The Mark Richt era at Georgia has ended after 15 years. But the Mark Richt coaching story is still a long way from being over.

Richt, after all, is only 55 years old, so he’s still got plenty of good years in him. In the end, he didn’t win enough big games to satisfy the higher-ups at Georgia – or its demanding fan base – but he’s sure to rocket to the top of several coaching searches around the country. His resume is that impressive. He’s good on the field and good on the booster circuit.

Where can Richt land after winning 145 games and two SEC titles at Georgia? Here are a few options:

  1. Miami: This list might literally start and finish with the Miami Hurricanes. Richt is a perfect option for the ‘Canes, but we’ll see if the presently dysfunctional athletic department can get this hire right. When Miami fired Al Golden a few hours after the Hurricanes were smashed by Clemson 58-0 on Oct. 24, Richt’s name immediately came up as a potential option to replace him. Richt dismissed the opening at the time, because he still had a job. But his ties to Miami are still strong. Richt was a backup quarterback at Miami from 1978-82 and still knows the Florida recruiting base well from his time as a longtime assistant at Florida State and his 15 years at Georgia. “I don’t think much of it really,” Richt told the Athens Banner-Herald a few days after the Golden firing. “I love my alma mater, the U. No doubt about it, but there’s been nobody calling or writing or texting or anything like that. So I’m sure they’ll find a great coach.” A month later, that may change now that Richt is available.
  2. South Carolina: Richt’s name has never been tied to the South Carolina opening since Steve Spurrier abruptly quit in midseason. Any why not? Richt was still employed at one of their rival schools. But now that Richt is a free agent, maybe Carolina should take a long, hard look. The Gamecocks have a history of hiring coaches who have been successful elsewhere – including Spurrier, Lou Holtz and even Paul Dietzel back in the day. Richt has a solid recruiting following and could take lots of people with him with strong ties throughout the fertile SEC recruiting areas.
  3. Television: If Richt is ready to catch his breath a little bit and step away from coaching for a year or two, he should have no trouble finding a high-profile job in television. With CBS, ESPN and the SEC Network always looking to improve their product, they would certainly fight over the chance to bring Richt on board. And, truth be told, he’d probably be really good at it.
  4. Longshot college jobs: Richt has spent his entire college football career in the south, playing at Miami and coaching at Florida State and Georgia, so it’s doubtful that he would be interested in venturing out around the country for other openings. Southern California is probably the most high-profile job out there and after failing miserably with unproven guys like Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian, maybe the idea of a veteran coach would be appealing to USC. The lack of West Coast ties probably rules him out, though. … What about Central Florida? The Knights have had some success in the past but now they’ve hit rock bottom. They’d love a big-name hire and would certainly structure a contract to give Richt plenty of time to rebuild a program. He’s way over-qualified for that non-Power 5 job, but it would certainly be a challenge that might have great rewards. He knows how to recruit the area, that’s for sure.
  5. Early (coaching) retirement: Richt has certainly made enough money through the years to kick back and relax if he so chooses. Veteran announcer Brent Musburger hinted at the idea on Friday when he appeared on Paul Finebaum’s show.  He thinks Richt might just retire from coaching. Georgia officials even hinted that Richt has the chance to stick around Athens in another role. “Coach Richt and I met Sunday morning to discuss the status of our football program,” Georgia athletics director Greg McGarity said in a statement. “And we mutually agreed that he would step down as head coach and would have the opportunity to accept other duties and responsibilities at UGA following the bowl game.” It seems like a long shot, but you never know.