Former Miami Hurricanes coach Mark Richt said Saturday that he has no plans to return to coaching.

Richt stepped down as Miami's coach in December following the Hurricanes' 34–3 loss to Wisconsin in the Pinstripe Bowl.

In his first public comments since he left the program, Richt said he decided to retire because it felt like the right time.

"There's no easy time to do it for sure," Richt said Saturday at Miami's Spring game, per ESPN. "Especially when you're the head coach. That's the hardest part is how it affected other people. I felt it was the right time for me as a person, and I felt like Miami would be in better hands."

The Canes went 7–6 last season during Richt's third year at the helm. On Saturday he announced that he will join the ACC Network as an analyst, adding that it currently is "not in the plans" for him to coach again.

"I'm really excited about this ACC Network opportunity," Richt said. "And I think I can help the fans enjoy the game more and understand the game more, and it allows me to keep staying involved with this game of football. And it also gives me time to see our grandchildren more and our own children. So right now, I'm mostly focused on that."

He added that he didn't plan the decision to retire during the season but felt it was right once things wrapped up. Miami hired defensive coordinator Manny Diaz to replace Richt. Diaz had just been hired by Temple to take over the Owls' program when he was recruited as Richt's replacement and decided to return to the Hurricanes.