Mark Richt to Miami: Key Takeaways from Coach's Introductory Press Conference

The University of Miami introduced new head football coach Mark Richt at a press conference Friday morning. The former Hurricanes quarterback immediately set the tone—"a lot of work"—for getting the storied program back on the level it achieved to capture five national titles from 1983 to 2001.

Richt is focused on quickly turning the page after his time at Georgia, where he spent 15 years and tallied a 145-51 (.740) record. Meanwhile, Miami last won a bowl game in 2006 and hasn't finished a season ranked in the Top 10 since 2003.

University president Julio Frenk explained why getting the football program back on the right track is so important at Miami, per Christy Chirinos of the Sun Sentinel:

Athletic director Blake James is confident Richt can lead the turnaround, as noted by Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald:

Richt discussed how Miami already feels like home again, and his hope is that it will stay that way for the rest of his time on the sideline, according to Yahoo Sports' Dr. Saturday:

Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald pointed out the new head coach also stressed making the right choices off the field:

Richt, who previously mentioned potentially taking a year off, explained conversations with players reinvigorated his desire to coach, per Jason Butt of the Telegraph:

It also helped that Miami is a place where he feels winning big is possible, which Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald relayed:

In terms of a coaching staff, Richt said he hasn't made any promises to anybody and isn't going to rush to make final decisions, as noted by Maria Martin of ESPN West Palm:

"

"Hiring a staff is huge and I'm going to be deliberate. I'm going to take my time. I'd rather be right than fast." - Mark Richt #Hurricanes

— Maria Martin (@Ria_Martin) December 4, 2015"

On the recruiting front, he's also not ruling anything out, including players he previously made connections with while at Georgia, per Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald:

If nothing else, his arrival provides Hurricanes football with a much-needed spark:

Ultimately, no real progress is made during an introductory press conference. The Miami fanbase can attest to that after watching Randy Shannon and Al Golden fail to bring the Hurricanes back to national prominence over the past decade. But a strong first impression is still important.

Richt is a coach with a long-term SEC pedigree. He hopes to combine that experience with Miami's continued ability to attract interest from top recruits to rebuild a powerhouse. It's not going to happen overnight, but the process starts now.