Hurricanes coach Mark Richt named to Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant Coach of the Year Award watch list

Mark Richt has yet to coach the Hurricanes through two full seasons, but since his arrival at Miami, the football team has won 10 consecutive games, earned the Hurricanes first bowl victory in a decade, snapped a seven-game losing streak to rival Florida State and been consistently ranked a Top 25 program.

On Wednesday, Richt’s efforts garnered him national recognition, with the coach earning a spot as one of 20 coaches nationwide on the watch list for the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award.

That came days after the eighth-ranked Hurricanes achieved their highest ranking since 2013 in the most recent AP Top 25.

“I do think we’re moving in the right direction. I think we’re getting where we need to get, but we need to recruit well,” Richt said earlier this week when asked about the progress Miami has made since his arrival. “Without getting great players here, year in and year out, it’s going to continue to be a battle. Last year we had three close games, and we lost them all. This year we’ve had two close games and we’ve won two, to this point. There will be more close ones and we just have to find a way to win them.”

Under Richt, the Hurricanes have gone 14-4, and this year, Miami is off to its best start since 2013. Richt’s 14-4 start is the third-best mark in modern UM history through 18 games, trailing only Larry Coker (18-0) and Dennis Erickson (15-3).

And Miami’s current 10-game win streak (going to to last season) is the longest the program has had since 2003-04. It’s also the second-longest active such streak in the nation.

The watch list will be narrowed to a group of finalists in December, with the winner set to be announced in January.

Also on the watch list are Wisconsin’s Paul Chryst, Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio, North Carolina State’s Dave Doeren, Penn State’s James Franklin, UCF’s Scott Frost, Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy, USC’s Clay Helton, Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly, Washington State’s Mike Leach, San Diego State’s Rocky Long, Ohio State’s Urban Meyer, Memphis’ Mike Norvell, TCU’s Gary Patterson, Washington’s Chris Petersen, Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley, Alabama’s Nick Saban, Georgia’s Kirby Smart, USF’s Charlie Strong and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney.

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ccabrera@sun-sentinel.com; On Twitter @ChristyChirinos.