After weeks of speculation and vetting of potential candidates by fans, rumors from sources upon sources upon even more sources, Mark Richt – a quarterback on the early Hurricanes teams under Coach Howard Schellenberger, and former head coach of the University of Georgia was announced yesterday evening as the new head coach of Miami.
Even before his termination by Georgia, Richt was already considered a top candidate for the position; Butch Davis, Mario Cristobal, and Greg Schiano all seemed to be in the mix but Richt’s success at Georgia the past 15 years along with his ties to Miami were a deciding factor in his hiring.
After a near decade of futility by Miami standards, Mark Richt will bring Miami out of the Dark Ages.
Kaaya Will Shine Brighter
Outside of Matthew Stafford, Richt has been trying for years to find consistent quarterback play in Athens. At Miami, Mark Richt work with one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Brad Kaaya.
If it wasn’t for the Clemson Tigers’s Deshaun Watson and the North Carolina Tar Heel’s Marquees Williams, we would be talking about Kaaya as the ACC’s top quarterback after the amazing year he is having (3019 yards 15 touchdowns, four interceptions).
Mind you, Kaaya has done this with several key weapons on the sidelines at various times during the season, along with playing thorough two blowouts and missing a game due to a concussion, yet he is still second in the ACC among quarterbacks.
Even in his first year, Kaaya beat out Watson to be named ACC Rookie of the Year in 2014. Watson has Clemson playing for a shot at a National Championship which only emphasizes how much Kaaya has been slept on, and there is much untapped talent is left for Richt to drill into. If Kaaya and Watson decide to leave for the NFL after the 2016 season, with Richt’s play calling, Kaaya will be selected higher in the NFL draft.
Running Backs Will Keep the Gears Turning
During his years at Georgia, Richt has always had a full stable of running backs. Miami will be no exception.
From Knowshon Moreno, to last year’s first round pick Todd Gurley, to Nick Chubb this year, Georgia has put out excellent tailbacks. Don’t expect there to be a drop off in Coral Gables either.
Gus Edwards returns after suffering a knee injury in preseason camp, and Joe Yearby and Mark Walton return as well. Both have shown that they are more than formidable to continue to carry the Hurricanes backfield.
If Kaaya and the running backs are the shining light of this offense, the offensive line is the shade; protection for the glow.
The Hurricanes offense has looked terrible at times this year, allowing Kaaya to be sacked 12 times and hardly, if ever, getting a push on defensives to open holes for Yearby and Walton. Given Georgia’s success at not only protecting quarterbacks but also getting his running backs space to make plays, and with the addition of Cocoa High commit OL Jawaan Taylor, the Hurricanes offense is in store for a major upgrade.
A Much Needed Spark to the Defense
The defense, without a question will return to the dominant force they were during the Sean Taylor, Jon Beason, Ed Reed, and Jonathan Vilma days.
Georgia finished third behind only Alabama and Florida on the year in the SEC in total defense. After a mirage of a strong start to the season, the Miami defense finished the regular season 77th overall in the FBS.
The numerous injuries to the linebacker corps severely hampered Miami’s ability to stop the run. Coupled with shoddy defensive line play, the Hurricanes allowed 210 rushing yards per game this season. With Al Golden holdout defensive coordinator Mark “No D” D’Onofrio presumably out of the picture, the Hurricanes new defensive coaching staff will have the parts in place to return the Miami defense to an elite level.
The defensive backfield has played at a phenomenal level given the rest of the Hurricanes struggles, snagging 15 interceptions with Artie Burns leading the team with six himself. Both Burns and return specialist Corn Elder are juniors and have not yet announced whether or not they would return for their senior seasons. But if they do come back to Miami, Richt will have the receiving corps of the ACC not looking forward to playing the Hurricanes.
It is still early morning here, and the news that broke last night continues to settle in. The next steps for Coach Richt will be to hire the right staff and hit the recruiting trail. Miami fans have been waiting for what seems like an eternity for a competent coach, one to heal the scars from the gator claws and Seminole spears, wipe of the tomatoes thrown by the media, to make the Hurricanes rise from the Everglades as the kings of the Sunshine State.
If Sun Life Stadium is Camelot, in Miami Mark Richt is the new King Arthur.
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