CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Mark Richt is looking forward to visiting his old stomping grounds when the Miami Hurricanes travel to his hometown Saturday for a scrimmage.
The second-year Hurricanes head coach grew up in Boca Raton and graduated from Boca Raton Community High School in 1977, but it's been a long time since he's been back. He'll finally get the opportunity this weekend when the Hurricanes hold a scrimmage at his alma mater.
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"I'm excited about going over there," Richt told reporters after Tuesday's spring practice.
Richt said he decided to hold the scrimmage in Boca Raton after learning that Hard Rock Stadium would not be available to host a spring game.
Instead, Miami's spring practice will culminate Saturday with a noon scrimmage at Richt's alma mater.
"I felt like, let's have a small venue," Richt said. "Let's make it kind of a homecoming of sorts for me, to tell the people in Boca (that) I love them kind-of-deal."
Richt said he personally recruited Boca Raton when he was an assistant under former head coach Bobby Bowden at Florida State, but he didn't do so in his 15 seasons as Georgia's head coach.
"I'm not sure at Georgia we ever got to the point where the head coach was pursuing a guy, so it's been that long," Richt said.
Richt recalls frequent trips to Jerry's Pizza and Fran's Chicken Haven during his youth in Boca Raton.
"I don't even know if Jerry's is still open, but I hope Fran's is, because I do hope to go back for some fried chicken," Richt said.
Jerry's Pizza closed in 2014, but Fran's Chicken Haven has been serving residents since 1964. Note to Fran's: Better keep those fryers on after the scrimmage.