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
Mike Bobo 17 INT
November 23rd, 2010
1:07 pm
Too little too late, Dooley tanked this program, plain and simple.
Athens cannot see the forest for the trees.
Todd
November 23rd, 2010
1:07 pm
Very likely scenario.
Richt goes 9-2 next yr. beats UF b.c gosh the odds are he finally goes down there relaxed after a bye week, but looses to Tenn. OUCH! and throw in another loss somewhere.
IT always happens, even in the best of Richt’s yrs. some crazy, bad performance, get beat
Examples, Ron Zuke got over after awful 13 pt. performances on offense, 14-9 loss to Tenn. at home, the pumkin Phil Fulmer gets over; 31-0 at half, Sabanator in only his 2nd yr.; Dan the mullet Mullen, gets over in Stark Vegas.
2011 will be 9-2, with some awful, predicatable play calling of Mike Bobo.
Then you start asking will A. Murray go to waste like AJ Green, Moreno, Stafford on and on.
Then maybe Bobo looks for work with a big booster or opens as State Farm Agency or something.
Bobo want be coaching, nobody thinks highly of him other than Mark Richt and a couple of old koon Dawg Ga boosters that think he’s great b.c he beat Spurrier for the 1st time in Jax
Mike Bobo 17 INT
November 23rd, 2010
1:07 pm
GT 4, UGA 1.
Ole dawg
November 23rd, 2010
1:08 pm
Mark Richt is the only good thing I know about the uga football team.
UGA got Chizzed on by Auburn
November 23rd, 2010
1:09 pm
“Mark Richt is the only good thing I know about the uga football team.”
Amen to that!
HOUDAWG
November 23rd, 2010
1:09 pm
CMR will turn this around …….. and as for you trollers ……. here’s something :
TECH SUCKS !! And so does their sister …… AUBURN …….
Mike Bobo 17 INT
November 23rd, 2010
1:10 pm
Again GT 4, UGA 1.
UGA got Chizzed on by Auburn
November 23rd, 2010
1:11 pm
“TECH SUCKS !! And so does their sister …… AUBURN …….”
Tech is bowl eligible. UGA is not.
Auburn is 11-0 and heading to the SEC Championship.
Insult fail, houdawg.
how2fish
November 23rd, 2010
1:11 pm
UGA got Chizzed on by Auburn.. that’s a great trick get 10 maybe 11 or even 12 wins..then give them back..how can you Cow Towners even type with your heads buried that far in the sand. Better yet all the coaching and Heisman awards Cam and Co may get..my only question is will they actually even make to campus before they are stripped by the NCAA? Oh and Chizzy old boy…ESPN always shuts up when the FBI gets into a case as the FBI won’t leak anything to them and no one else for that matter, really its the only way ESPN ever shuts up.Really has to sux to be a Barner right about now…Iron Bowl this week undefeated season going on and terrified every time you get on line or watch a sports show thinking is the other shoe falling today?? Will we have to void the season today…I feel for you I really do…..but Chizzy I hope you and the Auburn family has all the success you so richly deserve now and in the future.
BaseballBuff
November 23rd, 2010
1:13 pm
You people calling for Richt’s head are stupid or crazy, probably both.
We had never been to the SEC championship game before he took over. We then went to three in five years. We won two SEC championships in his first five years after not having won a single one from 1983 to 2000. My God, we finished number 2 in the country in 2008, two years ago! Open your eyes. Who would you replace him with?
Richt is only human and bad seasons happen. He is on a learning curve and will correct his mistakes. He will lead the Dogs to the promised land if we just show some patience. As Jeff said, he has an impressive body of work and should have built up more good will with the Bulldog Nation than is currently being expressed. CMR, I’m behind you and so are most people who have a lick of sense.
UGA got Chizzed on by Auburn
November 23rd, 2010
1:13 pm
how2fish
UGA is 5-6 and will not be going to a bowl game. You can cry and scream about Auburn but nothing changes the fact that NOTHING has happened to Cam, Chizek, Auburn etc….
Auburn is 11-0
UGA is 5-6
Sucks for you, loser.
UGA got Chizzed on by Auburn
November 23rd, 2010
1:14 pm
“My God, we finished number 2 in the country in 2008, two years ago! ”
In a down year in college football.
DaWg
November 23rd, 2010
1:15 pm
Schultz, first of all, great article. You did a great job.
Second, I’m glad McGarity is our Athletic Director. I liked Evans, but I really believe things are going to get better under McGarity. I think McGarity is more interested in winning as opposed to Evans who seemed more interested in marketing.
DrDawg
November 23rd, 2010
1:15 pm
Richt is staying, but I would make one more year contingent on winning the SEC East. No more excuses. If he fails, he is gone. Hire Dan Mullen from Mississippi State. He whipped UGA like a broken mule when at Florida and good coaches never stay at MSU. Mullen would be the best choice for UGA.
Zoomie
November 23rd, 2010
1:16 pm
This is my personal assessment of the situation:
McGarity is new. He hasn’t seen enough or had enough of an opportunity to work the athletics department to try to support the football team as currently staffed. I would question his leadership ability if he arbitrarily fired MR after this season based on fan clamoring.
Mark Richt’s mistakes are only now catching up with him, so he’s only now starting to reap what he’s sown. He acknowledged he was too soft in preparing for this season; while he hasn’t acknowledged it publicly, I believe he knows he made a mistake with keeping Martinez around; he recognizes something needs to be done institutionally to rein in the lack of discipline of the players and is actively seeking help and support from the new AD; I think he knows the “detached CEO” schtick isn’t cutting it and he needs to be more hands-on with his staff and the players’ issues.
New DC installing the 3-4, a quick, FLEXIBLE defense that is more complex due to the flexibility it brings. A redshirt freshman QB with no college playing time under his belt prior to the 2010 opening game. Coupled with the institutional issues listed above, this created a perfect storm to leave UGA in the SEC dust this season. I think AM’s stellar QB play and the fact that UGA was highly competitive in almost every game made a lot of us forget about the disadvantages under which the football team entered the season.
I firmly support Richt’s return next year. However, if the discipline, fundamentals and play-calling issues continue to fester; if there is one more instance of Richt standing on the sideline with a deer-in-the-headlights look while an SEC opponent recovers a clearly unexpected on-side kick; if it becomes evident that Richt will continue to be outcoached by his SEC peers, 2012 should be his last year.
I think he’s learned from his mistakes. That, plus another year of defensive buildup/training in the 3-4, plus a tough year under AM’s belt as the starting QB, will make all the difference and UGA will be in the fight for SEC East next year.
If not, time for Richt to pull chocks . . .
Ray Goof
November 23rd, 2010
1:17 pm
Call me.
joe
November 23rd, 2010
1:18 pm
Bunch of dumbassess…………..did you really beleive CMR was going to be fired? What assess…!!
Hit A Single
November 23rd, 2010
1:19 pm
Dr.Dawg – What a stupid comment! Fire him if he doesn’t win the East.
OkefenokeeDawg
November 23rd, 2010
1:19 pm
” My God, we finished number 2 in the country in 2008, two years ago!”
********************************
Stick to baseball, BaseballBuff.
Just kidding, but we finished #2 at the end of the ‘07 season.
Arno
November 23rd, 2010
1:20 pm
You can say “press on,” when a team/coach is having a bad stretch. The problem is, in UGA’s case, fans are in serious doubt about what pressing on means.
Chris S
November 23rd, 2010
1:21 pm
With national-championship-caliber recruiting classes in the first half of the decade, Richt won SEC titles. With SEC-championship-caliber recruiting classes in the second half of the decade, Richt put together top 25 teams. Now that Georgia is putting together top 25 recruiting classes, what kind of seasons can we expect?
Hit A Single
November 23rd, 2010
1:21 pm
UGA would be making a big mistake to fire Mark Richt!
Let's Talk About UGA!
November 23rd, 2010
1:21 pm
Thank goodness I don’t have to take down my Fathead poster of him this year.
Seen it before
November 23rd, 2010
1:22 pm
This is Richt’s old buddy Tommy Bowden and Clemson all over again. One more year, one more year and then…….
what of it?
November 23rd, 2010
1:23 pm
It’s not just this year. This is the third year running the team has horribly underperformed. Worse is the fact that the level of underachieving is getting worse. 2008 should have been a huge red flag with the #1 overall draft pick, Knowshon, and AJ Green not winning the SEC East, instead we got a “stand by your man” line from Richt about Martinez. For me it’s about whether he can be trusted to make good decisions. How do you convince a recruit that with his great talent, the program will be any different?
how2fish
November 23rd, 2010
1:23 pm
UGA got Chizzed on by Auburn we will see if we go to a Bowl or not, one thing that won’t happen in 6 months or sooner we we won’t go to 0-11 this year due to buying players and fella you just can’t say that and have anyone with a shred of college football knowledge keep a straight face. oh and 2008 was a down year in college football ??? Why because you hadn’t bought your Cam doll yet? But I do agree with one thing you pointed out nothing has happened to Auburn…YET…tick tock tick tock…
Hit A Single
November 23rd, 2010
1:23 pm
Tommy Bowden never accomplished near what Coach Richt has so that is bad comparison. Oh by the way look at Clemson’s record now.
Briscoe Darling
November 23rd, 2010
1:24 pm
: I now pronounce you man and wife.
Briscoe: Alright everybody back on the truck. How much do I owe you Sheriff justice.
Andy: Well usually it’s two dollars, but I’ll settle for a song.
Briscoe: Good! How about something nice and sentimental for a wedding?
Andy: Good idea.
Briscoe: Alright boys let’s do Keep Your Money In Your Shoes And It Won’t Get Wet!
Hit A Single
November 23rd, 2010
1:24 pm
Cam Newton – What is wrong with college athetics poster child!
Hit A Single
November 23rd, 2010
1:25 pm
Dang I have to go, I hit a double. Go Dawgs!
UGA got Chizzed on by Auburn
November 23rd, 2010
1:25 pm
how2fish
UGA is 5-6 and will not go to a bowl game. GT is bowl eligible and is better this year than UGA.
Nothing has come out, nor will it, about Cam or Auburn.
You can keep on screaming and crying about this and that but nothing changes the fact that you are a UGA clown.
NICK FAIRLEY! BOO!!!!!
Mike Smith
November 23rd, 2010
1:27 pm
Troll much, Chizzed? Seriously, dude, get a grip. Just enjoy your season, your first win over UGA in 5 years, and Newton while he lasts.
UGA got Chizzed on by Auburn
November 23rd, 2010
1:28 pm
Mike Smith
HAHA! Get a grip? LOL
Auburn owns the all-time series with UGA and is having a great season. UGA hasn’t gone undefeated since 1980. If Auburn remains undefeated it will be the third time since 1980.
DawginLex
November 23rd, 2010
1:28 pm
the Boise game is all Greg M’s idea.
He knows what he is doing.
He is raising the bar for Richt.
Time to put up or shutup.
Interception dude, Richt is not going to move his family to Miami. Never happen. No matter how many times you predict it. It will never happen. If Richt leaves UGA, he will not coach again. He will enter the ministry or go into full time missions work. His faith is that important to him.
dawgfan
November 23rd, 2010
1:29 pm
Bobo can be to blame for a lot of the offensive problems. A lot of his play calling in pivital situations is terrible. Ultimately it is up to Richt to take control of the offensive when the game is on the line.
Mike Boo Boo
November 23rd, 2010
1:31 pm
Who stole my wife’s birth control pills? These kids are driving me crazy
WHO?
November 23rd, 2010
1:32 pm
All you fire Richt guys…. Who can you get. Not who do you want. Who can you get to replace him. I am fine with giving Richt another season or two. He earned it. I would rather be Georgia than Auburn right now anyway. They may be about to play for an NC but they may pay dearly for how they did it. Clean up the arrests, get the defense in shape and we will win 8 or nine games next year. The close ones did not go our way this year.
BaseballBuff
November 23rd, 2010
1:33 pm
To Okefenokee Dawg @1:19pm: I stand corrected. Dawgs finished #2 after the 2007 season. Thanks.
To UGA got Chizzed @1:14pm: An Auburn fan with no brains and no class. What a surprise! Unless you’re a Tech fan. In which case I suggest you wash your socks.
ApopkaDawg
November 23rd, 2010
1:35 pm
Jeff:
I thnk you are correct in that CMR will be around next year. However, I would not give him too much credit for a successful past. Yes he did start well, but over the past three years we have been dismall. We are not talking about a one or two season let down.
2008 – Preseason #1; we had EVERYTHING going for us. I would go so far to say that with the amount of talent on the 08 team, Spurrier, Myer, Miles, and of course Saban would all have won a BCS title. Instead, UGA goes 10-3 and was three plays from going 6-6. INEXCUSABLE!
2009 – Returning 5 year QB, Joe Cox (highly recruited QB) is taking over; number of returning starters on Offense and Defense. UGA goes 8-4 and Willie Martinez gives up 30+ points 5 times during the season. Willie Martinez, a coach that should have been fired two years prior, but CMR refused to do it. INEXCUSABLE! Should have fired Martinez after the UF embarassment, benched Cox and let Murray start the remaining games against AU and GT. Gardner should have been named temporary D-Coordinator. No changes made, therefore no preparation for the 2010 season. INEXCUSABLE!
2010 – Here we go again! 5-6 and chance of going 5-7 and not going to a bowl this year. The fact that UGA is not bowl eligible going into the last game of the season is INEXCUSABLE!
CMR is suffering from the same thing that Urban Myer is suffering from and that is “brain drain.” When was CMR successful? Early in his career at UGA. He was the O-Coordinator and BVG was the D-Coordinator. That combination worked and worked well. BVG leaves and we get he chooses his buddy, Willie. This results in an immediate drop off on the defense. CMR stops his O-Coordinator duties at the end of 2007 and what do we get? An immediate drop off on the offense. Urban Myer is going through the same thing right now. Lose Dan Mullen and Charlie Strong and what do you get? 4 loses and a mediocre season. The big difference is that I think Urban Myer will make the changes to fix the problem. CMR’s past repetitive mistakes leads me to believe that he will continue makeing the same mistakes year after year.
Our recruiting class this year will tell the fans everything. Right now we are ranked 16th for the 2010 recruiting season. We have no 5 star players who have verbally committed to us. At this point we are being our recruited by Ole Miss and USC (Southern California). USC!?!?! That’s right, the team that is on probation, has limited scholarships and is assured of NOT going to a bowl or playing for any king of championship for years to come. Ole Miss!?!?! Ole Miss is out recruiting us right now! What???
CMR, you have got to deliver the recruits this year. If not, fire Coach Gardner before the season starts, so we can get a real D-Line coach. Next season, you HAVE to win 10. Anything else, please go start your mission in Thailand and do what you love full time. Turn the Bulldogs over to someone who knows what they’re doing and has some fire in their belly.
OkefenokeeDawg
November 23rd, 2010
1:36 pm
“If Auburn remains undefeated it will be the third time since 1980.”
******************************
And if Auburn goes on NCAA Probation, it will be the seventh time. Congrats, you are closing in on The-Dirtiest-Program-of-All-Time trophy.
PMC
November 23rd, 2010
1:36 pm
I’ll say this. In Richt’s defense, he has shown a propensity to learn from his mistakes. Once he admits there is a problem he does address it to the best of his ability.
jr
November 23rd, 2010
1:37 pm
uga needs a pulse and a new direction. richt is not the answer and never has been if urban myer or nick saban would have had his recruiting classes uga would have at least 3 national titles. they have none on his watch. uga will be no more than 7 or 9 win team under richt. bulldog nation deserve more. last title 1980. what the hell?
Chizzed
November 23rd, 2010
1:37 pm
Really nothing has come out. He cheated repeatedly at Florida and was busted for possession of stollen goods knowingly. His dad is part of a pay to play scheme with Miss St. Auburn has been paying players at casinos with fixed slots and providing them with blank ATM cards from a failed bank. Pleanty has come out. The charges just haven’t been filed year. The only reason Auburn is still alive is because the SEC does not want to loose it’s NC money. Auburn looses to Bama or SC and is out of the title match and the gloves will finally come off. Enjoy it what you can wear eagle tiger toilet paper tree thing school…. You are as good as done.
UGA got Chizzed on by Auburn
November 23rd, 2010
1:37 pm
The Auburn Hillbillies
Come and listen to a story about a kid named Cam,
A liar and a thief, but Auburn didn’t give a damn
Then one day he got paid to play the game
And out of nowhere the investigators came
NCAA that is, judge and jury, Committee on Infractions
Well the first thing you know Auburn decides to go “all in”
Cheating didn’t matter just as long as we can win
Glendale, Arizona is the place we want to be
So we threw out the rulebook and called ourselves “family”
The Auburn family that is, yes we cam, “lean on me”
Well now it’s time to say goodbye to Cam and all our wins
He’ll play in the NFL with that same s.h.i.t. eatin’ grin
How in the world could we have been such fools,
Now we have to pick up the pieces of what’s left of our school
Sanctions that is, reduced scholarships, bowl bans
We’ll be back now y’hear?
Brainiac(Dawg for life)
November 23rd, 2010
1:38 pm
Bubba Grunt: Thanks for the kind words for CMR. I agree 100%. I hope he stays another 20 years. UGA lost some very close games this year so a few different breaks and we could have been 9-2 or 8-3 and there would still be loudmouths yelling for CMR’s job. We finished the 2007 season ranked #2 in the nation. No coach wins them all as Urban Meyer(7-4) and Nick Saban(9-2 and likely 9-3) are now demonstrating. There probably are Gator and Bama fans wanting them fired.
UGA got Chizzed on by Auburn
November 23rd, 2010
1:38 pm
“An Auburn fan with no brains and no class”
Gotta love loser UGA fans.
Oh, and thanks for stealing my blog handle, loser.
Ga fan on tech blogs
November 23rd, 2010
1:38 pm
bugsquacher
November 23rd, 2010
1:17 pm
first…… GO dAWGS
LinkReport this comment.Dawg House
November 23rd, 2010
1:21 pm
To Hell with Georgia Tech!!!!
LinkReport this comment.bugsquacher
November 23rd, 2010
1:22 pm
TECH YOU ARE GOING DOWN AGAIN….. ARE YOU ENJOYING THE VIEW FROM DOWN THERE? HAHAHAHAHAHAH
LinkReport this comment.bugsquacher
November 23rd, 2010
1:23 pm
st simon,,,,, you are an idiot
LinkReport this comment.bugsquacher
November 23rd, 2010
1:24 pm
hey tech,,,, the girls from agnes scott want to schedule a football game with you….. they figure its a definite win on their schedule
UGA got Chizzed on by Auburn
November 23rd, 2010
1:39 pm
“And if Auburn goes on NCAA Probation, it will be the seventh time. Congrats, you are closing in on The-Dirtiest-Program-of-All-Time trophy.”
Yet there isn’t any evidence. Also, the FBI and NCAA aren’t investigating Auburn.
UGA got Chizzed on by Auburn
November 23rd, 2010
1:40 pm
“Really nothing has come out.”
The “evidence” that Rogers said he had was “destroyed” by rain water. LOL
Keep on trying, dawg fans!
1eyedJack
November 23rd, 2010
1:43 pm
Obviously Chizzed On is the same Tech troll that comes on every blog trying to start sh*t with Dawg fans. If Bama were 11-0 he would be posing as a Bammer. If Florida were 11-0 he’d pose as a lizard.
Obviously a Far-left Doofey Democrat. Same tactics.