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?
♦
Earlier posts
Georgia Tech, ACC content to watch expansion for now
Bud Selig, Phil Jackson get it right on immigration law
♦
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC and on Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
736 comments Add your comment
DoubleDownDawgFan
May 18th, 2010
3:53 pm
YES! He is on the hot seat! If Paul Johnson and that GT Offense comes into our house and beats us again, I will personally pay for Mark Richt to leave. No one can come in and destroy our beautiful hedges like they did in 2008! Go Dawgs! bark! bark! bark!
Puppy Dawgs
May 18th, 2010
3:53 pm
All SEC coaches and fans hope Richt stays on the hot seat but keeps his job!!! Perfect for UF, Bama, LSU, Tenn. Richt and Georgia program have always been regional. Anyone expecting NC’s are delusional. Bama, Fla, LSU and Tenn are national teams. Look up their stellar record of playting tough out of conference opponents. All Georgia can crow about since 1965 is playing Arizona St.
HugoStiglitz
May 18th, 2010
3:54 pm
Doyle, that should read 7 to 8 win season not 7 and 8 win season. There is a distinct possibility of that happening at UGA this year and if it does then I agree with Jeff that Mark Richt will be in trouble then.
Col. Mustard
May 18th, 2010
3:54 pm
We brought this guy in here to score some points, and we get 28 lousy points of offense a year. We need 40 points like Florida. Richt was hired to outscore his opponents with offesnive prduction and he has failed to do that last season. He is supposed to be a QB whiz, but Joe Cox threw 16 interceptions. That whiz stinks!!!
dawg149
May 18th, 2010
3:55 pm
I’ve got ONE QUESTION. How many of you anti-Richt folks are season-ticket holding, dollar-donating, REAL BULLDOG boosters? Yep, thats what I thought…….go get on the Tech blogs……where y’all belong
Doyle Albea
May 18th, 2010
3:55 pm
TUFFER? No wonder Boise St. doesn’t get respect.
voice of reason
May 18th, 2010
3:55 pm
Anybody remember what it was like before Richt??????????? He is the best man for the job. Who would do a better job? All of this hot seat talk is complete nonsense. All those who disagree are not dawg fans and obviously can’t recall what it was like before 2000. Geez! Next topic please.
SwGa.Dawg
May 18th, 2010
3:55 pm
Times have changed from the old days of unconditional support for the coach. I guess now its “what have you done for me lately”. CMR is the same coach that everyone loved a few years ago and when he has a good 2010 season everyone will love him again. Some of you guys need to get a day job and stop trying to solve problems you know nothing about. Just try to be a dawg fan and support your coach!!!
anotherdawg
May 18th, 2010
3:56 pm
Well Jeff, This ranks right up there with “Should the Falcons sign T.O.” It’s crazy to even have this conversation at this time. You change coaches when a coach is no longer able to recuit, has lost control of his team, does something dishonorable, or refuses to accept that changes have to be made. Richt does not fall into any of those, and with the complete overhaul of the defense, you have to give him the time to get this new system into place, just like you would any new coaching staff.
Pi$$onaDAWG
May 18th, 2010
3:56 pm
Rxdawg then if it were LUCK then the only reason uga won in 1980 was LUCK. If Tech didn’t tie Notre Dame Uga would not have been in the game even if they were UnBeaten. Pitt v Notre Dame wasa the GAME everybody wanted. ND stayed as the best team even with a tie so UGA moved ahead of Pitt to play in the Sugar Bowl.
Tide Rising
May 18th, 2010
3:56 pm
Jeff,
As you aptly point out his seat is not hot yet. He has to have another bad season for that to happen.
Even if he has a good season he has to start beating his biggest rivals with some consistency. Or at least be competitive. 41-17 and 49-10 means you’re not even competing. Losing 3 of 4 to a UT program that has been in a down trend and getting blown out in 2 of those losses(35-7 and 45-19) is not competing.
Richt is currently 2-7 against the gators and 1-4 against Meyer. At what point does his boss say enough is enough with losing to one team? 2-8, 2-9, 2-11. And while Richt is 1-1 against CPJ under Tech if Tech wins to go 2-1 against Richt or wins the next 2 to go 3-1 against Richt under CPJ?
Bottom line is you have to beat your biggest rivals with some consistency and if anything at least not get blown out over and over.
Col. Mustard
May 18th, 2010
3:56 pm
Soembody needs to look at Georgia’s QB’s td to int ratio, and compare it to Florida and Alabama and Boise St. It’s baaaaaaaad. A QB whiz? Pullleeeze child.
I’m going back to smoke my pipe in the Library.
Gatorbait 17-3
May 18th, 2010
3:57 pm
Patty boy(aka Patrick, yeah whatever! )
I have taken 3 of your recent post, so you can’t claim a typing error;
yeah whatever!
May 13th, 2010
4:22 pm
So to answer your question even betterMeyer has been a HC for ten years…he has 2 SEC titles Richt has been HC for 9 years he has 2 SEC titles
May 13th, 2010
4:28 pm
ummmm he has been a HC for 10 years…and he only has 2 SEC titles….how is facts being nutty? What was incorrect?……….(how is facts, should be how are facts)
and that’s for starters.
yeah whatever!
May 13th, 2010
4:32 pm
Meyer in ten years as HC he has 97 wins…less than 10 wins a year averageRicht in 9 years has 90 wins (that with a collapse last year) a 10 win averageYep less than a ten win average is better than a ten win ave…How silly of me
For a little computer nerd, I find it amusing that you can’t even count.
Go back to your stat book and check Meyer’s record, 2 years at Bowling
Green, 2 years at Utah and 5 years with the Gators and his record is 96-18 (.842)
for NINE YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 10.66 avgerage wins per year.
How does that stack up with Mark’s 90 and 27 (76%), I would say Meyer has a better record
Gary
May 18th, 2010
3:58 pm
Gotta lump you in with the rest of the trolls, Jeff. A coach who wins 10 games a year should never be on the hot seat regardless of what conference he is in. That is not to say we fans don’t’ want a NC, Of course, we do. But at some point you have to ask yourself, who would do a better job? Richts consistently high level of recruiting means we have the talet to compete every year. Sure the defense has been a liability for the last few years, but that problem has already been addressed. I would agree, however, that if they “crash and burn” with another “8-win” season, then 2011 will be very uncomfortable for him. I just dont see it happening, and I would still be hard pressed to name a better sure fire winner who is not aleady expensively tied to his current team.
JB
May 18th, 2010
3:58 pm
Mark is well liked and that will keep the lather down. You don’t win 90 games in 9 years in the SEC without knowing something about coaching football. I used to think Van Gorder leaving was our tail spin, but that 2007 team was awesome and could beat anyone on any given Saturday.
We have been a sloppy and unmotivated ball club the last two years. I think Grantham and Company with help the defense and I think the offense will surprise this year, 10 back and I think Murray is a big upgrade over Cox, experience or not….. No reason not to win 10 games this year.
indianman
May 18th, 2010
3:58 pm
mark richt is the best coach at georgia since dooley get off his back
South Ga Dawgs
May 18th, 2010
3:58 pm
Folks if you remember Jim Donnan left Richt loaded with talent which lead to his quick start. Since then he has been an average coach in a league studded with great coaches. Anything worse than a 9-4 season and Richt will be under moving van pressure. We need to hire a proven head coach.
Doyle Albea
May 18th, 2010
4:00 pm
HUGO–Until the bowl game I felt as you. I KNOW, we played a nobody. But Coach, Rod, and 2 pretenders made the defense better than is has been in years. How can anyone doubt what this coaching staff will do to improve on the D side? Another 7 loss season? Only if something called and ACT OF GOD occurs!
Spencer
May 18th, 2010
4:00 pm
2 things bother me about Richt.
1) recruiting year was pretty bad last year, and is getting worse
2) Georgia finished UNRANKED as far as the top 25 goes for the first time in several year, this is also getting worse
2 signs that both pretty bad.
Patrick Sulley
May 18th, 2010
4:00 pm
SOME uga fans are just delusional
May 18th, 2010
3:48 pm
Patrick Sulley
Sulley that’s great, but still not on the same level
2 back to back 8-0 SEC regular season, losing to UF and then making adjustments to beat them (something you can’t say Richt has done) and then beat Texas in the BCSCG is light-years away from ANYTHING Richt has ever done
Period
……………………………………………………….
ALA lost to a freaking mid major in the bowl game of that awesome first year and the last two games not all that impressive sorry
.
…props for the second…
.
but Richt has never lost to a midmajor…Saban has made a habit of it.
Ted Striker
May 18th, 2010
4:01 pm
Every head coach in america is on the hot seat; it’s merely a question how long the fuse is leading to the dynamite that comes with the job.
Paddy
May 18th, 2010
4:02 pm
No hot seat yet. We better thank our luckey stars we have him as our coach. He will make adjustments to his program. All-be-it painfully slow to many of us. A man of substanance who can coach at this level is very hard to find indeed! I just believe if we are patient thru this rough patch we have gone, we will be rewarded with a legendary Bulldog coach.
Patrick Sulley
May 18th, 2010
4:03 pm
South Ga Dawgs
May 18th, 2010
3:58 pm
Folks if you remember Jim Donnan left Richt loaded with talent which lead to his quick start. Since then he has been an average coach in a league studded with great coaches.
============================
Wrong.
.
2005 Richt won a SEC title with Richt players not Donnans
.
in 2007 Richt finished 2nd in the nation with his palyers not donnans
.
By the way…2nd in the nation….is the BEST this program finished in 30 years…WITH HIS NOT DONNANS PLAYERS.
.
Come back when you can be more factually caccurate
Dawg 1
May 18th, 2010
4:03 pm
Yep, that time of year. The ‘hits’ are down, so write something that will draw in the UGA Fan Base and the ‘pathetics’ who live to get on a UGA blog and trash Georiga…
I bet Jeff fnished 18 by 2PM and is sipping a cold one in the club house laughing at all of us…
Schitue the Troll
May 18th, 2010
4:03 pm
Yeah Junkyard hit a bullseye. I’ve read enough of your college football BS to know your a Nor Cal idiot.
Patrick Sulley
May 18th, 2010
4:03 pm
“accurate”
Valdostan (surrounded by nothingness)
May 18th, 2010
4:04 pm
Enter your comments here
SOME uga fans are just delusional
May 18th, 2010
4:06 pm
Patrick Sulley
If the only think you can hang argument on is a lose in a bowl game to Utah, who might have beaten UGA that year, then thats a case of sour grapes my friend.
Saban is a far better coach in every aspect of the game and he’s got SEC and BCS titles to show for it. Richt doesn’t.
Gatorbait 17-3
May 18th, 2010
4:06 pm
SEC EASTERN CHAMPIONS
Herschel Talker
May 18th, 2010
4:06 pm
Of course he’s on the hot seat. The performance the last two years has been completely unacceptable. He did what needed to be done in the offseason, so now he gets his shot to fix the problems. But make no mistake. His seat is cooking after the 2008 and 2009 disasters.
richtfan
May 18th, 2010
4:06 pm
in what galaxy are you living?
coach richt has built up tons of cred with boosters. However, one more 7-5 season and things may get ugly.
SOME uga fans are just delusional
May 18th, 2010
4:07 pm
*If the only thing you can hang your argument on is a loss
South Ga Dawgs
May 18th, 2010
4:07 pm
Since Richt came to Ga. LSU has won 2 NC. Fla has won 2 NC. Bama has won a NC. Richt won his litle sec title before all the strong coaches showed up. His record is pathetic against great competion. When AZ St is your toughest outa conference opponent since arriving in Athens it tells me about your intentions nationally. Zilch, It’s been a lacking. Much rather have Jim Donnan at the helm.
Gatorbait 17-3
May 18th, 2010
4:07 pm
Patrick,
Tell me again how many years Urban Meyer has been a HC, how many wins year
he has averaged.
Patrick Sulley
May 18th, 2010
4:07 pm
Gatorbait 17-3
May 18th, 2010
3:57 pm
Patty boy(aka Patrick, yeah whatever! )
I have taken 3 of your recent post, so you can’t claim a typing error;
yeah whatever!
May 13th, 2010
4:22 pm
So to answer your question even betterMeyer has been a HC for ten years…he has 2 SEC titles Richt has been HC for 9 years he has 2 SEC titles
May 13th, 2010
4:28 pm
ummmm he has been a HC for 10 years…and he only has 2 SEC titles….how is facts being nutty? What was incorrect?……….(how is facts, should be how are facts)
and that’s for starters.
yeah whatever!
May 13th, 2010
4:32 pm
Meyer in ten years as HC he has 97 wins…less than 10 wins a year averageRicht in 9 years has 90 wins (that with a collapse last year) a 10 win averageYep less than a ten win average is better than a ten win ave…How silly of me
For a little computer nerd, I find it amusing that you can’t even count.
Go back to your stat book and check Meyer’s record, 2 years at Bowling
Green, 2 years at Utah and 5 years with the Gators and his record is 96-18 (.842)
for NINE YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 10.66 avgerage wins per year.
How does that stack up with Mark’s 90 and 27 (76%), I would say Meyer has a better record
===================================
2 years at bowling green is 2
.
3 years at UTAH is 3……….THREE
.
5 years at Fla is 5
.
added together you get 10 not 9
.
10 years with 97 wins is 9.7 wins a year not 10.66.
.
Again…
10 wins a year against the SEC all ten years is miles better than 9.7 wins a year when half were gainst Akron and Borthern Ill
Valdostan (surrounded by nothingness)
May 18th, 2010
4:07 pm
Jeff, you can tell we ain’t got much to do down here but
read the typical Dawg blogs.
YOur article aired at 3:00 PM, and it is now 4:05 (that’s
65 minutes) and you already have about 130 blogs from
avid Bulldog “supporters” whichI have read at least 365 times
in the last year (tha’ts a
blog every 30 seconds). Keep up the good work.
heyberto
May 18th, 2010
4:08 pm
Not yet. A bad season, and that warms up.. but even 2010 ends up being bad, he’s ok for 2011. The school made a hell of commitment to Richt in Todd Grantham and his salary/buyout, so outside of disaster, they’ll weather whatever happens in 2010 with 2011 being crucial. It’s important to note that Richt would absolutely be on the hot seat right now if he hadn’t axed Martinez and staff, so he effectively earned some good will. I’m fine with that.
Herschel Talker
May 18th, 2010
4:08 pm
richtfan @ 4:08 -
“in what galaxy are you living?”
Ummm…in what galaxy are YOU living? Richt has been a complete disaster the last few years. Of course he’s on the hot seat, you dolt.
Gatorbait 17-3
May 18th, 2010
4:09 pm
I love men. Especially those in jean shorts and mullets
Patrick Sulley
May 18th, 2010
4:09 pm
oops 2 years at UTAH…but winning 10.66 games a year when its against Akron and Northen Ill is NOT AS GOOD as 10 wins against the SEC for ten years…no matter how you slice it
AltamahaDawg
May 18th, 2010
4:09 pm
Would spending time in a rivals sports blog, telling yourself how big you scored with some childish comment under the pretense of changing a bunch of die-hard college football fans opinions about thier own team be considered a “delusional” act?
The only true measure of Richt vs Meyer
May 18th, 2010
4:09 pm
The only true measures of the 2 coaches is not entire coaching careers, but their head to head and their record in the SEC. Richt is 1-4 against Meyer, Richts SEC coaching record is 69% and Meyers is 80%. So if just got out of the mental ward Patrick Sulley can’t understand that then he needs to be locked up again.
Dylan
May 18th, 2010
4:09 pm
I give him two years. Only one if Georgia doesn’t have a winning conference record this year. UGA needs to at least one SEC East title in the next two years, or it’s his turn. We’re getting the same level of talent Florida and Alabama are getting, so why are we not winning the trophies?
Gatorbait 17-3
May 18th, 2010
4:09 pm
South Ga Dawgs
You are right as rain……………….
Chris Peterson
May 18th, 2010
4:10 pm
Richt will go 6-6, be fired and UGA will hire me as the HC away from Boise St.
Patrick Sulley
May 18th, 2010
4:11 pm
Gatorbait 17-3
May 18th, 2010
4:07 pm
Patrick,
Tell me again how many years Urban Meyer has been a HC, how many wins year
he has averaged.
==================================
soooo yo think winning 10.66 (a little more than HALF a game) against th likes of Akron is beeter than 10 wins against the SEC? really?
.
explain.
Big B CH 99
May 18th, 2010
4:11 pm
You guys that want to fire Richt are crazy. He’s by far the best head coach you’ve had isnce Dooley. Ya’ll do remember that the period between Dooley & Richt was pretty mediocre. U could argue that Richt is the best coach you’ve ever had because he did it w/o Erk Russell as DC & Herschel running the ball.
The big question you have to ask yourself is are you sure that you can get someone BETTER than Mark Richt. You’re not gonna get Saban, Meyer, Brown, Stoops, or Tressel.
Sorry Georgia fans, but you’ve never been a consistent NC contender, only for a very few yrs (Hershel) in your history have you really been a NC contender.
Go ahead and fire Richt, as a Tech fan I’d love it.
Gatorbait 17-3
May 18th, 2010
4:11 pm
Gatorbait 17-3
May 18th, 2010
4:09 pm
I love men. Especially those in jean shorts and mullets
You are a very sick Georgia fan……..beyond sad.
Pi$$onaDAWG
May 18th, 2010
4:13 pm
People called for Bobby Cox’s head when he was winning 14 stright Divisional Championships but just 1 World Series. Staying good doesn’t cut it anymore. The days of Bobby Bowden, Bear, & Joe Pa are gone. Win Now win A Lot and Bring home the HARDWEAR. I want TECH to win it all too but I really enjoy winning the home games I pay for and the road games I travel too. Change the Oil, maintain the Transmission, and put new tires on. You will have a good car but It will not win a DRAG RACE everytime you crank it up. I want wins for Tech. I also want good men and women to get an education. Dad & I don’t Live and Die with sports but we are some angry S.O.Bs when we lose a home game. Mom stopped making a nice dinner after a win to make us happy. She realized that no matter what we were going to be MAD. Uga 10 wins and #2 in the SEC East gets old too. Uga fans scream for more. Dawg fans can’t get happy about players graduating as PE coaches, social workers, teachers, and grass technologists. Dawgs want to look at the Tiffeny Crystal Football in Athens. The hate traveling to North Avenue to see one.
Patrick you don't get it boy
May 18th, 2010
4:13 pm
If you lived here in the South East instead of california, you would understand that the only thing that matters is last season and this season. First Richts record against the damn gators sucks. Second, nothing else matters. He is in trouble and had better improve over his 8-5 weedeater bowl record.