Mark Richt, the former Georgia and Miami head football coach, revealed on his Twitter account Thursday that he’s been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
“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.
Richt, currently an analyst for the ACC Network, added: “In the meantime, I am going to enjoy the blessings that I do have. See you on the ACCNETWORK!”
Richt, 61, mentioned in his tweet that he has been “waddling around lately” and that people had been asking him what was wrong. He explained that disclosing his condition on Twitter allowed him to tell everyone at the same time.
Parkinson’s is a progressive nervous-system disorder that affects movement. Symptoms typically start with a tremors, which can worsen as the condition progresses over time.
Richt, a two-time SEC Coach of the Year, was Georgia’s coach from 2001-15. He was 145-51 and won SEC championships in 2002 and 2005. The Bulldogs also played in the SEC championship game in 2003, 2011 and 2012 under Richt, who was fired after the 2015 season and replaced by Kirby Smart.
After his ouster at Georgia, Richt returned to his alma mater and coached Miami for three seasons from 2016-18 before retiring.