On Monday, October 21st, Mark Richt had a heart attack. Two weeks prior, we were visiting about his sudden retirement, and how a year ago, he couldn't see himself anywhere but on the sideline at the U in Coral Gables, Florida.
RP: Did you a year ago, have any idea that you wouldn't be coaching there at this time this year?
MR: No
RP: Really?
MR: No, it was not a really well planned out event…I'd hate to think that I knew I was going to be retiring from coaching and not telling anybody… changing jobs or retiring…so many people are affected.
MR: No, I didn't know it was going to happen…it happened after the bowl game…not long after that, where I made the decision…I went 15 years at Georgia with the responsibility of being the head coach and it was probably time to take a break from that responsibility of being a head coach and that was my plan. And within hours I had 6 job offers...and all my former players from Florida State and Georgia were texting and saying how much I had blessed their life and all that kind of good stuff and you are thinking, "Well Lord, maybe I'm not done yet."
MR: Long story short, I did the interview and asked the questions I needed to ask Miami. I said, "I am in and within 48 hours of the Georgia job I'm the head man at Miami… and it was a program that required a lot of heavy lifting.
And I was loving it! I was going hard. But the problem was that I really and truly didn't take care of myself like I should. I didn't rest like I needed to. I didn't exercise like I needed to. I was just going so hard. I might have worked out 5 times in three years and I got depleted in a lot of ways and I was pretty much on empty at the end and I was like, you know what, this is not healthy for me, this is not good for Miami and you know, I could sit here and fake it…but Miami deserves better than that, and quite frankly, I needed to take care of myself. And so that's a very difficult decision to make, as I said before, because it affects so many people and it was kind of a strange sensation to be out of coaching, but at that moment in time, it was the right thing to do and I'm even more certain that it was. You know, you only have one heart, you only have one circulatory system, you only have one brain, you know, and if you overdo it…God's made a sabbath for a reason…and when you don't do it, you don't get blessed and you can't replenish and it is just not a wise thing and I didn't take care of myself good enough.
I'm thankful for Coach Richt's honesty. And it might be an honesty that saved his life, because he was honest with himself. In further reflection, listen to some of the lessons he has learned since he walked away exhausted.
To hear the entire interview subscribe to the Vision for Life Podcast on your podcast app. You can follow Coach Richt on Twitter @MarkRicht or Roger Patterson @RogerPatterson.
How Astros surging ace raises key questions about Houston's short, long-term rotation moves
Jul 25, 2024, 5:39 pm
It's no secret to Astros fans that the ascension of Hunter Brown is one of the primary reasons the team was able to rebound from a disastrous start to the season.
Astros manager Joe Espada has seen enough from Brown to start throwing around the word “ace” when talking about him.
Joe Espada on Hunter Brown: "He's having that ace feeling to him. We are expecting him to go out there and deliver what he just did. We knew all along that is in him and now he's starting to turn the corner. He's starting to have that swag where he knows 'my team needs a win.'"
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 24, 2024
And it appears the biggest key to Brown's turnaround was mixing in a two-seam fastball to keep right-handed hitters honest. Brown needed a pitch that could command the inside of the plate, which allows his other pitches to be more effective.
We learned just recently, from Chandler Rome of The Athletic, that Alex Bregman was the one that suggested the addition of the two-seam fastball to Brown's arsenal.
Come to find out, Bregman often shares advice on how to attack hitters. Or he'll ask pitchers why they chose a certain pitch in a specific situation.
This just goes to show that veteran leadership can make a big difference. Especially on a team with so many young pitchers and catchers. Bregman was able to help Brown when no pitching coach could.
For Brown, this small tweak could be the catalyst that changes the course of his career. And the Astros season for that matter.
However, some will say the difference in Brown is more about confidence than anything else. But confidence only builds after repeated success. Nobody knows where Brown would be without the two-seam fastball.
Looking ahead
If the Astros do make the playoffs, where will Espada slot Brown in the playoff rotation? Framber Valdez has the playoff experience, so he'll probably be penciled in as the number one starter.
Justin Verlander (neck) still isn't facing live batters, so it's hard to count on him. Ronel Blanco has been an All-Star level pitcher this season, but he doesn't have any experience pitching playoff games for the Astros.
So it wouldn't be surprising at all if Brown is the team's number two starter. In all likelihood, whoever is pitching the best at the end of the season may get the nod. But it's fun to discuss in the meantime.
Finally, how does Hunter Brown's arrival impact the Astros' plans at the trade deadline? And how could that affect Justin Verlander's future with the club?
Be sure to check out the video above for the full conversation!
Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
