Is it ‘hot seat’ time already for Mark Richt at Georgia?
Mark Richt is coming off a 4-4 SEC season at Georgia. (Johnny Crawford/AJC)
Sometime last season — probably between the 45-19 loss at Tennessee and the 41-17 loss to Florida — I lost track of the number of times I was asked on blogs, emails and radio shows if Georgia coach Mark Richt was in trouble.
My response now is the same as it was then: He’ll be in trouble if he has one more bad season. I’m not sure if that qualifies me as being among the “handful of anonymous Internet trolls,” that Bill “Junkyard Blawg” King referred to this morning.
Fact is, even most fans who wake up every morning in their Bulldog boxer shorts must understand that life in the SEC is different than any other conference in America.
This is a topic now because a few publications are compiling their coaches-under-the-gun lists. The latest came today: The Orlando Sentinel is running a five-part series on coaches on the hot seat.
Part I focused on Michigan’s Rich Rodriguez, and you can hear the laughter all over West Virginia from here.
Part II focuses on Richt.
An excerpt:
Two words: National Championship. It’s been 30 years since the Bulldogs won their last title and Georgia fans are getting restless. Watching Florida, LSU, and Alabama win the past four BCS titles hasn’t probably helped either. Or the fact that Georgia has gone 2-6 against the Gators during Richt’s tenure.
But problems have dogged the Bulldogs program in recent years.
In the offseason, Richt decided to shake up his staff, firing defensive coordinator Willie Martinez and two other assistants. The Bulldogs went after several big-name coordinators eventually settling on Todd Grantham, an NFL coordinator [sic] with the Dallas Cowboys.
Then the program was hit with a string of arrests culminating with starting [sic] quarterback Zach Mettenberger’s arrest outside of a bar in Valdosta, Georgia.
In many ways, Richt is under more pressure now than ever before. While expectations certainly aren’t meteoric like two years ago, when the offense included Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, Richt knows going 4-4 in the SEC again won’t cut it in 2010.
Because if that happens, folks, the seat would be very hot in 2011.
Agree? Or do you think Richt is on the hot seat already?
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Bud Selig, Phil Jackson get it right on immigration law
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736 comments Add your comment
greg
May 18th, 2010
10:08 pm
“The #1 preseason debacle” eh? How many teams start off #1 and win the NC? I believe it’s only happened once in the BCS era. The Dawgs started #1 and finished #10. No, they didn’t win the NC, but hardly a debacle. It’s wishful thinking on your part Tassey that UGA isn’t relevant as you say. One bad season (by UGA standards) in 9 must be the norm, not the exception right?
National Championship.
May 18th, 2010
10:10 pm
And I’d take Richt as our coach any day over Meyer, Saban or Miles.
Portland
May 18th, 2010
10:10 pm
When has it been better than with Richt? A few good years with #34 is all. Keep a good thing.
harold
May 18th, 2010
10:16 pm
HERE IS A VERY NICE MAN. HE IS A GOOD COACH NOT A GREAT COACH.URBAN MEYER AND NICK SABAN HAVE TWO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS EACH—-SABAN FROM TWO SCHOOLS. TO ME THAT IS CLASSIFIED AS BEING A GREAT COACH. RICHT INHERITED AN EXCELLENT GROUP OF PLAYERS FROM DONNAN.THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR NATIONAL TITLES WON BY SEC SCHOOLS SINCE GEORGIA LAST WON IT 30 LONG YEARS AGO.RICHT HASN’T EVEN PLAYED FOR IT. RICHT HAS NOT BEEN TO THE SEC TITLE GAME IN HALF A DECADE.AT ALABAMA, FLORIDA, AND TENNESSEE THAT GETS YOU FIRED. RICHT HAS GOT TO PLAY FOR THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP OR IT MAY BE TIME FOR RICHT TO GO.HE IS SUCH A NICE GUY.
Bulldogdiver
May 18th, 2010
10:16 pm
I have been a Bulldog fan for over 35 years. Except for the Herchel Walker years, the CMR years have been among the Dogs best. If CMR is fired with his record, think about two things. One is we should expect to page huge dollars to attract a coach reasonably expected to be as good or better than CMR for such a demanding group of fans. Two, if the replacement coach gets caught cheating, the Dogs DESERVE to be punished severely because we will be sending a clear message that Dogs want to win at all costs and will do anything to do it if CMR is fired.
Pitbull
May 18th, 2010
10:22 pm
Yes, Richt is too soft. Saban and Meyer are tuff nosed Coaches. The armed services knew centuries ago you don’t mix company between the enlisted men and the officers. It just don’t work. It never has. He needs to separate himself from his Coaching staff except for work etc. If he doesn’t do this he will never have the respect he deserves from his staff. Like the old saying, “It’s lonely at the top”.
Billy O
May 18th, 2010
10:22 pm
CMR will still be head coach at UGA five years from now. The only hot seat he is on is the one in his truck.
dawgma
May 18th, 2010
10:23 pm
CMR in the hot dog seat. Less penalties, less wardrobe changes, lots more winning in the trenches, beat UF, UT, GT – retire with lots more SEC championships.
Didn’t we expose the B State boyz in 2005 opener 43 – 13 after we let the water boy in at 38-0. Blue turf, cold weather – dumb A$$ fans.
UA Alum92
May 18th, 2010
10:23 pm
No. He’s not on the hot seat. Yet. However, if the Dawgs exit September at 2-2 or 1-3, expect the seat to be turned up to “flambe!”
harold
May 18th, 2010
10:29 pm
YOU THINK THAT SEAT WILL GET HOT IF A SORRY TENNESSEE TEAM COMES BACK DOWN TO ATHENS AND PUTS ANOTHER FULL COUNTRY ASS WHIPPIN’ ON THE DAWGS AGAIN?
Can You Dig It
May 18th, 2010
10:33 pm
This has to be the most stupid question ever posed about Coach Richt…..Schultz has to be a lazy writer to pose such a question….What’s wrong Jeff couldn’t find anything else to write about or point fingers at?…..Richt’s not going anywhere….he’s a proven winner and Georgia should be proud to have a man of his character leading the football program. All the nay-sayers need to go find another team to pull for. We true Dawg fans don’t need or want you around…………Can You Dig It!
Elliott
May 18th, 2010
10:46 pm
Richt has outlasted every other SEC coach, guys like Meyer, and Saban are short term coaches, both are reaching their 6 year itching point. Neither have EVER coached at one school more than 6 years, just not in their nature. They’re gypsies. Both will be gone in 1 or 2 years, regardless of what Richt does, and Richt will still be here, just winning games.
FL Dawg
May 18th, 2010
10:53 pm
Dawg fans need to be patient, Richt is in his first stop as HC. Meyer(6), Saban(10), Miles(7) and Spurrier(12) all had other HC positions where they did a large part of their learning as a HC. The numbers next to each coach represent the approximate number of years each was a head coach before winning a NC, not the years as HC at the school where they won their NC). They all took their lumps before winning the NC. So shall Richt. It takes time learn to be a HC. Richt is fine and shall continue on for many years as UGAs HC.
Razorback
May 18th, 2010
10:56 pm
Coach Richt is great person and a good coach. Im not sure if he’s good enough in the SEC to live up to GA fans high and sometimes unrealistic expectations for this program. However, GA faces an easier but still difficult SEC schedule this year for the shape they are in. They will lose to SC, FL, AR, AU, and possibly TN if GA continues last years efforts. Thats 3&5 and that wont make it in GA for Richt. Like I said he’s a great coach just not in the SEC maybe ACC. but the Big 12 and the SEC aint no joke. Check the last decades national titles.
Vaildawg
May 18th, 2010
11:03 pm
Lazy journalism. I haven ‘t talked to a single dawg fan that says he’s on the hot seat, but the AJC keeps bringing it up. Can’t you guys come up with something else to talk about.
Big L
May 18th, 2010
11:06 pm
Hell no he’s not!! This man brought back dignity to this program. Am I the only one who remembers the Goff/Donnan years. They were thin and they were aweful. 2 SEC ttles and two Sugar bowl WINS. My god!!! The national title will come.
Cracker Jacket
May 18th, 2010
11:07 pm
It will be the hot seat for Paul Johnson after this season!
mdawg
May 18th, 2010
11:12 pm
i wouldnt fire CMR but i would fire his recruiting cord.. its time we went after the blue chipper recruits from texas and california… thats what florida and others do and we will not catch up to florida until we outrecruit them…… its time that you guys realze that the best recruits are not in georgia…. the state of georgia ranks fourth in producing the best recruits after california, texas and florida
DDawg10
May 18th, 2010
11:12 pm
People, people, people. Get a grip. CMR is a very good coach and a great recruiter. Please be contend. You could wind up with another Ray Goff.
O Zone
May 18th, 2010
11:13 pm
Georgia was the #3 most valuable college football program in both 2007 & 2008.
Firing Richt would be like Microsoft firing Bill Gates.
http://www.forbes.com/2007/11/20/notre-dame-fooball-biz-sports-cx_ps_1120collegeball_slide_4.html?thisSpeed=undefined
Dixie Belle
May 18th, 2010
11:19 pm
Florida 42, UGA 13.
That looks about right for this year’s score.
It could be worse, depending of how many of the Dawgs are in jail.
Derek
May 18th, 2010
11:21 pm
Bye bye, Richt. Don’t let the door hit you in the azz when you leave.
HugoStiglitz
May 18th, 2010
11:24 pm
Big L, UGA had the most talented team in the country in 2008 and went 10-3 being blow out by Alabama and Florida. That was the best chance UGA ever had and they blew it big time. It doesnt look like they are ever going to reach the level that Florida, Alabama, and LSU have been able to reach recently. Its not because they dont have the talent so it has to be something else. Thats usually when the coach gets put on the hot seat.
Dagny
May 18th, 2010
11:26 pm
Some of the Dawg fans on this blog are living in some kind of fairyland.
This is as high as UGA is ever going to get with a third-rate coach like Richt.
Dandy Don
May 18th, 2010
11:26 pm
It doesnt look like they are ever going to reach the level that Florida, Alabama, and LSU have been able to reach recently.
Huh? Richt has worn Alabama and LSU out during his coaching career. 3-1 record against Bama.
Dandy Don
May 18th, 2010
11:28 pm
Listen Dog fans. When youve got alot of fans of other teams on here telling you Richt sucks and blah blah blah thats a sure fire sign you are doing something right.
HugoStiglitz
May 18th, 2010
11:31 pm
Yes and Alabama is also the defending national champion with the reigning heisman trophy winner. Plus they are also the favorites to win it again next year. Would you rather have great National Championship calibre teams sometimes or a solid 3rd to 4th place in the SEC team all the time? Some teams push to the next level, UGA doesnt seem to be able to.
HugoStiglitz
May 18th, 2010
11:33 pm
O Zone, on that same list Notre Dame is listed as the most valuable program in the country. I guess it would be crazy for them to fire their coach too huh?
Dandy Don
May 18th, 2010
11:35 pm
Would you rather have great National Championship calibre teams sometimes or a solid 3rd to 4th place in the SEC team all the time?
UGA had NC caliber teams twice. Just didnt win the beauty contest those years. Those are the breaks.Thats not something Richt can control. Bottom line is Richt has 90 wins in 9 years. Nick Saban cant say that.
Dandy Don
May 18th, 2010
11:36 pm
O Zone, on that same list Notre Dame is listed as the most valuable program in the country. I guess it would be crazy for them to fire their coach too huh?
Terrible analogy. ND has been irrelevant for a long time. UGA has been a Top Ten team 6 of Richts 9 years.
Apples to oranges.
Manny
May 18th, 2010
11:37 pm
Gonna be fun to see what Saban does, now that all the recruits, are 100% his. We’ll see how many National Championships he wins in his 5th+ year at 1 school (0 so far, both times came before his 5th season–could be said he walked in to great situations instead of building his own programs).
Let’s compare career winning % to see who should be in the hotseat:
Richt .790
Miles .701
Saban .688
Larry Munson
May 18th, 2010
11:37 pm
I like to sit in the movie theater with my pants down
mdawg
May 18th, 2010
11:39 pm
dandy don what kind of crack r you smoking? beating alabama 3 times means nothing..
the truth is that alabama, florida, lsu and tennessee have all won national championships in the last 12 years…
national championships are all that matters
i would rather go 12-1 and lose to florida but win the national championship than go 12-1 and beat florida but not get a national championship
Anonymous Internet Troll
May 18th, 2010
11:41 pm
Fire Richt. Hire Me.
HugoStiglitz
May 18th, 2010
11:42 pm
Its not a terrible analogy. He was equating the worth of Mark Richt to the worth of the UGA football program which is a joke itself. Notre Dame will be fine with pretty much any coach just as UGA would be. Mark Richt isnt the mastermind generating the revenue for the program. He compared it to firing Bill Gates. Gates was co founder of one of the largest corporations in the world. Richt is an employee of UGA’s football program. That is the terrible analogy.
Dandy Don
May 18th, 2010
11:42 pm
I noticed Boise St has scheduled Ole Miss for 2011. Guess they didnt want to play Uga again after the unholy beat down Richt and the Dogs put on them.
Dandy Don
May 18th, 2010
11:44 pm
the truth is that alabama, florida, lsu and tennessee have all won national championships in the last 12 years…
national championships are all that matters
There are no national champions without a playoff. Bottom line Richt had two or three teams that were as good as anyone in the country. We just didnt get to play for it because we didnt win the ESPN beauty contest. Richt could easily have two or three titles.
Mike
May 18th, 2010
11:44 pm
Richt brings so much more to the program tham just wins and losses. Those that care about the long-term success of the program will agree. Back to back lousy seasons though would get the grumblers up in arms. For me, Richt needs to stay …
O Zone
May 18th, 2010
11:46 pm
So we have some geniuses here who think Microsoft should fire Bill Gates huh?
Richt built his program into the #3 most profitable franchise AND won 90 games in 9 seasons.
How many games did Notre Dame win in the last 9 seasons?
Dandy Don
May 18th, 2010
11:47 pm
i would rather go 12-1 and lose to florida but win the national championship than go 12-1 and beat florida but not get a national championship
Who wouldnt? Richt was 12-1 one year. Unfortunately Miami and Ohio St were both undefeated that year. Any other year the dogs are in. How in the world is that Richts fault?
rjones
May 18th, 2010
11:49 pm
hot seat yes – deserved, no. the man brought 90 wins in 9 seasons to what was a mediocre program in the toughest conference in college football. recruiting got better, the team got better, and richt the person fits uga’s needs. the problem with richt was loyalty – he held on to willie waaaay to long – remember – even w/joe cox under center, the dawgs were proficient last year on offense (with a banged up oline and sans aj green much of the year). Defense – not so much. However, that has changed – we have an entirely new defensive scheme and the violent, run stopping hitters in the secondary (o’tree and hamilton) to set it off. IMO, Willie was Richt’s most glaring fault, one which has been removed and vastly improved upon. Give the man some credit – the program is better than it was when he arrived and the defense should improve. yes he’s on the seat (not as hot as lsu’s miles) but no, he shouldn’t be. Enjoy the new defense.
O Zone
May 18th, 2010
11:52 pm
So, to be fair, I’m sure the Orlando Sentinel will come out with a ‘Is Urban Meyer on the Hotseat?” article tomorrow, since Meyer’s head to head record against Auburn is 0-2, right? I mean, if head to head records against 1 opponent are the standard, then Meyer’s seat is on fire right?
HugoStiglitz
May 18th, 2010
11:53 pm
It doesnt matter O Zone since Notre Dame is the most valuable program right? Apparently Charlie Weiss built the program up to the most valuable in the country so he should get a lifetime contract. And it would be kinda hard to fire Bill Gates at this point seeing as how he already quit full time work and is acting as an honorary chairman and doesnt really have anything to do with Microsofts day to day activities.
mdawg
May 18th, 2010
11:58 pm
a couple years ago the dawgs did NOT put an unholy beatdown on boise state….
mdawg
May 18th, 2010
11:59 pm
90 wins in 9 seasons is not good my friends…… he is averaging 3 loses per year and that is not acceptable
jesse james
May 19th, 2010
12:01 am
Is Jeff Schultz on the hot seat? No, because nobody gives a damn about him, except his buddies Mark Bradley and Terrence Moore. Not a one of them could carry Mark Richt’s jock strap.
Dear Ghengis Kahn
May 19th, 2010
12:04 am
Good memory. Thanks, who could forget Ohio State in the kick-off classic. But I said to “name a few”. I named enough to get our point across. Georgia scheduling is bush league in comparison to Bama and several other elite SEC programs. To think the Dawgs are still whining over having a short week after travel to Tempe. LOL.
10 win season
May 19th, 2010
12:07 am
Attention Athens–a 10 win season with a minimum of 13 games is no bragging point unless your shooting for 2nd or 3rd place in the SEC east. Always will be the Michigan State of the south.
Dawgs, Man!
May 19th, 2010
12:09 am
Richt needs to start beating the Gators.
No ifs, ands, or buts.
Anonymous Internet Troll
May 19th, 2010
12:20 am
10 win seasons for Richt will not equal SEC championships. Ergo, no National Championships.
UGA continues to be an average SEC team and Richt continues to make millions of $$$$ each year.
He should be on the hot seat. We want results.