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Report: Mark Richt back in Athens to pack up his belongings
By Nick Cole
Published:
Chances are good that this weekend has been pretty emotional for former Georgia coach Mark Richt.
The new Miami coach spent most of his weekend watching players he developed and mentored during his time in Athens realizing their dreams of being selected in the NFL Draft.
And in spite of his allegiance to the Hurricanes at this point in time, he was unafraid to show them love on Twitter on Saturday:
Congratulations to Leonard Floyd, Jordan Jenkins, & Malcolm Mitchell for realizing their dream of being drafted into the NFL! More to come!
— Mark Richt (@MarkRicht) April 30, 2016
John Theus is a 49er!! Congratulations!
— Mark Richt (@MarkRicht) April 30, 2016
Keith Marshall is now a Washington Redskin! Congratulations!
— Mark Richt (@MarkRicht) April 30, 2016
On Sunday morning, it was reported that Richt and his family are in Athens to clean out their house and collect their belongings:
Mark Richt is currently in Athens. Cleaning out their house. Lots of family & friends in to visit, help. Emotional times, as you can imagine
— Fletcher Page (@FletcherPage) May 1, 2016
Between recruiting and spring practice, it is likely that Richt has simply been too busy to handle this type of thing until now.
He later tweeted that the reason for the trip was centered around his wife’s graduation from nursing school:
In Athens for my wife's graduation from nursing school. Able to reflect. Thanks DawgNation for the love through the years. My best to Kirby!
— Mark Richt (@MarkRicht) May 1, 2016
It’s easy to get caught up in the on-the-field impact of coaching changes, but this weekend is a perfect example of how things extend much beyond that for these coaches.
The combination of Richt’s players getting drafted and his return to gather his things is another emotional step in the process of turning the page to a new era.
Richt was 145-51 in 15 seasons as the head coach at Georgia. Bulldogs fans are rightfully thrilled about the arrival of new coach Kirby Smart, but it is moments like these that tug at the heartstrings of fans that supported Richt and his teams for so many years.
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
