UM’s Richt again earns spot on Dodd Trophy watch list

CORAL GABLES — With the Hurricanes coming off one of their best years in recent memory and facing high expectations heading into the new season, their coach has — once again — earned national recognition.

Mark Richt, who led Miami to its first Coastal Division crown and a 10-3 record in 2017, was one of 20 coaches named to the preseason watch list for the Dodd Trophy on Wednesday.

The award is given annually to a college football coach whose team has excelled on the field, in the classroom and in the community. Richt, who was named both the 2017 ACC Coach of the Year and the Walter Camp Coach of the Year, was a finalist for the Dodd Trophy last season.

Since his arrival at Miami in late 2015, Richt has made it a priority for the Hurricanes to be active in the South Florida community, with many players taking time during the offseason to visit local schools, hospitals and after-school programs in the area.

Several players have also been involved in Miami’s youth football camps this summer, serving as volunteer coaches on the same fields where many of them played as youngsters.

“Our goal is to, No. 1, spread the good news about the game of football. It’s an awesome game and we want to do a good job of that. We also want these communities to know we care about them and love their kids and want to give them a camp opportunity,” Richt said last month during a youth football camp at Sgt. Joseph Delancy Richmond Heights Park, where current Hurricanes Jaquan Johnson, Sheldrick Redwine and DJ Scaife all played youth football.

His players haven’t been the only ones giving back.

Richt and his wife Katharyn donated $1 million toward the construction of Miami’s Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility, which is set to open later this summer. The coach also helped launch “The U Network,” a program that helps former Hurricanes players network and provides career placement.