Mark Richt: It's 'Not in the Plans' to Return to Coaching After Leaving Miami

Former Miami Hurricanes and Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt said Saturday he doesn't expect to make a return to the sideline after he announced his retirement in December.

Richt, who made an appearance to discuss being hired as an ACC Network studio analyst, said another coaching job is "not in the plans," per Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com.

"I'm really excited about this ACC Network opportunity," he said. "And I think I can help the fans enjoy the game more and understand the game more, and it allows me to keep staying involved with this game of football. And it also gives me time to see our grandchildren more and our own children. So right now, I'm mostly focused on that."

The 59-year-old Nebraska native played quarterback at Miami from 1978 through 1982. His coaching career, which spanned over three decades, began when he was a graduate assistant for the Florida State Seminoles in 1985.

Richt became a head coach for the first time in 2001 at Georgia. He guided the Bulldogs to a 145-51 record across 15 years, including a 9-5 mark in bowl games. The team's best result during his tenure came in 2007 when it finished 11-2 with a Sugar Bowl win that propelled the Bulldogs to No. 2 in the final Associated Press poll. Georgia finished 13-1 and No. 3 in 2002 and 12-2 and No. 5 in 2012.

Richt was fired by UGA following the 2015 season and hired by the Hurricanes less than a week later.

Miami went 26-13 under Richt but put together a lackluster 7-6 campaign in 2018 that included a 35-3 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers in the Pinstripe Bowl.

The two-time SEC Coach of the Year (2002 and 2005) and 2017 ACC Coach of the Year said Saturday he "felt like Miami would be in better hands" with his retirement, per Adelson.

"It wasn't like I planned it," Richt said. "It wasn't like midseason or even a year in advance or whatever, but it came really when the season was over. I was thinking about the possibility of it and then, by the time the bowl game was finished, between myself and God and my wife, it was the right thing to do."

Manny Diaz, who was hired by the Temple Owls as head coach in mid-December after three years as the Canes' defensive coordinator, returned to the program after Richt's departure to become head coach.