A former head football coach for the Georgia Bulldogs and a former head football coach for the Miami Hurricanes, Mark Richt has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease…
from the Atlanta Journal and Constitution:
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ATHENS — Former Georgia football coach Mark Richt disclosed Thursday night that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Richt, 61, made the announcement via his social-media platforms.
“I have been waddling around lately and people have asked me what’s wrong,” Richt wrote in a Twitter message posted at 7:51 p.m. Thursday. “I’ve decided to tell everyone at the same time. I have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.”
Richt’s disclosure came a few days after he attended the David Pollack Foundation annual golf tournament at the Georgia Club. Several individuals in attendance had remarked that Richt, 61, did not look well.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of the central nervous system that affects movement and often including tremors. Nerve-cell damage in the brain causes dopamine levels to drop, leading to the symptoms of Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s often begins with tremors in one hand. Other symptoms are slow movement, stiffness and loss of balance. Medications can help control the symptoms of Parkinson’s.
Many famous have been diagnosed with and continued to work with Parkinson’s disease, including boxer Muhammad Ali and actors Michael J. Fox and Alan Alda.
Richt was Georgia’s football coach for 15 years, winning two SEC championships, five division titles and finishing as the coach with the second most wins in school history. Richt was fired after a nine-win regular season in 2015, then accepted a job as the head coach at Miami, his alma mater, a week later. He coached the Hurricanes for three seasons.
Richt and his wife, Katharyn, recently moved back to Athens to be close to their children and grandchildren. His primary residence remains in Miramar Beach, Fla.
Richt played quarterback at Miami in the early 1980s, then coached at Florida State under Bobby Bowden for 14 years before Vince Dooley hired him at Georgia.
Mark Richt:
“Truthfully, I look at it as a momentary light affliction compared to the future glory in heaven. Thank you Jesus for promising us a future blessing of a glorified body that has no sin and no disease,” Richt tweeted.
from The ACC Network:
“Mark is a beloved and respected member of our ACC Network team. We look forward to having Coach back with The Huddle, beginning with ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte later this month and continuing back in studio all season,” ACC Network coordinating producer Aaron Katzman said in a statement. “His health is our No. 1 priority, and he and his family have ESPN’s full support. We move forward together.”