Richt isn’t commanding Georgia players’ respect or attention
Mark Richt's biggest problem? Players may be tuning him out.
Sometimes it’s not about whether somebody is a good coach or certainly a good man. Sometimes it’s just about whether players are even listening to him.
Mark Richt preaches to his players, “Finish the drill.” They don’t.
He admonishes them about missed blocks and blown coverages and stresses the importance of playing with discipline, passion and a sense of desperation. They don’t respond.
He states the obvious: Don’t get arrested. They do.
I am not calling for Mark Richt’s firing here. Not yet. There are still seven games left in the season. That’s enough time for Georgia to turn its season around, play in a respectable bowl game and most importantly send the message that this program isn’t going down like Pompeii.
But right now, I’m just not feeling it.
Needing to bounce back after a loss at South Carolina, the Bulldogs lost to Arkansas at home for the first time in 17 years.
Needing to play with a sense of urgency to avoid falling to 0-3 in the SEC, they fell behind after two minutes, 43 seconds in Starkville and lost to Mississippi State for the first time in 36 years.
Needing to regain some measure of respect just on their own campus, the Bulldogs lost at Colorado — which had lost to California, 52-7, only a few weeks earlier.
You thought Shreveport was the bottom? Shreveport was just the flashing yellow light.
They used to attack. They used to play with confidence. They used to have resolve. They used to win road games. They used to win any games.
Now the Dogs are 1-4, and there’s probably someone at Louisiana-Lafayette thinking, “How did we lose to those guys?” They’re 2-7 in their last nine SEC games, and Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky are thinking, “We can beat those guys.”
That’s where Georgia is. What does that tell you?
This is about leadership. Either players aren’t following Richt or he’s leading them in the wrong direction. It is becoming clear that he doesn’t command their attention or their respect because, if he was, Georgia wouldn’t be sliding into oblivion.
When college teams lose, certain things get over-analyzed. Here are two of them:
♦ 1.) Recruiting: Some believe Georgia isn’t getting the athletes it used to. Bunk. Watch the games. The Bulldogs are no slower or weaker or smaller than their opponents. Recruiting services have had Georgia’s classes in or near the top 10 annually. If you believed them before, don’t stop believing them now just because it’s convenient.
♦ 2.) Strategy: Football is about toughness and discipline, blocking and tackling. It’s not about the offensive coordinator not calling enough short passes. Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo may not be the next Mike Shanahan on offense, and Willie Martinez certainly wasn’t Brian VanGorder’s equal on defense. But Georgia’s slide is not about X’s and O’s. It’s about focus and determination and knocking people down.
Richt’s job should be in jeopardy. Why? Because not only are the Bulldogs not very good, but there is no sign that they are getting better.
The offensive line, expected to be the strength of this team, has been less than average. Freshman quarterback Aaron Murray, the biggest question mark, has been one of their best players. A.J. Green reaffirmed in his first game back from suspension that he is a special player but his presence in Colorado also pounded home the obvious: This isn’t about one player.
Richt gets criticized for not showing enough emotion on the sideline. That might be unfair. But here’s something worth asking: Is he obsessed enough?
There’s no question Richt wants to win. But he has a lot more things important to him in his life now, like taking mission trips to Honduras. It doesn’t mean football isn’t important to him. Anybody who has seen him after losses knows otherwise. But college football coaching, particularly in the SEC, has become a 24/7/365 job.
Richt in a conference with some truly obsessed coaches: Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Bobby Petrino. Watch Derek Dooley and you can almost see sparks coming off his head. If we see that, you know Tennessee players see that.
Do you get that sense with Richt’s players? Are they ready to jump at his every command?
Georgia has players. Georgia has facilities, money and certainly fan support. But right now, there is no direction, and if Mark Richt is leading, the problem is that nobody is paying attention.
♦
Earlier posts:
♦ Now that Braves are here, how far can they go?
♦ Braves make it back to the postseason in typical dramatic style
♦♦♦
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839 comments Add your comment
girldawg
October 4th, 2010
4:03 pm
I agree that MR is a little too low-key, he needs to chew some of those guys a new one. It boils down to the fact that neither the coach nor the players are on fire, they just aren’t showing the desire to win. Caleb King should have to run a LOT of extra drills, so he will remember to keep his damn hands on the ball from now on. But we do still have 7 games to play and I’m trying not to give up yet.
beanuga
October 4th, 2010
4:05 pm
They have to come out of that locker room wanting to hurt somebody for 4 quarters and never let up until the game is over. Blood make the grass grow. Tackle, block, assignment football, and so on. The dawgs are beating their selves.
I stepped in Buffalo sh*t
October 4th, 2010
4:05 pm
all i’m sayin is things need to change quickly, start with BOZO
(UGA is the easiest to prepare for they are still running the
same plays from 5yrs ago) THEY ARE NOT WORKING TRY SOMETHING
ELSE OR IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE?
I’ve seen that WR end around they run atleast once a game if not more for the last 5+ years. And everytime I see the result is still the same…..the LBs never bite for the dive through the middle and the play is stuffed for negative yardage.
Derek
October 4th, 2010
4:06 pm
From what I can gather, UGA is sticking with Richt for at least one more year. Serious folks would not want to fire CMR. Why? He is young. He is experienced. He is talented. He has won big before. Who knows why the wheels are coming off this year. Lots of guesses but no one knows for sure. CMR will correct the problems. At end of year the AD will ask CMR to identify and address the problems and provide a road map for the future. CMR will have an excellent interview. The AD will then say, “Mark, we have to see significant improvement (meaning a 10 win season) or we are going to have to change directions.” Mark will respond, “Agree. I have always coached to win, will continue to coach to win and if we cannot turn it around then we will shake hands, part ways and wish one another the best.” CMR will turn the program around–with a little help from his friends. I think we will see significant improvement the rest of the year beginning with a blow out of Tennessee.
Bob Vila
October 4th, 2010
4:07 pm
Hey guys, I am finished with the drill. Anybody need it!
Heels Rock and Rule
October 4th, 2010
4:07 pm
Pls, leave LeMay to someone else. We already have Renner (elite 11 QB). and have commitments from Golson from SCar, and Marquise Williams, top QB in state of NC. LeMay would definitely have to compete to beat out those guys.
beanuga
October 4th, 2010
4:07 pm
How can the rbs learn to protect the ball with a ex wr as a coach. How can a defense keep getting pushed around straight up the middle. How can a Ol with all juniors and seniors be so bad. U tell me.
To "So Yesterday"
October 4th, 2010
4:08 pm
While I can agree with many points in your well-written post, if you want to win SEC titles, much less NCs, you had better have a hefty number of 4 star players, with a sprinkling of 5 stars. I cannot think of a NC winner this decade (and I am guessing further back than that) that won it without them. Maybe someone can give an example.
The Man
October 4th, 2010
4:09 pm
Even though the team has problems.We’ll still kick the crap out of tech
Tuna
October 4th, 2010
4:11 pm
Top three problems:
1) Offensive line sux
2) D-backs suck
3) Bobo sux
Mr. Average
October 4th, 2010
4:11 pm
Butch MF Davis can recruit and coach. He almost beat LSU and GaTech with over half of his defense out, and top 2-of-3 offensive performers (Draughn and Little) out for LSU.
David Granger
October 4th, 2010
4:19 pm
In recent years, we have seen:
1. Georgia players commit all kinds of senseless fouls at critical times during the game.
2. Georgia players in constant legal troubles.
3. Georgia players dancing and boogeying on the sidelines in the late 4th quarter of a game we’re losing.
4. Georgia players bowing up and shouting back and coaches who are correcting them.
5. Georgia players dancing and strutting on an opponent’s logo at midfield after it took a last-second field goal to beat Vanderbilt. (Yep…VANDERBILT.)
As a general rule, a team plays like it practices. And there is no discipline on this team, either on the field or off. And once a coach loses that, he can never get it back.
01HAWK
October 4th, 2010
4:20 pm
It has to be the coaches fault. UGA recruits some of the same players as alot of other top programs do.. They do not respect him and he probably needs to resign.
He will be scooped up by another school very quickly. He just needs a change of scenery. Kind of hard to be tough when you were not tough from the get go.
Another area I see CMR is not good at are recruiting good junior college players, Such as these players that were/are starters or have made significant contributions. Saban goes after Junior College players when he needs immediate help.
Terrence Cody – 2 year starter
James Carpenter – Tackle /BAMA……………..2 YEAR STARTER from AUGUSTA, GA
DeQuan Menzie – DB.BAMA…………..FIrst year. Getting alot of playing time. Carver High – Columbus, GA.
When Andre Smith left to go to NFL he SABAN went searching for someone to protect McElroy’s backside and he found it in Carpenter.
It is not just about getting 3-5 star recruits…………………..Its about getting the right players. UGA has alot of players that will go to the NFL, BUT…………………..This is college football and not the NFL. SABAN recruits it seems like only a few others out there. He finds diamonds in the rough.
Will Lowery/DB – Walk-On…………………Plays alot for BAMA. ERYK ANDERS LB did not have any major scholarship offers other than BAMA and he ended up starting by his junior year…………….Even though he was a Mike Shula recruit.
Ed
October 4th, 2010
4:23 pm
There is a current SEC coach who was a college quarterback at a Florida university. He made a name for himself as a coordinator at an ACC school. He took over a struggling SEC program and had great success. However, there are indications that his passion might have waned in recent years and that he has outside interests that make it difficult for him to keep up with some of his famously obsessive conference counterparts Nick Saban and Urban Meyer.
I’m talking about Steve Spurrier, a golf junkie not known for his love of hitting the recruiting trail. Spurrier, like Richt, seems to be mired in mediocrity after enjoying an impressive run of success. Richt, like Spurrier, seems to have lost some of his fire. Like Spurrier, Richt is heading to a place where 8-5 seasons are the norm. All you need to know about Spurrier today is that he has been reduced to slinging barbs at another team’s assistant coach…after that coach held his offense to 17 points. In his UF days Spurrier used to shoot for 17 points in a quarter, now he hopes that his offense doesn’t screw up too bad while his defense wins the game for him.
Richt also was once thought of as an offensive guru, but that seems like eons ago. The only difference between him and Spurrier is that he doesn’t have a full decade or more of head coaching success to fall back on, but let’s face it, both are really glorified offensive coordinators.
Maybe if you take the “mission trips” out of the analysis and substitute it with “golf” or some other secular pursuit people will try to hear the intended message. The point – Richt’s head might not be fully into the game anymore – seems undeniable at this point.
Legendary Treatment
October 4th, 2010
4:23 pm
Ladies and gentlemen. Now this is how you treat the greatest coach in the history of your program. You throw him out with yesterday’s trash. Awesomesauce.
Proving again why Georgia is a bunch of Glorious failures.
Bwell
October 4th, 2010
4:24 pm
OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JEFF…………… WHY SOOOOOOOOOOOO HARD, even you seem to have jump off the band wagon. I agree that the players are not focus and it is the head coach job to ride the ship in the right direction. Never the less, I support CMR, I think the Def Coord. need to start what he started and jump into those players face, I didn’t see that this weekend nor at times did I see the players have a sense of urgency for four qtrs. I sat four rows behind ga bench this weekend, it runs deeper than x’s and o’s. You’re right the players need to fear the coaches and I wonder if CMR told the staff not to fuss or cuss at the players, only once did I see a coach get in the players face and that was coach Bobo and he had the offensive line on the bench after starting the 2nd half with a score, basically told them to “suck it up” for rest of the half. Coach RG pulled a couple of guys by the shoulder pads and coach G (DC) well I didn’t see that fire that was in him from game one, you wonder, most of the players were to much in K. Moreno face and dancing on the sideline rather than being with there position coach or team. I agree there need to be more focus and discipline, the players need to know if they screw up then punishment is coming. IF not then they know if they screw up then nothing will happen. I’m praying that all is well and loosing sometime can be good it bills charter and shows who really support the team. Goooooooooooooo Dawgs, I support CMR
MikeP
October 4th, 2010
4:25 pm
According to Rivals, Georgia’s recruiting has been in the top-ten for the last four years. What good did that do? None.
As long as the current staff is at UGA future recruits will be heading to anywhere BUT Athens. What 5* player wants to go to a college where he and all of his 5* team mates get coached down so badly they can’t even be on a team with a winning record?
Done Son
October 4th, 2010
4:26 pm
Richt needs to take Jesus’ playcalling duties away. This bible for a playbook thing ain’t working. Richt is the Mike Singletary of the SEC.
Uncle Greg
October 4th, 2010
4:26 pm
As rational people know, Georgia’s poor start is more to do with AJ Green, than Richt’s mission trips.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
October 4th, 2010
4:26 pm
No, really? It took a team of professional sports writes at the Constipation to finally figure out that CMR does not have what it takes to coach? Come on!!! You have to be kidding?
10 years of great talent and no titles, it can’t be CMR? No way!!! Athens has a great football, and a history of great athletic directors, who a busy with panties in their lap.
Give me a freakin break, this team has been an embarassmentto the state of Georgia since playing Penn State in 1982. A few SEC titles and everything is just fine in Athens/Sucksville.
Cbal
October 4th, 2010
4:27 pm
Right on.
Richt is the problem…though Bobo should be fired as well–similarly lacks obsession (and ability).
Nick
October 4th, 2010
4:28 pm
Phil Jackson’s too low key too.
And Tony Dungy.
And John Wooden.
They all need to wave their arms around and scream a lot like Saban, and then they’ll win more games than Richt.
What, Richt wins more games than Saban?
Oh well, so much for Jeff’s theory #1,000,321.
Neutral observer
October 4th, 2010
4:29 pm
Year after year I would see Georgia having the top recruiting classes but the issue I see is player development. Fumbles, missed tackles, not being able to move the line of scrimmage. As the author said football is about blocking and tackling and I just don’t see the fundamentals of the game when I watch. Yes speed is good but it does not matter if the ball keeps hitting the ground and the defense can’t wrap up at crucial parts of the game. Position coaches must take more accountability and maybe go with the player who will get the job done and not the ones with all the flash and fanfare.
ol' balls coach
October 4th, 2010
4:30 pm
Schultz and Bradley – welcome to the obvious, even if you are a little late arriving. King is still trying to sort it out.
Nick
October 4th, 2010
4:31 pm
Why 1-4?
My Theory:
1- No AJ Green
2- Freshman QB
3- Brand new defensve scheme to learn
4- Not right defensive body types yet for 3-4
Jeff’s Theory:
1- Too many mission trips
2- Not enough screaming and arm waving
3- Players acting like Florida players when it comes to arrests
Mike Bobo 17 INT
October 4th, 2010
4:32 pm
Look folks, it ain’t all CMR but more so with this arrogant booster and fan base. UGA fans too busy bragging about their program, that they are never realistic about their opponents. Vince Dooley would always play it down before the smallest of games, and make it seem like UGA only had a snowball’s chance when playing Vandy. Then UGA would drill them 55-0.
Now UGA goes popping off how good they, then get drilled by Vandy 55-0. Hello?
If CMR leaves and goes back to Miami as OC, and eventual head coach, then wins a title, what does that say about the UGA football program? Correct, it sucks from top down. There are larger issues with this program other than CMR, and you need to begin to cut Bobo politics in Athens and fnid an AD and head coach who can identify “real” talent, bring it in, then capitalize on it; otherwise, business as usual.
CMR is headed for Miami and part of his plan is to get fired, so he can move on. I am sure that Shannon is ready the the AJC and Athens Banner everyday to see what is going on to tap his next OC.
Athens is run by nothing more than a bunch of amateurs.
Nick
October 4th, 2010
4:33 pm
Jeff’s Theory:
Problem is, Urban Meyer always has lots of penalties and arrests, so accoding to Jeff’s theory, they don’t respect Meyer, yet Meyer wins National Championships.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
October 4th, 2010
4:34 pm
Nick
If you weigh the success or failure of any program around 1 player, and make excuses for 1-4 based on the absence of 1 player, then you have proven that your program is a total failure.
Saban is 2-3 players deep on his playchart and that is what keeps his starters motivated, and the reason they play hurt.
Neutral observer
October 4th, 2010
4:35 pm
Also everyone is looking at the HC but he is only as good as his assistants. There lies a deeper issue here. The staff as a whole must be accountable. While this is a down year I would rather have Richt in place than having what the Bulldogs have had in previous years. He deserves a chance to right the ship, but this has been coming a long time down the road no one was paying attention. Like the year they started in the top 5. Player development is the key.
dawginduluth
October 4th, 2010
4:35 pm
I saw ignorant young boys transformed into disciplined men in 10 weeks at Parris Island – me included. Most of them looked like freshmen Dawg recruits. It can happen in Athens with the right coaching team. I had a senior drill instructor who was the head coach and father figure (good cop) and two assistant drill instructors (bad cops) who kicked our butts from sun-up to sun-down. After three weeks on the island, I wondered if anyone in the outside world knew what abuse we were all going through. BUT by then I could do 50 legit push ups and run 3 solid miles every morning. Three weeks later, I could do 100 push ups and run 10 miles. I both feared and revered the DI’s – would follow them anywhere, walk through walls if I had to. These kids have the athletic talent, they just need discipline, a fearful respect for their leaders and high goals. I lived through the program and I was nowhere near the physical shape of these recruits. Richt needs to square away his program.
5150 P.O.A.D
October 4th, 2010
4:35 pm
Nick
Read Wooden’s book and understand how that man molded youngmen into Great MEN. Richt is not teaching Wooden’s Pyramid of Success very well if at all. The UGA players are not turning into Great Men vert well. Not all UGA players are running wild that is for sure, but many are. They are not listening to Richt it doesn’t seem.
WDE
October 4th, 2010
4:36 pm
Who remembers me? I’m one of the loyal doubters and posters this season… It’s awfully hard to have any good conversations with everyone in the state of Georgia with a computer posting fire Richt.
Bet you feel dumb now, don’t you?
Legendary Treatment
October 4th, 2010
4:37 pm
@ Nick
Are you saying that CMR is a better coach than Saban? Do you watch football? Honestly bro, take the sunglasses off.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
October 4th, 2010
4:37 pm
Meyer, Saban and Miles know how to win, while CMR finds a way to lose. These coaches are also great men in terms of their characters, they just bring a large level of intensity to the playing field, the go to church on Sunday.
Look go back to Van Gorder and look at the Won Loss record when he was DC. All these Dog fans are missing the point, it is about defense, not offense. Offense will win you games, a great defense will win you championships.
dawginduluth
October 4th, 2010
4:37 pm
Richt is headed to Christian mission work, not back to Miami. You jackass.
Ed
October 4th, 2010
4:38 pm
Nick, since you made the comparison to John Wooden, let’s discuss. Bill Walton told Wooden that he wasn’t going to shave, which was team policy. Walton was the most coveted player in the country and knew that he could transfer to his pick of schools. Wooden told Walton that he would miss him and wished him luck in his future endeavors. Walton decided that shaving wasn’t such a bad idea after all. He cried at Wooden’s funeral.
Contrast that to Richt, who tolerates dreadlocks, facial hair, sideline dancing, petty criminal behavior, repeated mental errors and penalties, and a mass endzone celebration. As we found out beginning in ‘07, players can even pick the uniforms now.
Big difference.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
October 4th, 2010
4:38 pm
WDE, CMR can only fire himself right now, but Athens is concerned the program is so tanked that there are not any quality coaches who want it. By the way I see Auburn is getting better by the week, so God help UGA when they play Auburn.
Nick
October 4th, 2010
4:40 pm
Jeff says Georgia isn’t getting better. Is this true or false?
Not getting better?
1- 2 weeks ago, team scored 6 points, this week 27.
2- 2 weeks ago, no 100 yard rusher on offense, this week Caleb gets 100
3- 2 weeks ago, no big returns on punt or kicks, this week, both worked well
4- 2 weeks ago, offense couldn’t drive ball past 50 at end of game, this week, drove ball to 25 to set up potential game winning field goal attempt
5- 2 weeks ago, te’s didn’t get thrown to much, this week, several successful plays with te’s
Mike Bobo 17 INT
October 4th, 2010
4:40 pm
Ed, not comment and totally agree. Walton had 8 minutes to get to Westwood for the haircut for the team photo. Wooden knew he had 3 more to take Walton’s place, so he got the haircut.
The inmates are running the prison.
Neutral observer
October 4th, 2010
4:42 pm
Better get on the right track before Jacksonville because Urban will put up 70 if he can. He still hasn’t forgotten the team endzone dance.
Terry Funk
October 4th, 2010
4:43 pm
Ed you can’t compare different eras as far as facial hair, haircuts…heck in this day and time Wooden could only coach at a service academy with those rules…get real
Nick
October 4th, 2010
4:44 pm
Is Richt a better coach than Saban? Depends on how you measure success.
Top 10 finishes–Richt
4 Consecutive top 10 finishes–Richt
Most players in NFL right now–Richt
Top 3 finish in polls–tied at 2 each
Career Winning %–Richt
Bowl record–Richt
No Seasons with less than 8 wins–Richt
Mike Bobo 17 INT
October 4th, 2010
4:45 pm
Neutral observer
Totally agree and mentioned this earlier today. The endzone dance will cost UGA dearly for years, and years. I am seeing a potential 80 hung on UGA.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
October 4th, 2010
4:46 pm
Nick
2 National Titles – Saban
No National Titles – CMR
5150 P.O.A.D
October 4th, 2010
4:46 pm
Terry Funk I don’t think that is true. have you seen the DUKE BASKETBALL TEAM. They seem to know Coach Ks rules and they play by them.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
October 4th, 2010
4:46 pm
Nick, stats do not mean sh$%, titles do.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
October 4th, 2010
4:47 pm
Dawginlex….Dogs suck, chime in.
Nick
October 4th, 2010
4:48 pm
Is Georgia defense not getting better? Is Jeff right or wrong?
Defense better statistically than last year’s average in;
Scoring
Yards
Rush defense
Pass defense
Forced turnovers
Georgia’s defense has improved, any way you measure, Georgia is getting better on defense.
Ed
October 4th, 2010
4:48 pm
We need a coach like Lou Holtz. I don’t give a crap that he doesn’t seem to like Georgia and he spits a lot when he talks, Holtz could motivate a team like no other and didn’t take any crap from his players. It was funny watching huge Notre Dame lineman try to avoid Holtz’s wrath after making a boneheaded penalty or missing a block.
Holtz suspended several players, including his starting tailback, before the ‘78 Orange Bowl, when he was Arkansas’ coach. For a violaton of team rules. The 3rd string running back ran for a ton of yards and Arkansas kicked the crap out of a heavily favored Oklahoma team.
He built South Carolina from an 0-11 team to a 10-3 season and bowl win over Ohio State. South Carolina hasn’t been near that good since. Notre Dame hasn’t been worth a crap since he left. Come to think of it, Arkansas hasn’t been worth a crap since he left. I see a pattern.
We need a guy like that at Georgia.
Just a thought
October 4th, 2010
4:49 pm
Enter your comments hereJeff about the discipline ( or lack of ) If you take the person who commits the first stupid mistake and the teams sees what this guy has to go through that tells them something right? If he goes through pure hell an example is set. If he does not then an example is also set, right?