Former UGA Football Coach Mark Richt Swears off 'Cheese Balls' Following Heart Attack Scare

Monday morning, former Georgia and Miami (FL) head coach Mark Richt announced that he had suffered [...]

By John Newby

Monday morning, former Georgia and Miami (FL) head coach Mark Richt announced that he had suffered a heart attack. The 59-year-old shared the news on Twitter but assured everyone that he is doing fine. However, he did reveal in a later post that he would have to be making a significant change in his diet. "I guess I'm off the cheese balls," he wrote.

As he explained, Richt will now no longer be allowed to eat baked cheese balls. This was in reference to a photo he shared days earlier that showed massive containers of Baked Cheddar Cheese Balls sitting on grocery store shelves. Although they were next to the cough drops for some reason.

Richt did not reveal at the time if he procured some of the cheddar cheese balls that day, but that will no longer be an option as he makes changes to his diet.

If he wants to ease off the Cheese Balls, Richt does have another option other than simply stopping "cold turkey." He could also limit the amount that he ingests. The current serving size is 32 balls, per My Food Diary, which includes seven grams of fat, 16 grams of carbohydrates, and two grams of protein. He could potentially drop the serving size to fewer than 10 until he completely stops eating them.

A big name in SEC football, Richt served as the head coach for the Georgia Bulldogs from 2001-2015. As the top man in Athens, he led the team to SEC Championships in 2002 and 2005 while winning five SEC East Division Titles. His program was one that sent players such as wide receiver A.J. Green, quarterback Matthew Stafford, and pass rusher Justin Houston to the NFL.

To cap off his tenure with the Bulldogs, Richt was named SEC Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2005. He was ultimately dismissed from the team after a 9-3 record in 2015 due to conference losses against Florida, Tennessee, and Alabama.

Following his tenure with the Bulldogs, Richt moved on and coached at the University of Miami. His best season in the ACC was in 2017 when Miami finished with a 10-3 record and reached the Championship game. However, Miami ultimately lost to Clemson 38-3, ending this promising season.

Richt retired from coaching the 2018 season and accepted a job as an analyst for the ACC Network and ESPN.

(Photo Credit: Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

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