a 5–3 record in the Southeastern Conference. Following a disappointing 7–5 finish the previous...
with the division championship on the line. Georgia trailed for most of the game, but pulled to within 21–17 late in the fourth quarter. After getting inside the Tigers' red-zone late in the game, Georgia's final drive stalled, and they were left with a 4th and 14 situation on Auburn's 19 yard-line and little more than a minute remaining. With their SEC championship hopes down to a flicker, Greene completed a miraculous touchdown pass to Michael Johnson, giving Georgia a 24–21 lead and the victory. With the SEC East title in hand, the Bulldogs played with new-found confidence to end the season. They drubbed Georgia Tech 51–7 in Athens, the second most lopsided win in the history of the series, and then crushed Arkansas
2002 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
The 2002 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas in the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Razorbacks played five home games at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas and three home games at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock,...
30–3 in the SEC Championship game
2002 SEC Championship Game
The 2002 SEC Championship Game was won by the Georgia Bulldogs 30-3 over the Arkansas Razorbacks. The game was played in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia on December 7, 2002 and was televised to a national audience on CBS....
, giving the school its first SEC crown since 1982. Richt would go on to defeat his mentor Bobby Bowden and Florida State 26–13 in the Sugar Bowl
2003 Sugar Bowl
The 2003 Sugar Bowl a 2002–2003 BCS game was played on January 1, 2003. This 69th edition to the Sugar Bowl featured the Florida State Seminoles, and the Georgia Bulldogs...
, giving Georgia a 13–1 record and No. 3 national ranking in both polls.
2003 season
Richt's team earned the chance to defend their SEC title in 2003 following a 10–2 regular season that included a 30–0 shutout win at Clemson, a 41–14 thrashing of Tennessee in Knoxville, as well as a third consecutive win over Georgia Tech. The SEC title game offered Georgia a rematch with LSU, which had defeated Georgia 17–10 in a memorable September showdown. The Tigers defeated Georgia 34–13 in that game, winning the SEC title and a berth in the 2004 Sugar Bowl2004 Sugar Bowl
The 2004 Sugar Bowl, the BCS title game for the 2003 college football season, was played on January 4, 2004 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The teams were LSU Tigers and the Oklahoma Sooners...
. Richt and the Bulldogs rebounded and defeated Purdue in the Capital One Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
, 34–27 in overtime, despite surrendering a 24–0 first half lead. It was another solid season for Richt, as his team finished with an 11–3 record and a No. 7 finish in the AP Poll.
2004 season
The Bulldogs entered the 2004 season ranked No. 4 in the country, and were a consensus pick to win the SEC. After a come-from-behind road win over South Carolina and a 45–16 thumping of a top ten LSU team, Georgia appeared to be living up to preseason expectations. An upset 19–14 loss to Tennessee in early October, however, ended Georgia's hopes of a national title and put the Bulldogs behind the Volunteers in the SEC East. While they would go on to post a 10–2 record, which included the school's first win over Florida since 1997, many Bulldog fans considered the year a disappointment, as the team failed to reach the SEC title game for the first time in three years. Senior QB David Greene became the winningest QB in NCAA history with 42 wins and also the SEC's all-time leader in passing yards with 11,270. David Pollack and Thomas Davis were voted consensus All-Americans.2005 season
Expectations were lower going into 2005, as the Bulldogs were picked by the media to finish just third in the SEC East. Led by senior quarterback D. J. ShockleyD. J. Shockley
Donald Eugene "D. J." Shockley is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia....
and a veteran defense, Georgia got off to a fast 7–0 start, including a 27–14 win over Tennessee that gave the Bulldog's control of the division. Georgia would lose two straight heartbreakers to Florida (without the services of Shockley, who was injured in the previous game versus Arkansas) and Auburn before clinching the SEC East with a win over Kentucky. Another win over Georgia Tech gave Georgia a 9–2 regular season finish. Playing in their third SEC Championship game in four years, the Bulldogs ambushed 3rd-ranked LSU, jumping out to a quick 14–0 lead and cruising to a 34–14 win, giving Richt his second SEC title at Georgia. However, the season ended on a sour note for Georgia, as they could not overcome a 28–0 deficit to West Virginia in the Sugar Bowl, falling 38–35.
2006 season
2006 was one of Richt's most frustrating seasons at the school. Although the team started 5–0, close wins over Colorado and Ole Miss raised cause for concern. Those concerns proved to be justified as Georgia, hampered by turnovers and uncharacteristically poor play from their defense, would go on to lose four of their next five games. The slide began with a 51–33 home loss to Tennessee, Richt's worst ever defeat at Sanford StadiumSanford Stadium
Sanford Stadium is the on-campus playing venue for football at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, United States. The 92,746-seat stadium is the seventh largest stadium in the NCAA. Architecturally, the stadium is known for the fact that its numerous expansions over the years have been...
. The team would go on to play Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, and Florida all at home, managing to beat only Mississippi State. The team then traveled to Kentucky where it was defeated by four points before closing out the season with wins over Auburn and Georgia Tech, and then beating Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A bowl in Atlanta. While Georgia failed to reach ten wins or finish in the top-10 of the polls for the first time since 2001, the strong finish provided optimism heading into the 2007 season.
2007 season
2007 would prove to be one of Richt's best and most exciting years at Georgia. The Bulldogs' performance was inconsistent in the first half of the season, as they posted big wins over Oklahoma State and Alabama but suffered damaging losses to division rivals South Carolina and Tennessee. The team appeared to be in disarray following a close win at Vanderbilt, and the remainder of the season did not look promising. Then, Richt began going to his bag of tricks to galvanize his struggling team. At the coach's behest, Georgia received 30 yards of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties following a touchdown on their opening drive against Florida, as the entire Georgia football team ran on the field in jubilation. Perhaps energized by the celebration, the Bulldogs went on to defeat the Gators 42–30, setting the table for a big finish to the season. Richt's team would go on to defeat Auburn 45–20, the first time Georgia defeated the Gators and Tigers in the same season since 1982. During the game, Georgia wore black jerseys for the first time in the modern era. The team tied a school record with a seventh consecutive victory over Georgia Tech, and by ending the regular season with a six-game winning streak rose to 4th in both polls as well as the BCS. The Bulldogs, however, by virtue of their loss to Tennessee, did not earn the opportunity to appear in the SEC Championship Game. The Bulldogs represented the SEC in the Sugar Bowl against Hawaii, replacing SEC champion LSU, which was selected for the BCS National Championship GameBCS National Championship Game
The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
. Georgia again donned black jerseys and routed the Warriors 41–10 to close the season 11–2 and ranked No. 2 in the AP poll, giving Richt his highest finish to date. It also marked Georgia's highest end-of-season ranking since winning the national championship in 1980. This win also gave Mark Richt the distinction of being the only head coach at Georgia to win the Sugar Bowl game more than once during his career.
Florida celebration incident
On October 27, 2007, during the Bulldogs' heated rivalry game against the Florida Gators
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
, the entire Georgia football team rushed into the end zone to celebrate after Knowshon Moreno
Knowshon Moreno
Knowshon Rockwell Moreno is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was selected 12th overall in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Broncos. He played college football at the University of Georgia.-Early years:Moreno grew up in Belford, a neighborhood in...
's one-yard touchdown run gave Georgia an early 7–0 lead. The celebration drew two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that eventually forced the Bulldogs to kick off from their own eight yard line; during halftime, Richt told CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson
Tracy Wolfson
Tracy Wolfson is an American sportscaster for CBS Sports. She is a University of Michigan graduate with a degree in communications.-Early life and career:...
that he had told his offense to celebrate the first touchdown until they received a penalty. The entire team planned to rush the field themselves. Georgia went on to win 42–30. The victory gave Georgia their 47th win in the series with Florida, which Georgia leads 48–40–2 even though Richt is 3-8 against the Gators.
Richt later apologized in writing to Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
commissioner Mike Slive: "I apologize that I put everyone in that situation and specifically apologize to you, the Southeastern Conference, and the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
. You can be assured I will not ask our team to do this type of thing again." The Southeastern Conference took no disciplinary action against Richt and the NCAA also did not impose sanctions.
2008 season
On March 6, 2008 it was announced that Mark Richt had been granted a pay increase from $2.2 million per year to $2.8 million per year, making him the fifth-highest-paid coach in the SECSoutheastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
. His contract runs through the 2013 season. His team finished the season 10–3 after ranking No. 1 in the preseason, with losses to Alabama, Florida, and Georgia Tech. His two offensive stars, Matthew Stafford
Matthew Stafford
John Matthew Stafford is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions first overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Georgia....
and Knowshon Moreno
Knowshon Moreno
Knowshon Rockwell Moreno is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was selected 12th overall in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Broncos. He played college football at the University of Georgia.-Early years:Moreno grew up in Belford, a neighborhood in...
, declared for the NFL draft following the season and were both picked in the first round.
Off the field
On September 12, 2006, General MillsGeneral Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
began featuring Richt and the Bulldog football program on the cover of Wheaties
Wheaties
Wheaties is a brand of General Mills breakfast cereal. It is well known for featuring prominent athletes on the exterior of the package, and has become a major cultural icon...
cereal boxes. The side of the box states this:
Tradition is defined as "the handing down of beliefs, legends, and customs from generation to generation," and over the past century, Georgia has built a profound legacy around college football, putting its stake in the ground for generations to come. University of Georgia teams have been recognized as national champions five times (1927, 1942, 1946, 1968 and 1980) throughout history. In addition, the Bulldogs have earned the sixth-most bowl invitations in the history of college football and boast two Heisman Trophy winners.
Richt appeared in the movie Facing the Giants
Facing the Giants
- Official listing :# Come Together - Third Day# Voice of Truth - Casting Crowns# Facing the Giants Theme - Mark Willard# I'm Finding You - Bebo Norman# The Deathcrawl - Mark Willard# Completely - Ana Laura...
as the former coach of the movie's main character, Grant Taylor. IMDB lists Mark Richt as himself in the movie credits, but in the movie credits he is listed as "Grant's former coach".
Personal life
Richt is married to the former Katharyn Francis of Tallahassee, FloridaTallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
. The couple have four children: Jonathan (born March 11, 1990), David (born December 1, 1994), and two children they adopted from Ukraine in 1999, Zach (born May 15, 1996), and Anya (born February 13, 1997), who was born with a rare disorder known as proteus syndrome
Proteus syndrome
Proteus syndrome, also known as Wiedemann's syndrome , is a congenital disorder that causes skin overgrowth and atypical bone development, often accompanied by tumors over half the body....
.
ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's College GameDay featured a documentary on October 25, 2008 entitled "GameDay looks at the Richt family's adoption of a young boy and girl from Ukraine" detailing the Richts' personal story of the adoption of their two youngest children Zach and Anya. The Richts had declined on several occasions to publicly share their adoption story before deciding to proceed with the hope that it would encourage other families to explore the rewards of adoption.
Richt's oldest son Jonathan "Jon" Richt verbally committed to play football for Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
in February 2007 before signing his letter of intent with the Tigers a year later. He decided to transfer from Clemson following the 2008 season; he transferred to a smaller school, Mars Hill
Mars Hill College
Mars Hill College is a private, coed, liberal-arts college affiliated with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The college is located in the small town of Mars Hill, North Carolina, due north of Asheville, western North Carolina's largest city...
, where he is the starting quarterback. Jon Richt threw for 1,600 yards during his junior year at Prince Avenue Christian School, a Class A school in Athens, Georgia.