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
Dawgie Bowser
November 23rd, 2010
2:27 pm
One is the lonliest number. It’s tough to be a head coach in the SEC and it’s getting harder. But the cream always rises to the top as will Mark Richt. I have confidence in Coach Richt and consider him to be one of Geogia’s all time premier coaches. This hasn’t been a great season but this too shall pass. Best wishes next year Coach.
Chief Pitchanono
November 23rd, 2010
2:28 pm
Yeah, I think Richt should get one more season to turn things around. He’s got a great QB to build his offense around, which is the teams strength, and hopefully we can see some real improvement with the defense next year. No ones demanding a national championship next year, but we we need to at least make a run at the SEC championship game. This will include Florida, which sooner or later Richt is gonna have to fingure them out. If we go out and have another poor year – then it may be time to throw in the towell on Richt.
Jason
November 23rd, 2010
2:29 pm
Dear UGA Insider: what a moron you are. if you were such an insider, you would know that there isn’t a medical staff in the country that would give a player a B12 shot during the middle of a football game. And has anyone ever seen UGA’s players taking oxygen during a game? never. not being in position, crappy and predictable playcalling is why this team is bad. Not conditioning. And certainly not strength. If you’re such an Insider, shouldn’t you get back to work and help the team win instead of gossiping? moron.
Jury Dell
November 23rd, 2010
2:30 pm
Time to start thinking outside the box. We don’t need new assistants. Considering the type of thug recruits coming in, we need to hire several prison guards.
FullMetalJacket
November 23rd, 2010
2:31 pm
UGA’s recruiting classes, gargantuan football budget, and painted-a$$ mascot notwithstanding, it is always entertaining to hear them braying about their beloved (obsessed over?) program, even with a 5-6 record. What pitiable little people with pitiable little lives. By the way, that sound you will hear Saturday after the game, whether you win or lose against overmatched Tech, is the sound of the rest of the world laughing AT you and your petty little pride.
FullMetalJacket
November 23rd, 2010
2:32 pm
No argument here. Mark Richt and UGA deserve each other.
G
November 23rd, 2010
2:32 pm
Mark Richt has won 8 out of 9 aganist Tech. Mark Richt is the man for the job!
Russ's Revenge
November 23rd, 2010
2:33 pm
It ain’t the coach, it’s that half-ass-dead looking mascot..
AsburyDawg
November 23rd, 2010
2:34 pm
Dear Voice of Reality: please learn to spell before submitting a post. Who the heck is “Florids?” And I do choose to b-e-l-i-e-v-e that Mark Richt will deliver another SEC title to the Bulldog Nation.
GoodTimes
November 23rd, 2010
2:34 pm
Most of the Gator fans I know are miserable with a 7 or 8 win season. Would that be good enough for UGa in 2011? If you fire Rev. Richt, who better would you get to replace him? Better have some idea of that before you run him. Isn’t it beyond question that more discipline is needed? That isn’t coaching. That isn’t conditioning. That’s just paying attention. Who starts the process….Adams? McGarrity? Richt? Uga? Blame is easy. Solutions are a little tougher…..
tj
November 23rd, 2010
2:35 pm
Wow!!!!! Someone mentioned Van Gorder as head coach??????? I will give him the fact that he is a good defensive coach…..A head coach????? No Way….He has been a head coach twice and totally fell on his face especially the last time by destroying the Georgia Southern program. He does not have the tact to be a good head coach.
Ron
November 23rd, 2010
2:35 pm
Agree.
Bud--The Original
November 23rd, 2010
2:36 pm
You can debate amongst yourselves, but there are 10 SEC coaches that I think do a better job on the field than Richt.
2011 SEC Coaches:
Richt
Meyer
Spurrier
Phillips
Dooley
Caldwell
Saban
Petrino
Chizik
Miles
Nutt
Mullen
Hello Mutter
November 23rd, 2010
2:36 pm
Is the stupid ugly mutt going to be there, or has this one croaked?
Denver Dog
November 23rd, 2010
2:37 pm
Dawgs suck, mid pack SEC is embarrasing
PaulieOldschool
November 23rd, 2010
2:39 pm
Okay, Jeff, I usually buy your arguments: how much “credit” has Richt, in fact, built up? One year’s worth, two, three, new contract’s worth? I just don’t see that and I am not even one of the most vociferous of the fans calling for his ouster. I think if you can trace the biggest problems back to the coaching staff: the discipline issues, the sloppy play, the backward slide of talent after entering UGA, then you really have to make a change now. I mean by “now” after the season. I have been calling for Richt NOT to go to a bowl game, win or not on Saturday. Why? ‘Cause it’s a joke. Just so you can say “duh, but we went to a bowl (small “b”)”. Richt needs to go, nooowwwww.
ugaclassof2004
November 23rd, 2010
2:40 pm
Our fanbase is ridiculous! Richt has lost 11 games the last 2 years, and they STILL want to keep him! That’s so dumb. Anywhere else, he’d be gone for such a performance. This is NOT a program that is moving in the right direction. Yet the majority of our donors are sentimental and nostaglic becuase of what Richt has done in the earlier part of this decade. So he won’t be let go until FAR too late. It’s too bad, because as much as I like Richt as a person, our program really just needs a new direction. Its time…beyond time actually. But we are slow to change, even when its necessary. So we’ll get Richt for 2 more years while the program finishes 6-6 and 5-7, then he’ll be asked to step down.
UGA can't win
November 23rd, 2010
2:41 pm
If UGA has all kinds of money to spend, why do they continue to rent a G from the Green Bay Packers?
Big Dawg
November 23rd, 2010
2:42 pm
Right on UGABugKiller! Ten years is plenty long to see what you’re made of. McGarity has just made the scene, but he dang sure saw up close CMR get his tail handed to him most years in the Florida games. Try 2-8 aagainst the Gators on for size, and beating the Gators is what CMR claimed he could do! We’re just prolonging the inevitable and wasting everyone’s time and money. Who could do a better coaching job some of you ask? Who couldn’t is a better question!
kevin
November 23rd, 2010
2:42 pm
ive been a richt supporter since he was at fsu and love him. but we need to turn it around. we have a lot of tallet and should at least be 7-4. there are a few games we played that should have been wins. it was bad what happened to aj to start the season but he learned his lesson and i hope he stays and gets his degree. but as a power in the east we need and should be getting the 5 star players. another things is, why are we, uga, losing players in our back yard to people to tennessee and flordia? we are a good football team and should and could be a lot better than 5-6.
JAKE
November 23rd, 2010
2:43 pm
coach richt has been too complacement for me . im so tired of hearing “wait until next year georgia is loaded” . the excuses next year will be off. line is young ,our receivers are just freshman, murray cant see over the center , defense is still learning the 3-4 , juco players didnt qualify , butts-mehre is still not big enough , we have
to travel too much , coach richt is a nice person ,,,,,,, all hogwash
get somebody that is mean and will not tolerate these spoiled little boys … sssssiiiicccckkkk ooooofffffff iiiiitttttt !!!!!
JB
November 23rd, 2010
2:44 pm
Lot’s of reason’s to bring back Richt next year. 1. It gives him the benefit of the doubt. It gives him a year to win some games THAT MEAN SOMETHING. 2. Another year takes 3 million off the til for him and 750K for Grantham if Richt is fired after next season. Almost 4 mil is not chump change.3. If, and I mean If Richt can hold this class together, it puts some pretty good athletes in Athens for Himself or the program……If we do get a new coach in 2012, he will be blessed with a junior all conference QB in Murray. I hope it all works out.
Dixie Red Coat Band
November 23rd, 2010
2:45 pm
Why can’t we recruit some big stud running backs?
how2fish
November 23rd, 2010
2:45 pm
FullMetalJacket we are going to once again stomp a mudhole in your AZZ and then stomp it dry….face it Bugboy your 1-9 waiting to happen. By the end of the game the Bug fans will be slapping their own selves and the Wattle Neck Goon will be blaming the players, fans, refs and God himself for the loss anyone but him! But hey have a great thanksgiving !
Lake Dawg
November 23rd, 2010
2:46 pm
CMR is 8-1 agaist Tech. Among SEC teams, only Florida has a winning record against him. His bowl record at 7-2 is the best ever for UGa. Richt’s overall winning percentage is the best EVER by any Georgia coach, and among the best in the nation. He brought championships back to
Athens for the first time in 20 years. UGa’s problem is not coaching, it’s a bunch of disloyal so-called Georgia fans who have been spreading negative crap about the program since the 2007 season. That negative crap has hurt team unity and most of all, it has hurt recruiting. Because of all the Richt haters, we have not had a competitive class (with top tier SEC schools) for the last 3 years, and it shows on the field. As for me, I wouldn’t sell my soul for a Sabin, a Meyer, or a Chizik. Like one former Bulldog player ( under Butts and Griffith) told me, Richt is by far the best coach Georgia has ever had or is likely to have, and he’s the only one who cares about his players. This guy not only played at UGa, he coached high school ball for over 30 years;so I’ll put more value in his opinion than in all the ravings of thos who want to repay Richt with a knife in the back.
Jeff Schultz Fan
November 23rd, 2010
2:47 pm
Jeff: I agree. Great article. I don`t understand the
level of expection of the UGA fans. They seem unrealistic to me.
Ted Striker
November 23rd, 2010
2:47 pm
Things are rarely as bad as they seem….or as good as they seem. The sky is not falling at UGA and things are probably not as rosy as they may appear at Auburn.
For those who say that Richt is soft on discipline, there were “discipline problems” on the 1980 National Championship team. Had the “purloined pig” episode occurred in 2010, there’s a good likelihood a number of key players would’ve missed playing time and the season would’ve turned out differently.
chazzo
November 23rd, 2010
2:47 pm
Well, I’m glad they have an open relationship. Although, my wife has a crush on Mark Richt, even with the added weight.
Richt let go of the reigns a while. Nine intense years… he deserved it. Now, he’s righting the ship. UGA will have its day. Leave it alone.
RED&BLACK
November 23rd, 2010
2:48 pm
anybody that wants to start over again next year is stupid!!!!!!!!!!!!! richt is as good as anybody we could get antbody!!!!!!!!!
Ed (The Original)
November 23rd, 2010
2:50 pm
2-8 against UF, including 0-2 in the two SEC Championship seasons. If you’re a Georgia fan from South Georgia or Florida, those are the unacceptable stats.
Richt can’t even beat UF’s mediocre teams half the time, and he’s helpless against their better teams. I’d like to see someone else give it a try. But if it takes a lost 2011 season to make that happen, so be it.
tj
November 23rd, 2010
2:51 pm
DEFENSE WINS!!!!!!!CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!!!!!!!!
And Get Who ???
November 23rd, 2010
2:51 pm
Everybody wants to fire Richt…….but who is there to hire? Careful what you wish for!
Coaching Carousel….. See Ole Miss…..Tenn……Auburn…….Alabama…. yada yada yada…..
Years of searching. CMR has not forgotten how to win. Ups and Downs = normal
how2fish
November 23rd, 2010
2:52 pm
Hey I got a great idea lets run off our proven coach and get a no name that will figure our he is over his head in the SEC and completely sell the program down the river for short term success….just like the “Chiz” at Auburn has.
JB
November 23rd, 2010
2:54 pm
I used to think Auburn did a good job hiring the Russian, Chiznik, but it appears he was hired by the ‘cartel” for his willingness to do it the “Auburn Way’. Why would a big name SEC school hire a no name coach from a no name school with a 5-19 record. Beginning to make sense.
gardner
November 23rd, 2010
2:56 pm
Totally agree. Even if McGarity truly wanted to fire Richt there is no way he’d do it so soon into his tenure. I suspect Richt probably likes McGarity better than Evans and they have a good relationship. It’ll work out.
Blanks
November 23rd, 2010
2:57 pm
Exactly. There is absolutely no one out there that is available that I would care to bring in here over Richt. Not a single assistant anywhere in the country. This is Richt’s job.
Ed (The Original)
November 23rd, 2010
2:58 pm
Besides his record against UF, the thing that has bothered me most about Georgia under Richt is the lack of discipline, both on the field and off. Richt recruits the same kinds of athletes and gets the same results year after year. Georgia has become a laughingstock under Richt in ways that are more important than wins and losses. Richt’s pious image gives him a pass on all of this to a large extent, much like it did for Bobby Bowden. But there’s no reason to believe that on and off-field discipline will improve under Richt. He is who he is. I think UGA would be well within its rights to fire Richt after the Tech game, but I don’t see it happening.
OkefenokeeDawg
November 23rd, 2010
3:01 pm
Lake Dawg,
I am a Richt fan, but your argument has holes in it, mainly regarding Richt’s record vs SEC opponents. Don’t look now, but they are all gaining on us.
Richt did bring SEC titles back to UGA, but look at the trend. His Dawgs have lost 12 of their last 26 games. He needs help.
And apologies to your friend, but when Richt wins 4 more SEC titles and an undesputed National Championship, then we can say he is as good a coach as Vince Dooley.
Just Sayin'
November 23rd, 2010
3:02 pm
Greg McGarity looks like Alfred E. Newman
DawginLex
November 23rd, 2010
3:03 pm
Bugkiller got his wish last year. UGA fired Martinez.
We see how that worked out so well.
Slim Shady
November 23rd, 2010
3:05 pm
Richt needs to go. He has looked like a scared little puppy dog ever since Alabama and Florida beat him down in 2008. Go back and look at the games. Kentucky, Auburn (whose offense sucked that year) and GT ran all over Georgia. Richt should have fired clueless Willie after the Tech game in 2008 and he should have cancelled the Joe Cox expirement after that disastorous Tennessee game last year in Knoxville. Richt killed the development of this years team with those two moves. I have always said his loyalty will be the downfall of him at UGA. If you think this year is bad next year is going to be worse. No AJ and Tennessee will be much better. I think 4-8 next year.
Just Sayin'
November 23rd, 2010
3:06 pm
Greg McGarity’s home page:
http://www.leconcombre.com/alfred/img2/alfred_e_neuman_1.jpg
Ed (The Original)
November 23rd, 2010
3:08 pm
Good points, Okeefenokee Dawg. As I’ve pointed out before, Dooley didn’t have two built-in cupcake wins on his schedules.
And Dooley not only got the best of Tech, he beat UF about 70% of the time. That alone ranks him WAY above Richt in my book. How can anyone who loses 4 out of every 5 Florida games be the best coach Georgia has ever had? Richt can’t even beat Florida’s mediocre teams.
Astropig
November 23rd, 2010
3:09 pm
9 Wins – That’s what it will take to save Mark Richt in 2011…
Next years sked has 5 wins baked in ( Coastal Carolina – New Mexico State – Vanderbilt- Ole Miss – Kentucky)
From here ,it looks like two probable losses ( Florida – South Carolina)
That means that Richt has to pull 4 wins from : Boise State – @ Tennessee – Auburn (home) – Mississippi State ( home) and @ Tech. That means that he better win 4 of 5 tossups or we will be talkiing about a new head dawg this time next year.
I believe that he deserves the chance to turn the ship around. In a “what have you done for me lately ” ? world,he deserves that. But an 0-2 start and a “lack of focus”-type upset (like Colorado this year) and Richt will be sent packing. In fact , an 0-2 start means that a LOT of players will pack it in and it will be look out below.
gdawginkalamazoo
November 23rd, 2010
3:10 pm
I would like to take this time and thank Coach Richt and the bulldogs for a very relaxing season. My seasonal anxiety disordered was completely gone by the middle of Sept and watching college football has never been so stress free. No worries about winning this game or that game for most of the year. No worrying about so and so having to lose in ordered for us to get anywhere. It has been just plain fun. I pulled for the underdog in every single game because it didn’t mean crap for my team but it screwed up somebody else’s year. Hilarious. So again thanks Coach and here’s to going undefeated next year to save your job and make my football season full of stress and anxiety. Go dawgs.
Eric Smith
November 23rd, 2010
3:11 pm
Should Georgia win on Saturday, the Liberty Bowl needs to look at matching The University of Georgia vs The University of Notre Dame. It would mark the 30 year anniversary of the game played in New Orleans in 1980. Happy Thansgiving.
Woodstock Dawg
November 23rd, 2010
3:11 pm
McGarity hasn’t been there long enough to fire Richt based on what he has seen so far, and Richt deserves one more year to turn things around. We will know very early next season whether or not it’s going to happen (Boise St then South Carolina in week 2).
JB
November 23rd, 2010
3:12 pm
Tech folk on here hanging on a thin thread hoping to beat us. It’s all they have left this year. They opened up in the top 25 and had a little National respect, and went to Kansas, and Dorthy and Toto beat them……….The slide then started………..Losing bad to the Dawgs will just turn the off season into misery due to a basketball program over there that has tanked. lonely, dark day’s this winter on the flats.
RUINT
November 23rd, 2010
3:14 pm
Same people who would demand that Les Miles be fired for LSU & they are having a terrible year , right?
Cut off your nose and see what happens…
Urban ,Nick, Steve, Les, Gene, Dan, Bobby
November 23rd, 2010
3:14 pm
<————–Coaches in the SEC who can out coach Richt.