Mark Richt once declared that “life is too short” to prevent collegiate athletes from pursuing transfer options.
It’s an intriguing change of opinion, especially from a man who never blocked any of his players’ transfer waivers in his time as the University of Georgia’s head football coach.
Mark Richt once declared that “life is too short” to prevent collegiate athletes from pursuing transfer options.
While employed as Top Dawg in Athens, Richt allowed tailback J.J. Green to transfer to in-state foe and yearly opponent Georgia Tech. He allowed quarterback Nick Marshall and safety Tray Matthews to transfer to conference rival and fellow yearly opponent Auburn. Multiple others switched allegiances to teams the Bulldogs chance facing every season.
“If the kid wants to go…let him go wherever he wants to go.”
Along nearly fifteen years in Athens, Mark Richt held true to these statements.
That was until, early in his tenure as the Miami Hurricanes’ head coach, Richt blocked the transfer of tailback Gus Edwards. Edwards, a redshirt junior at the time, expressed his intention to transfer to Syracuse University to be closer to his family, which included his newborn child.
Syracuse is by no means a football powerhouse but, as with Miami, is aligned with the Atlantic Coast Conference. Richt may not have made the decision single handedly, but it was obvious that the overseers of his alma mater’s athletic department wanted no part in facing a talented former Cane in conference play.
Edwards transferred to Big Ten program Rutgers and has since maintained a two-year roster spot with the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens.
When this situation unfolded, I told myself that Richt’s hands were tied and his administrators were pulling all the strings. My opinion changed when he doubled down on his new viewpoint.
Sparking a conversation on collegiate athletes’ compensation, the former head coach was met by overwhelming criticism.
It’s a quicker turnaround in four years from Richt than the Hurricanes ever received.
