Former Georgia and Miami coach Mark Richt on Monday morning tweeted that he suffered a heart attack, but is doing fine.
“I am assuming word travels fast,” he wrote. “So I wanted to be able to inform everyone that I did have a heart attack this morning. I am doing fine. As I went through the experience I had peace knowing I was going to heaven but I was going to miss my wife. I plan to be at work this week.”
Richt, 59, is an analyst on the ACC Network after he retired last season from Miami following a three-year stint. He coached at Georgia from 2001-15 before he was let go, and soon returned to coach his alma mater.
After Richt retired, he explained his decision to step down.
Richt played at Miami from 1979-82. He felt the need to give his alma mater his all, which was taxing on his health.
“I knew is gonna take a lot of heavy lifting and I went in with my eyes open and, and I went hard, you know, and I enjoyed every bit of the grind, but I probably worked out ten times in three years,” Richt said. “I didn’t take care of myself. So probably just didn’t do a good enough job taking care of myself. When it was all over, I mean, the hardest thing, by far is saying it’s time for me to stop, because when you’re the head coach it involves a lot of people; your assistant coaches, their families, the recruits, and your current players. So many people are kind of count on you to be there, and when you decide it’s time to stop, that’s a gut-wrenching decision.”
Former Miami QB @MarkRicht is joining @accnetwork’s football family! pic.twitter.com/WqTF4Q40B6
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) April 20, 2019
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
