Behind the Mic with Joe Zagacki
Since 1983 this is my 30th season of Hurricanes football behind the mic. I stepped away for a couple years after my plane crash to pursue some other opportunities. I started watching Canes football in 60’s when they played on Friday nights in an empty Orange Bowl. I can’t say that I have seen everything because every game brings something new. I have witnessed highs and lows and everything in between and yes, I often see things through orange and green glasses, but I think I have pretty good perspective and sense of Hurricanes football history.
No doubt this has been a tough football season. Murphy, of Murphy’s Law, has had a funny way of popping up when you least expected him. Much has gone wrong, from injuries to execution, however, the Canes never lost their fight.
It’s not the season Coach Mark Richt expected, but I have all the faith in Coach Richt and you should too. Richt started 19-7 at Miami in his first two seasons, the third-best start in Miami history, and a stretch that included a 15-game winning streak – UM’s longest since 2002. The Hurricanes won 10 games in 2017, climbing as high as second in the College Football Playoff rankings. Miami captured the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Coastal Division for the first time in its history and earned an invitation to the Capital One Orange Bowl for the first time in 13 years. Richt won 2017 ACC Coach of the Year honors and was also named the 2017 Walter Camp Coach of the Year.
Richt’s 170 career wins rank fourth among active FBS head coaches and his .744 winning percentage ranks as the seventh best among current FBS coaches with at least five years of experience.
Over the last four years there are only six coaches in college football that have won nine or more games. Brian Harsin (Boise State), Nick Saban (Alabama), Dabo Swinney (Clemson), Justin Fuente (Memphis/Virginia Tech), Urban Meyer (Ohio State) and Mark Richt.
Coach Richt has one thing in common with Howard Schnellenberger, Jimmy Johnson, Dennis Erickson, Butch Davis and every other coach. None of them, including Richt, are magicians and none have ever won a game with a magic wand.
All of them have had to overcome adversity. Five years before Schnellenberger beat Nebraska to win the National Championship, his team lost to FAMU 16-13 on the way to a 5-6 year.
Three years before claiming his first national title Jimmy Johnson lost a 31-0 halftime lead to Maryland on the way to an 8-5 season.
Dennis Erickson won two National titles calling his own plays, but lost his first FSU matchup 24-10. It wasn’t until his sixth year that Butch Davis earned a win over FSU and Virginia Tech.
Richt will finish this season out by taking Miami to bowl game – his third straight.
Coach Richt is smart and dedicated and is molding a roster and culture. Much of it with players who are hometown Hurricanes – 45 Hurricanes are sophomore or freshman.
That feeling we all experienced last year when the Canes were No. 2 in the nation will happen again with Richt. As Howard Schnellenberger once said the only variable is time.
