Most often during National Signing Day week the flurry of assistant coaches hopping jobs doesn’t come until after Wednesday. This one was a little different, though, as Randy Edsall reportedly dipped into his past by plucking former assistant Terry Richardson off the NFL’s unemployment line to coach Maryland’s running backs.
The move was reported by Thayer Evans of Sports Illustrated on Tuesday evening but hinted at by FootballScoop a week ago.
Richardson spent two seasons coach running backs for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but was fired by new offensive coordinator Greg Olson last week. Prior to that, he spent two seasons at Miami, where he helped sign the program’s all-time leading rusher in Duke Johnson.
Richardson previously served as Edsall’s running backs coach at Connecticut for the duration of his term in Storrs, helping the Huskies rise from a sub-.500 Atlantic-10 team to Big East champions. Among Richardson’s former pupils are NFL running backs Jordan Todman and Donald Brown.
Maryland ranked 111th nationally in rushing offense and 98th in yards per carry in 2014. Outgoing quarterback C.J. Brown actually led the team in rushing, and rising senior runner Brandon Ross led the running backs with 85 carries for 419 yards and four touchdowns.
Richardson replaces Andre Powell, who joined Pat Narduzzi‘s staff at Pittsburgh.