After dedicating more than 30 years of his life to Marietta High School, James "Friday" Richards has decided its time to take a little time for himself.

Richards retired as the Blue Devils' head football coach late Friday afternoon. The 55-year-old will retire from full-time teaching at the end of the 2009-10 school year, but will return to Marietta for 2010-11 in a part-time capacity.

"It's time to work on my health," Richards said. "It's time to take a little time for me."

Richards has already met with his coaching staff to let them know of his decision. He will meet with the players to give them the official word Monday.

If there is someone who has earned a little time, it's Richards. He graduated from Marietta in 1972, went on to play football at the University of Florida and then spent two seasons in the NFL with the New York Jets and Washington Redskins before coming back to where it all started. It's the only job outside of professional football Richards has ever had.

During his 15-year tenure as head coach, Richards compiled a record of 107-58, took the Blue Devils to the playoffs 10 times and won four region titles. Before becoming head coach, he was a Marietta assistant, first for Ray Broadaway and then for Dexter Wood. It was under Wood when the Blue Devils had their most successful stretch, going 46-4-1 from 1989-92.

Wood was quick to say that Richards had a big input in the team's winning ways.

"Any and all success during my tenure he was a big part of it," said Wood, who left Marietta after the '94 season to begin a 10-year tenure at Buford. "What a great way to be able to go out on your own terms.

"When I was (at Marietta), we played with Class AAA numbers in Class AAAA, and it has remained that way. Look at the dynamics. He's kept the Marietta program competitive. That's a good measure of success, but his success goes way beyond the field."

What Richards is most proud of during his time as head coach is the more than 100 players he has sent to college on scholarship.

"I have kids in college right now who, when they come back home, they see mom and dad, and then they see coach Friday," Richards told the Marietta Daily Journal in 2008 when he was about to win his 100th game. "They hug me and tell me how things are going at school. That's a really good feeling.

"When I'm done (coaching)," he said, "I'll spend more time trying to see (them play)."

Those players, and the friendships, will be the thing Richards expects to find hardest of life no longer on the sideline.

"The thing I'll miss most is the kids," he said. "But that's one of the good things about still being there part time. I may not be coaching, but I'll still be there."

Richards said he wants to continue teaching part time at Marietta for at least the next three years, until his daughter, Jaimie, graduates from college.

With Richards' retirement as dean of Cobb County's football coaches, he now passes that title on to North Cobb coach Shane Queen, who has been a head coach within the county line for the past 10 years.

"When you think about Marietta High School, you always think about 'Friday' Richards," said Queen, who spent five years at South Cobb before moving up to North Cobb. "Looking across the sidelines and not seeing him on Friday nights, it's not going to be the same."

Richards' exit also brings an to an end an era of coaching legends at Marietta. In the last seven months, the Blue Devils have lost 123 years of coaching experience from Richards, former boys basketball coach Charlie Hood (40 years), former track and field coach Roscoe Googe (30) and former wrestling coach and athletic director Jeff Wheeler (20).

"You would be hard-pressed to find anybody that's more loyal and committed to Marietta High School than 'Friday,'" Hood said. "That's a lot of years to put in. It's hard to believe we've gotten that old."

- Marietta Daily Journal sports writer Emily Horos contributed to this report.