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Mark Richt‘s heart was no longer in the game. Manny Diaz earned this opportunity to lead the Miami program. Both things are true.
But the timing and aftermath of Richt’s retirement is an undisputed example that money and power—not the fantastical idea of loyalty, not a code of ethics—rule college football.
Richt spent the 2018 season mismanaging the quarterback position and watching a recruiting class deteriorate. There were dismissals, transfer rumors, a four-game losing streak and Diaz’s decision to take over at Temple after the campaign.
The game had passed Richt, but he stubbornly refused to adapt offensively. He didn’t accept that fact until Wisconsin put a 35-3 beatdown on the Hurricanes in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Richt must have realized he wasn’t fully invested in retooling the program, which desperately needed an overhaul on the offensive side. The necessary course involved firing—or seeking other employment for—his son Jon, the quarterbacks coach.
Instead of giving a half-hearted effort and making a few uncomfortable choices, though, Richt decided to retire and allow his alma mater to move into the future.
After Diaz accepted the job at Temple.
After Richt saw a recruiting class crumble down the stretch.
And after both schools added 15-plus players during the early signing period.
Indeed, many of those prospects may have no interest in leaving anyway. Still, a signed national letter of intent basically eliminates their alternatives. They have no recourse beyond applying for a waiver, yet Diaz can freely change jobs twice in 17 days.
College football allows its coaches to operate as businessmen while penalizing the unpaid “employees” for seeking a more suitable situation. Transfers are not eligible for a full calendar year.
Houston recently fired Major Applewhite—yet waited until the early signing period concluded. Assistant coaches have done and will do the same, such as when Stan Drayton bolted Ohio State for the NFL after reeling in prized running back Mike Weber.
No penalties for them, though. Only the unpaid, restricted players.
Specific to this saga, Richt’s decision was better late than never, sure. It came Sunday morning, and Miami athletic director Blake James landed on Diaz within 12 hours. He carried a $4 million buyout for 17 days of service, per Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports.
But hey, that’s the price of doing business, right? Miami would’ve ponied up for a buyout to swipe any active coach.
Miami AD Blake JamesLynne Sladky/Associated Press
And so, Temple must find a new boss.
Unless the university hires internally, Diaz’s replacement will probably be leaving in similar circumstances. That’s for a clear reason; Temple has become a wonderful stepping-stone job.
Even excluding Diaz, Temple’s last four coaches have graduated to Power Five positions. Al Golden (Miami), Steve Addazio (Boston College), Matt Rhule (Baylor) and Geoff Collins (Georgia Tech) all succeeded in Philadelphia before leaving.
Temple AD Patrick Kraft understands this is the school’s status. He said as much at Diaz’s introductory press conference, as noted by Evan Easterling of the Temple News.
“If we get on the stage of the Fiesta Bowl and there’s confetti all around us, and he’s like, ‘Hey, man my dream job is open,’ ‘Thank you. I want your family to be happy,’ just like I told Geoff and Matt. ‘Thanks, we’ll do this all over again.'”
Nobody envisioned that opportunity would open two weeks later.
When Diaz told Temple recruits about his vision for the program, it wasn’t a lie. At the time, there was no sign Richt would retire. But when the position opened, Diaz was understandably torn.
In a statement, Diaz said Miami “has truly been ‘the job’ for me since I first got into coaching.”
Chris Vannini @ChrisVannini
This sucks for Temple, but Miami is the absolute dream job for Manny Diaz. He’s from there, his dad is the former mayor, it just makes sense.
Temple is a quality spot; Miami is better. While that shouldn’t need to be explained, legitimate access to the national title—Temple and UCF are in the same conference, after all—is the primary appeal.
Diaz, to his credit, acknowledged the poor timing of his decision during an interview on WQAM’s Joe Rose Show, per Christy Cabrera Chirinos of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
“It was uncomfortable and it’s something that still, I don’t feel right about,” Diaz said. “I think it’s an issue we have with our calendar, where these jobs change hands right in the middle of the recruiting cycle and they have to be filled.”
That recognition doesn’t help Temple. The university thought it had Collins’ replacement and now must start over.
Yet any reasonable person understands the appeal of a promotion in a familiar area. Just like when a player transfers for a better situation or protects his NFL future over an exhibition game, Diaz made the right choice for himself.
He couldn’t guarantee this opportunity would come again. Loyalty is valuable, but it’s not what defines college football. When a chance like this arrives, you take it.
That’s smart business.
All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.
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