Two more coaching changes in College Football took place on Sunday, one of which was by choice, the other, not so much. First, Miami Hurricanes head coach Mark Richt announced his retirement after just three seasons with the school. Richt went 26-13 with the school, as this announcement comes just three days after their 35-3 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers in the Pinstripe Bowl. That put them at 7-6 for the 2018 season, and the 58-year-old reportedly informed athletic director Blake James of his decision on Sunday morning, hours before it was revealed to the public.
Richt, who is a former quarterback for Miami, said in a statement that "the decision came after a great deal of thought, discussions with my family, and prayer." He showed nothing but love for the school in a press conference to confirm the news Sunday afternoon. Richt came to Miami after spending 15 years coaching the Georgia Bulldogs, where he went 145-51 with two SEC Championships. He started 19-4 over the first two seasons with Miami, including a 10-0 start in 2017. That had them as high as No. 2 in the CFP Rankings, but a 38-3 loss to the Clemson Tigers in the ACC Championship Game ended those hopes.
After a 5-1 start this year, his team lost four in a row, which ended any high hopes for the year. He faced some criticism for his team's lack of performance, ranking 13th in the ACC in total offense. That balanced out their defense, which allowed just 19.5 points per game, before Wisconsin went off on them in Yankee Stadium. This past season was Richt's second season of this 18-year career that he did not reach eight wins. That was part of what signaled the end of Richt's run in the game, at least for now.
Meanwhile, the Houston Cougars had head coach Major Applewhite for just two-plus seasons before firing him on Sunday afternoon. This was a move that was expected since Saturday, as Applewhite went 15-11 in his time with the program. He took over for Tom Herman, who had gone 22-4 with the same team before leaving to coach the Texas Longhorns.
Houston owes Applewhite $1.95 million in the buyout, as this move takes place following a promising start to their season. Houston got as high as No. 17 in the AP Polls this year with a 7-1 start, but went on to drop four of their last five games. That was topped off with a 70-14 blowout loss to Army in the Armed Forces Bowl last week, which set a bowl record for points allowed in a game. That also sends Applewhite to 0-3 in bowl games, including losses to San Diego State and Fresno State.
Richt, who is a former quarterback for Miami, said in a statement that "the decision came after a great deal of thought, discussions with my family, and prayer." He showed nothing but love for the school in a press conference to confirm the news Sunday afternoon. Richt came to Miami after spending 15 years coaching the Georgia Bulldogs, where he went 145-51 with two SEC Championships. He started 19-4 over the first two seasons with Miami, including a 10-0 start in 2017. That had them as high as No. 2 in the CFP Rankings, but a 38-3 loss to the Clemson Tigers in the ACC Championship Game ended those hopes.
After a 5-1 start this year, his team lost four in a row, which ended any high hopes for the year. He faced some criticism for his team's lack of performance, ranking 13th in the ACC in total offense. That balanced out their defense, which allowed just 19.5 points per game, before Wisconsin went off on them in Yankee Stadium. This past season was Richt's second season of this 18-year career that he did not reach eight wins. That was part of what signaled the end of Richt's run in the game, at least for now.
Meanwhile, the Houston Cougars had head coach Major Applewhite for just two-plus seasons before firing him on Sunday afternoon. This was a move that was expected since Saturday, as Applewhite went 15-11 in his time with the program. He took over for Tom Herman, who had gone 22-4 with the same team before leaving to coach the Texas Longhorns.
Houston owes Applewhite $1.95 million in the buyout, as this move takes place following a promising start to their season. Houston got as high as No. 17 in the AP Polls this year with a 7-1 start, but went on to drop four of their last five games. That was topped off with a 70-14 blowout loss to Army in the Armed Forces Bowl last week, which set a bowl record for points allowed in a game. That also sends Applewhite to 0-3 in bowl games, including losses to San Diego State and Fresno State.
