Mark Richt will be back next season — and he deserves to be
The sideline hasn't been as enjoyable a place for Mark Richt the last two seasons as during his first eight. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
ATHENS – It’s probably best that we start with the latest indication of Mark Richt’s future employment.
“Mark’s going to be our coach in 2011,” Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said. “I haven’t seen anything in 11 games that would lead me to any other decision. I’d be stunned.”
The thinking is, it’s always best to end such declarations with even the smallest of escape routes. Because if for some reason Georgia were to lose to Tech 42-10 Saturday, finish the season 5-7, not go to a bowl game and later that evening 17 players find themselves in handcuffs for whatever reason – well, let’s just say you want the escape route.
But Richt will be back. And he should be back.
Let’s be clear about something. There are significant problems at Georgia. There are problems that may not go away under Richt.
The team has disappointed and underachieved. The Bulldogs are 7-9 in SEC games in the last two seasons. That nearly equals their conference loss total in the previous four years (22-10).
Celebrated recruiting classes haven’t turned into celebrated teams, an indictment of the coaching. Changes in Richt’s staff have not significantly improved the defense. Physically and emotionally, the team too often still seems overmatched by good teams.
But we should judge coaches like we judge athletes – in fact, like we judge all people. Life is a series of credits and debits. Mark Richt has built up a lot of credits. He deserves a chance to fix this.
He won two SEC titles in his first five seasons. I know. That’s so yesterday. As even McGarity joked when alluding to the fact the program’s off-field issues have quieted somewhat: “You’re only as good as the last few minutes.”
It’s the same on the field, especially in the SEC. When Nick Saban, Urban Meyer and Les Miles are combining to win four straight BCS titles, and Gene Chizik is undefeated at Auburn and – cover your eyes – even Mississippi State seems to have passed you by with Dan Mullen, nobody in the fan base is talking about that great 2005 season.
Greg McGarity said he and Richt are "brutally honest" with each other in their meetings. (AP photo)
The more likely response is: Fire the coach.
But dial it back for a moment. Richt was 82-22 overall and 44-15 through his first eight seasons in Athens. There were some bad performances in 2006, hiccups in 2007 and the smack downs by Alabama and Florida in 2008 that quickly extinguished any national title hopes. But the bottom line numbers are too overwhelming to ignore so quickly.
McGarity hasn’t been in his job for long. He said he understands “that everyone is frustrated.” He added, “The bottom line is we’re 5-6 and nobody is happy with that. Nobody is pleased, and nobody should be.”
But he has spent the past several weeks analyzing various aspects of the program, particularly since the Colorado game – “That’s when things began to slow down for me,” he said — and doesn’t believe a change is warranted.
“We’re dealing with a team that’s competitive every week,” he said. “I know people don’t like to hear phrases like, ‘We’re competitive’ and, ‘We’re giving it everything we’ve got.’ Trust me, I get that. We all want different results. But I also see a program that is not in disarray.
“The bottom line is we need to close games better and I also believe this is a critical recruiting class for us. I feel like there are a lot more positive signs than negative signs, even though it hasn’t shown up in the win category.”
McGarity and Richt have a standing meeting every Friday. McGarity said the two have a great and open relationship. “We’re brutally honest with each other,” he said.
He declined to discuss specifics of their discussions but said: “We both want the same thing. The question is how we get there.”
It’s justified for anybody who follows the Georgia program to be upset about the record, about the loss in Colorado, about the fact the team hasn’t been a player in the SEC East for two years. It’s justified to wonder about direction. But Richt deserves another season to figure it out. His resume has earned him that.
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706 comments Add your comment
Paul in RDU
November 23rd, 2010
7:45 pm
Beast from the East
Butch did manage to put together a team that won the MNC (even if it was for Larry Coker). To be honest, it’s about a wash between him and Richt
Dawg Now
November 23rd, 2010
7:50 pm
Richt should get 3-4 more years to turn things around, with all these new assistants and young talent. Florida’s going to be down for awhile and UT has nothing, so Ga should start winning the SEC east pretty soon.
Charles
November 23rd, 2010
7:53 pm
After 10 years of watching Richt,it is obvious that he isn’t a great coach. We need a great coach. It’s as simple as that.
waytogoRicht
November 23rd, 2010
8:02 pm
Jeff, you are entitled to your opinion.
To say Richt is entitled to come back one more year is open to much debate. W
Rebel Ace
November 23rd, 2010
8:02 pm
Won’t the results of next season’s opener against Boise State pretty much dictate the man’s future?
Coffee Bluff DAWG
November 23rd, 2010
8:03 pm
The real concern is the lack of recruiting over the last few years. We still get good players and the occasional great player but other SEC schools have caught and passed us in the recruiting wars.
This year we were just good enough to play good teams close but did not have enough play makers (O and D) to finish any of those games.
Herschel Walker
November 23rd, 2010
8:05 pm
I just watched the replay of the butt kicking at Auburn. You Georgia fans are a bunch of whiners. Your team had 5 personal fouls and numerous chop blocks and number 60 jumped on top of Fairley and started punching him with his fists after the play was over. And to think y’all have been whining for a week and a half about Auburn. Your thugs stomped on the Auburn logo during the pregame. If Tech beats you, y’all probably won’t stop whining till Spring practice starts. Even if the Thugs beat Tech, y’all ought to decline the bowl invite to some lower tier bowl, considering one of the Thugs wins was against that mighty Idaho State team.
Herschel Walker
November 23rd, 2010
8:06 pm
Saint Mark needs to call Saint Bobby and ask him how to get the most out of the Thugs. Wayshon will probably hit a few more parked cars this weekend.
tj
November 23rd, 2010
8:06 pm
Dooley ran the ball!!! He also had Erk Russell!!!! Richt seldom runs the ball and certainly has no Erk Russell and do not even mention a defensive cordinator that “should be remained unnamed” in the same breath as Erk!
Phil
November 23rd, 2010
8:08 pm
Let’s keep him around forever just like the Braves did with that Moron Bobby Cox! Doesn’t matter how bad he does for the next 5-10 years. He won the SEC 5 years ago, That gives you a free pass
forever in most minds of the idiots on here.
Bob
November 23rd, 2010
8:10 pm
A breath of sanity stirreth from an unlikely direction.
independent
November 23rd, 2010
8:12 pm
Does not matter if richt stays or not, the dogs will always suck. Tech needs to take them this week and put an end to their bowl hopes. The rest of the country could do without such trash playing in a bowl, so let them have it Tech! You can do it, they are not very good, just a bunch of punks with more mouth than anything.
Saint Mark
November 23rd, 2010
8:12 pm
To the Bulldog Nation:
Please go to Walmart on Black Friday and buy Red Panties to wear the game. If you buy them, you will receive also receive a defensive driving manual autographed by Wayshan Ealey, complete with instructions on the best way to hit and run without getting arrested.
I hope to see you all at the game on Saturday night. We’re planning to continue the Dog tradition of stomping on the logo at midfield prior to the game. Its the way our team gets its motor running. We’re also going to get the jive going by playing Soldier Boy over and over during the game, so the Dixie Deadcoat Band won’t be playing any songs.
Also, please join Coach Grantham in giving the Choke sign everytime Tech attempts a field goal.
Go Dawgs!
volbald
November 23rd, 2010
8:14 pm
Agree that UT waited several years too long to fire Fulmer. But Richt has always seemed to be a better coach. A year without Tim Tebow had shown that Urban Myer may not be the “genius” we all initially thought that he was. Saban appears legitimately to be one of the best ever. Spurrier is one of the best ever when he has the talent. G. Malzone appears headed to the top. But Richt has displayed the ability to compete with them. He beat UT with QB Green his first year at UGA. Remember Richt was responsible for the terrific run by Fla. State in the top-5 before he came to UGA. And Fla. State has never been the same since he left. Richt should be smart enough to get the Dogs back on track – even though I’d prefer he wait until after the next UT-UGA game to do so. But if Richt can’t get it turned around next season he may deserve to be in “trouble.”
Phil
November 23rd, 2010
8:18 pm
Saint Mark,
Sad but true on your list of things. Dark days indeed when UGA coaches stoop to giving Choke signs on the sidelines. The whole program is a disgrace.
BoWeevil
November 23rd, 2010
8:22 pm
Oh great.
If he has another 17 arrested / suspended or loses to Georgia tek to go to 5-7, then we can question has Coach Richt learned how to do hire an assistant coach in year 11 that he has wholly been unable to do in his previous 10-year tenure.
We can not look too hard at the statement the AD wants to consider this 2011 recruiting class as important to this program.
Let’s go back in history and look up what he did with Jim Donnan’s recruits the 1st five years of his tenure here.
2 SEC Championships beating no one either year. Losses, inexplicable losses piled upon losses.
Recruits in this state, jerked around with non-offers from this “coaching staff” and others who would love to come here if we just had a coaching staff.
Other recruits who came here and no longer are a part of this program, but some other programs, instead.
2 bad years of SEC play, and oh yeah this great over some part of history starting this date and ending this other date.
13-12 vs SEC East the past five (5) years, is not good, and it cannot be lumped as just a 2-year bad year.
Quarterbacks unprepared. Again this season, we shot ourselves in the foot not seeing how to get Hutson Mason on the field vs the lousy vols whom we were ahead of by 5 touchdowns just 10 minutes after half-time, which by the way was the final margin.
Redshirts ripped off recruits in the 5th game 3rd quarter with Washaun Ealey last year.
This year, more of the same in the 6th game, and sent them directly to Starting Position with Kenarious Gates on the OL.
Redshirt given to Knowshon Moreno whom we got to see 2 years, then taken at the top of the NFL draft.
Orson Charles put worse on the Depth Chart than Aron White because Aron had 3 catches entire 2008 Freshman year while Orson had 23 by direct contrast his freshman year, buried on Depth Chart until game 12 of the 13-game season last year.
Herschel Walker saying we don’t get the great PLAYERS in-state.
Herschel Walker saying we have NO DISCIPLINE.
Herschel Walker saying we LOSE too many games.
33 Losses in 10 years, keeping us from playing in 7 more games to-date.
3-9 record vs Top 10 Final AP Poll teams the entire 10-year CMR Era.
10 LOSSES to unranked teams in the Top 25 Final AP Poll 10-year CMR Era
CMR has earned another middling 2011, then we can sit and discuss the first 10 years, the first 5 years and second 5 years, the arrests / suspensions, the horrid SEC East record, the middling SEC record, and 20 LOSSES the last 5 years now, 4 a year average LOSSES.
2011 is no different. If you feel it might be, you are a DISNEYdawgs.com
Saint Mark
November 23rd, 2010
8:22 pm
Phil.
It all boils down to the fact that Richt has been following the FSU mentality of recruitng players of questionable character during his Georgia career. Funny how when Georgia was winning, it was not that big of a deal. Now that the losses are piling up, patience is wearing thin all over the country concerning Georgia. Richt hasn’t helped his cause by pulling stunts like stomping on the other teams logo during the pre-game and having his players take out an opposing player when the team is losing. Its becoming the Richt way and its pathetic.
Saint Mark
November 23rd, 2010
8:24 pm
How long till the next Georgia player is arrested? Probably this weekend after the Tech game, and probably a couple of more before Christmas.
Phil
November 23rd, 2010
8:24 pm
Richt has had 10 years to prove he deserves 1 more year. He hasn’t proved that in my opinion. He has taken the program to the bottom of the SEC, more arrests than wins, can’t reel in the big time recruits anymore. Coaches stooping to giving choke signs on the sidelines.
All he’s proven is that we need a new coach and a new direction.
Jeff Schultz
November 23rd, 2010
8:25 pm
IlliniDawg — While it is true that great early success obviously is going to lead to high expectations, there’s nothing wrong that. Georgia should be able to compete with any program in the country on an annual basis in view. It has money, money, money, great facilities, resources one of the top college towns in the country and sits in the sweet spot for one of the top recruiting regions in the nation. Why shouldn’t they compete? That doesn’t mean you’re going to finish top 10 every year but you should be in the conversation every year.
Jeff Schultz
November 23rd, 2010
8:27 pm
1968-Dog — Agreed. Another 5 loss season and I’m probably not writing this column next season.
Jeff Schultz
November 23rd, 2010
8:28 pm
WaytogoRicht — We agree. I said I understood the arguments on both sides.
BoWeevil
November 23rd, 2010
8:30 pm
CMR win The SEC East soon ?
What total hogwash.
13-12 the last 5 years vs SEC East and DISNEYdawgs.com on here bragging how he is fixin’ to win The SEC East.
B.S.
Hogwash
BoWeevil
November 23rd, 2010
8:34 pm
I’ve heard it all now.
Look, you told me loudly I was wrong all Summer about this program.
Guess what ?
You’re wrong and I told you so.
messin with sasquatch
November 23rd, 2010
8:34 pm
that was a very very weak argument in support of rich. c’mon man.
messin with sasquatch
November 23rd, 2010
8:35 pm
is colorado still callin?
Saint Mark
November 23rd, 2010
8:36 pm
Hey, at least Georgia beat that powerhouse Idaho State team! The season hasn’t been a complete wash out because of that accomplishment.
Phil
November 23rd, 2010
8:36 pm
Give me Jim Harbaugh, and Miami or Colorado or anybody else can have Richt any day of the week.
Phil
November 23rd, 2010
8:38 pm
At least 2 people on here with some common sense, Saint Mark and BoWeevil.
Saint Mark
November 23rd, 2010
8:38 pm
The Georgia fans need to grow up and quit whining after every loss. They also need to be realistic and admit Georgia is not a top 10 program, not even close. Just because they got lucky 30 years ago with Hershel Walker doesn’t mean they are going to be great every year. The Georgia fans are the poorest losers and poorest losers in the country.
Sure he's gonna be back
November 23rd, 2010
8:40 pm
Georgia cant afford to fire him… even if the record was 2-8.. the synopsis would be the same.. Georgia cant afford to fire Richt. Period.
Georgia excelled when other teams were down.. let me ask you, would you feel better with Meyer coaching Georgia.. or how about Saban? Richt will NEVER surpass those two.
Let's Talk About UGA!
November 23rd, 2010
8:42 pm
DawgNation,
Possible good news!
I might be royalty!
Mama thinks Greg McGarity might be my father.
Anybody want a beer?
Go Dawgs!
Sic ‘em!
Woof! Woof! Woof!
Saint Mark
November 23rd, 2010
8:44 pm
Its amazing how many Georgia fans have been whining about the loss to Auburn. Sure it was a hard hitting game, but Georgia had just as many personal fouls as Auburn did. And the Georgia team left the bench to keep the fight going. Auburn’s team didn’t. And for all the Georgia fans jumping on that Auburn player, whose number is 90, Buck Belue said that the late hit was the only play that the Auburn player made that he should have gotten flagged, and he did.Georgia didn’t display sportsmanship by stomping on the Auburn logo before the game and the Georgia offensive lineman started the fight by punching the Auburn player. For the Georgia fan base to keep whining and whining about the Auburn game makes them look like a bunch of sissies and poor sports. Whats going to happen if they lose to Tech? Who are you going to blame then?
Saint Mark
November 23rd, 2010
8:46 pm
Pretty pathetic when a 6 and 5 Tech team is playing a 5 and 6 Georgia team and its on ESPN in prime time. The whole nation will see what a terrible state the Georgia program is in. Then to see all the Georgia fans smashed and barking is just embarrassing.
Saint Mark
November 23rd, 2010
8:48 pm
If Murray gets hurt against Tech, Georgia will fold like a tent. The backup QB looks like he’s in 8th grade.
FLA DAWG
November 23rd, 2010
8:51 pm
Think Richt feels pressure to win vs GT this weekend?
Just think how much pressure he’ll feel at the Opening Game next season!
Pity The Dawgs and Dawg Nation having to endure another year of this miserable failure of a coaching staff.
Let’s just all go to sleep for a couple of years and when we wake up Kirby will have the reins.
icedawg
November 23rd, 2010
9:04 pm
“Celebrated recruiting classes haven’t turned into celebrated teams, an indictment of the coaching.” Or perhaps the celebrated recruiting classes were overrated by the “experts.” The coaching staff is responsible for the talent level that it has recruited. But school selection is ultimately is the athlete’s choice, so a uni gets what it recruits but not always everyone it recruits. So recruiting is not always as predictable as people might think. Richt has clearly not had the talent of the early years. Simply look at how many are playing pro ball now and were products of the earlier years vs. recent years. UGA has lacked competitive talent at key positions, especially on defense. The performance over the past three years indicates this. The problem is more talent than coaching.
Coffee Bluff DAWG
November 23rd, 2010
9:10 pm
icedawg,
That pretty well sums up the major problem with UGA – recruiting or lack thereof. We’ll get a few excellent players there and there but not enough to win close games against top SEC teams.
Delbert D.
November 23rd, 2010
9:12 pm
icedawg – On the same topic, I made a revision to a post regarding the positions that will need to be filled in 2011. I originally did a similar list for Boise St., as them vs. Georgia was the subject of the post.
What I added is the recruiting ratings of the starters and backups.
Potential Georgia losses from the depth chart.
8 Starters, 7 backups
Other than Green and Houston, I haven’t seen speculation on any other 3rd year players who might declare for the draft.
Starters
————
FB Chapas – 3 stars
WR Durham – 3 stars
WR Green* – 5 stars
OL Boling 3 stars
DE Dobbs – 4 stars
LB Gamble – 3 stars
LB Houston* – 4 stars
LB Dent – 4 stars
Backups
————-
FB Munzenmaier 3 stars
OL C. Davis – 3 stars
OL J. Davis – 3 stars
DE Wood – 4 stars
DE Tripp – 4 stars
LB Hebron – 5 stars
CB Cuff – 4 stars
Mobile Dawg
November 23rd, 2010
9:20 pm
icedawg, ask yourself this. Is CMR an offensive or defensive minded coach. Where do you think the emphasis on his recruiting is? The man doesn’t know how to build or coach a football team, he’s a flash in the pan. He won with Donnan’s physical football players and a much better staff. He lost Donnan’s players and his staff and the long slide began.
Jeff, have to agree to disagree, looking deep into the program reveals many problems that CMR just doesn’t have a handle on. What makes you think a year from now changes anything? Pull the trigger McGarity….
Andrew
November 23rd, 2010
9:23 pm
Florida struggled this year.
Texas too.
Saban went 7-6 in 2007.
It happens.
Andrew
November 23rd, 2010
9:24 pm
Sure wish McGarity hadn’t waited until GAME 12 to back up his coach!!
Might have helped recruting and morale, just a wee bit.
Too little, too late.
LakeDawg
November 23rd, 2010
9:26 pm
Objectively, I agree CMR deserves another season to turn it it around, but I feel in my gut that CMR will never be better than a Citrus bowl invite. He might accomplish some better records, but I don’t think he can compete for SEC championships. Then again, he might get rid of Garner and bring in a fire breather to coach the D line and UGA might sign all those 5 star players in the state of Georgia, but I’m not holding my breath.
skkzh
November 23rd, 2010
10:02 pm
When did McGrarity make this statement? How much is UF still paying him to keep Richt at UGA? Is McGarity still on the UF payroll? The last hope we had for this season was a total house cleaning. Every coach, every trainer, everyone associated with the program needs to go! And now, after this statement, so does McGarity…
What is Richt’s record against teams ranked in the top 10 when UGA played them?
What is Richt’s record against teams that finish the year in the BCS top 25?
What is Richt’s record against the top SEC teams?
Sure Richt is a good coach, but he is not a great coach and he needs to go, immediately, if not sooner!!!
Ed in Doe Run
November 23rd, 2010
10:06 pm
Yes, keep Richt another year. And we’ll be having the same conversation a year from now, just as we were having the same conversation a year ago.
Richt sucks in every way possible. It’s way past time to get rid of him.
TXdawg
November 23rd, 2010
10:09 pm
Love reading the 12 pages of ‘Dawg’ bashing on a Georgia website by idiot Tech fans that have nothing better to do than bash a team that is going to beat them on Saturday! They pull out the academic card…..hmmmm 21 Rhodes scholars, 6 since 1996…how many does Tech have? They use the ‘arrest’ record…granted.. none was a felony like Rueben Houston, which, he was cleared for.?! Where is he now? Tech like to go to the house after every beating and say..”well who is smarter”? We get it…you are smart! You guys are great at what you do but I think you need to stop the fantasy games….DAWGS WIN! Over Tech in everything….especially social skills and reality!
DC
November 23rd, 2010
10:09 pm
I am a long time Dawg fan and former UGA athlete and I am very dissappointed with this season having attended the Arkansas and Colorado games–both easily could have been won as the Florida game, SC game and even the MSU game could have– McGarity is right –we did not close the games—young QB–very talented, but did not close them out–next year he probably will — we easily could be 9-2 — this is not a bad fooftball team –
All this whining and calling for Richt’s head is nonsense and is only hurting our recruiting both for those that have committed and next year’s recruits—
Let’s give Richt and McGarity a chance to get it right next year — they do deserve it
Dagny
November 23rd, 2010
10:10 pm
The last hope we had for this season was a total house cleaning.
Amen. But it’s not going to happen. The slide into irrelevance will continue for at least another year.
TXdawg
November 23rd, 2010
10:17 pm
And to that Marcus idiot with all the stats…of 3rd qt and 4th down red zone bs…..Tech’s qb doesn’t register on the list since you have to throw more than 50 passes in a season. They have a glorified running back at qb! And how disheartening would it be that that same “horrible” qb beats tech with over 200 yrds passing? What does that say about TECH? Where does your qb rank?
We rent players Inc
November 23rd, 2010
10:19 pm
Too many Dawg fans thought that Ga was going to absolutely beat the living crap out of Florida this year- this was the year. And alas, Ga lost to a truly weak Florida team yet again this year. And the Dawg fans just can’t stand that- a chance to crush Florida went a begging. Just my take.