Richt’s plan for change is good, but why did it take so long?
Georgia coach Mark Richt is coming off his worst season as a head coach. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
Mark Richt is not going to fire offensive coordinator Mike Bobo but he did suggest Wednesday that he’s going to be more hands-on with the offense and the team in general from this day forward.
Comment: That’s probably a good idea, given that it’s his job on the line.
Question: Why did it take a loss to Central Florida in the Liberty Bowl for Richt to realize something was wrong?
In his season-ending press conference Wednesday, via our Tim Tucker, Richt said that he’s going to have more time freed up in his schedule “to [spend] more time doing the things I love the most, which is study the game of football …”
Later, he reiterated, “I’m going to have the ability to have the time it takes to truly study the game of football, the trends and what’s going on, so a higher percentage of my time is going to be able to be used for that.”
Those are interesting statements. They suggest that non-coaching activities have been taking up too much of Richt’s time and adjustments will be made in his schedule to prevent that from happening again.
I don’t doubt that can happen. The demands on a college football coach can be enormous, let alone a coach in the SEC. If Richt is going to tweak his weekly schedule and athletic director Greg McGarity does some things to give him more time to be hands on with his players and the game plan, that can only be good for the program.
Loading ...But it shouldn’t have taken a 6-7 season for Richt to realize something was wrong. There have been signs of the program sliding for a few seasons, going back even to the 10-3 season in 2008. The Dogs were preseason No. 1 but were flattened in key games against Alabama and Florida. Both opponents looked better prepared. Both played with a physical and mental edge that the Dogs generally have lacked.
Things obviously have deteriorated since. Georgia is 5-9 in its last 14 SEC games. Since 2009, they’ve lost to LSU, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, Arkansas, Mississippi State and Auburn. (Also, Florida twice.). Perception that the Dogs have been passed by other programs in the conference is now reality.
For what it’s worth, I believe the criticism of Bobo has been a little excessive. He deserves some credit for Aaron Murray’s development. In the last seven games of the regular season — before the 10-6 loss in the Liberty Bowl — the Dogs scored 41, 43, 44, 31, 55, 31 and 42 points.
What’s the bigger issue, the offense or Todd Grantham’s defense? In the SEC, Georgia finished fourth in scoring offense and seventh in total offense; seventh in scoring defense and fourth in total defense.
I’ve never believed the problems are as simple as changing plays or schemes on offense or the defense. It’s big picture stuff: preparation, mindset, toughness, focus, edge, consistency. It’s having an identity, knowing what a Georgia team is going to give you from week to week. That whole, “Finish the drill,” thing has been an empty rallying cry.
It’s great that Richt believes that something needs to be done. It just shouldn’t have gotten to this point. The question now is whether this is too big of a hole for him to dig out of so quickly.
– By Jeff Schultz
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575 comments Add your comment
The NEW Ohio State Buckeyes
January 5th, 2011
4:47 pm
OWN the SEC!
Snoop Dawg
January 5th, 2011
4:50 pm
Richt is a good Christian man and deserves another three million dollars over the next year to masquerade as a Division 1 SEC football coach.
LOL! RFLAO!
WAKE UP YOU IDIOTS!
David Granger
January 5th, 2011
4:52 pm
If you know what’s wrong, and can fix it…why in the hell did you let it get to this point in the first place?
Coach Richt has helped Georgia, but it’s time for him to move on.
The NEW Ohio State Buckeyes
January 5th, 2011
4:55 pm
Bring on the dawgs
Brooksdawg
January 5th, 2011
5:00 pm
is today April 1st?
dawgfan0711
January 5th, 2011
5:02 pm
82 Dawg–It is not my story, it is printed in the January 5th, 2011 edition of the Pike County Journal Reporter. I hope it’s not true because if it is, i believe we need new HC and i have always supported CMR. If there was a way for me to scan it in and post it to this blog i would be glad to. Maybe Jeff can weigh in on the article that i read. 82Dawg, i hope it is bs also, but it isn’t bs that it has been reported, i wasn’t at the Bowl Game and i was disappointed when i read the article.
Mobile Dawg
January 5th, 2011
5:08 pm
Probably the more correct story would be some players were seen out after the game on NYE….That would be more believable.
Snoop Dawg
January 5th, 2011
5:10 pm
David Granger, why do you say that Mark Richt has helped Georgia? He’s run the wheels off the wagon and our beloved football team is the laughing stock of the entire country.
He has fleeced the UGA out of about 30 million dollars over the past ten years without earning it. This equates to about $1000 for every student at UGA,
He has allowed a large number of highly recruited football players to atrophy and not reach their potential, and has not provided them any structure or leadership that would have helped them pass their grades and avoid getting arrested.
I don’t get it…
Snoop Dawg
January 5th, 2011
5:13 pm
The New Ohio State is just as lame as the Old Ohio State. What a mass production outfit! Something like 58,000 students. That would be a really depressing thought…
I would rather be a Georgia Bulldog with a disgusting loser football team than to be a Ohio State Buckeye with a National Championship football team.
Ohio State is just trashy and has absolutely no class.
Snoop Dawg
January 5th, 2011
5:14 pm
Maybe da Preacha Man can get a PhD in football like Doctor Tom Osborne!
5150 P.O.A.D.
January 5th, 2011
5:17 pm
People UCF didn’t show up in the polls until week 14. That is when they got into the Championship game. UCF had to be in the polls because at the end of the year they were C-USA Champions. They deserved a top 25 rank only because of that fact. Don’t act like UCF was a top 25 team at any point in the year.
Irrelevant
January 5th, 2011
5:18 pm
So, we couldn’t score a touchdown against UCF becuase Mark Richt has been too busy. CMR wants to study trends…in other words, study people who know what they are doing and copy them, as opposed to being a creative trend setter. He’s toast in 2012 and I could care less. He’s officially living in a fantasy world. Tired of this BS…
The Real 2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 5th, 2011
5:18 pm
The NEW Ohio State Buckeyes won’t exist because businesses in Ohio are dying out and moving to the south.
ARdawg
January 5th, 2011
5:27 pm
Dawgfan0711
Just pure rumor and conjecture. I was out in bars in Memphis on Beale and other places on Thursday night. I never saw one Georgia Bulldog anywhere. Of course I didn’t recognize the ones I saw on the field at the Liberty Bowl either so maybe that doesn’t mean anything
ARdawg
January 5th, 2011
5:33 pm
Dawgfan0711
You seem to be spreading falsehoods on the Dawgs. Are you really a GT poser”
http://www.pikecountygeorgia.com/categories/7-Sports
Discipline!
January 5th, 2011
5:46 pm
For all that watched the TCU game, did you catch at the end- when some TCU players were going to give Coach Patterson a early gatorade bath? He turned around and said this game is not over yet. The reaction from the players was a “Yes sir, coach” Do you see this from our current situation? I think not and would be on the phone with TCU wanting to talk to Gary immediately. Can you imagine what he could do with the talent Ga has.
Belcher
January 5th, 2011
5:54 pm
Hire Patterson before it’s too late!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mid Ga Retiree
January 5th, 2011
5:55 pm
I personally am glad to see a new AD. I heard too many comments about the former AD that led me to believe that he was less than fully supportive of the football program in general, and CMR in particular. Some of his decisions had the less than desired effect. Let’s hope that this past year was an abberation and that CMR can get the program turned around and headed in the right direction.
Beast from the East
January 5th, 2011
5:58 pm
Worst record in well over a decade and he chooses to make no changes?
Richt just keeps shuffling the deck chairs while the ship goes down.
Has no one ever explained the definition of insanity to him? Maybe McGarity needs to.
Belcher
January 5th, 2011
6:01 pm
I’m outta here until there are some BIG changes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stinger2
January 5th, 2011
6:07 pm
To all who want to have CMR fired: How would each of you feel if someone who knows nothing about your job tells
your boss that you should be fired. This is exactly what is happening on these blogs. Dr. Adams and Mr. McGarity
are capable of making all decisions themselves.
bamaguy
January 5th, 2011
6:15 pm
I think Mal Moore, the AD at Alabama sees the writing on the wall concerning Richt. Alabama just gave Kirby Smart another $200,000 pay raise for the 2011 season (grand total of $850,000). That’s a little love note saying “Please don’t go back to UGA when they fire RIcht.”
Stinger2
January 5th, 2011
6:27 pm
The UGA Fans who are so upset about losing to Central Florida should not be surprised. UCF`s Coach is George O`Leary..a great coach who has experience at beating UGA from his days at the Flats
jack bull
January 5th, 2011
6:35 pm
looking forward to a 10-2 season next year,,,,,can’t wait!!
as far as Peterson goes, his 4-2-5 defense wouldn’t know what hit em in the SEC..
5150 P.O.A.D.
January 5th, 2011
6:36 pm
Why would anybody want to coach UGA? I am not being mean. Name 1 UGA head coach that got another good job after coaching UGA? Griffith, Vince Dooley was moved to UGA AD then forced out, Goff, & Donnan. Now, add Richt. Who would want to coach UGA unless they want to end their career at UGA or have UGA end their career. UGA gets too much talent, has all the money, and the facilities to win the SEC & a shot at the MNC, but it doesn’t. UGA fans expect more and when they don’t get it the coach gets gone. Other coaches know if you go to UGA you have to win or you are gone, but if you are a good coach at UGA you SHOULD win. UGA has become a career ender. UGA is not a stepping stone but a Head Stone.
5150 P.O.A.D.
January 5th, 2011
6:38 pm
Jack bull Peterson runs the 4-2-5 because he is in a pass league. He would have a different DC or a new D scheme in the SEC. Jack think a little about matching a scheme with the style the other O plays.
Samual Adams
January 5th, 2011
6:41 pm
LOL….how many millions does Richt make? Now he’s going to study football? I can see why he’s giving up mentoring. Talk about lack of productivity…how many players were arrested this year? I’m glad Mark is going back to play calling and clock management. Remember how well that worked…lol Why not give him a few more million and instead of studying to catch up to the leading edge, he’ll be the leading edge.
jack bull
January 5th, 2011
6:43 pm
i attended TCU while he was the DC coordinator there,under Coach Fran, he’s ran that exact same scheme as long as i’ve can remember, even in 2 different conferences….
although i will say this, it is possible for coaches to change, instead of just changing coaches, and thats what i think is going to happen next year at UGA…
eastcobbdawg
January 5th, 2011
6:45 pm
if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it. now that it’s broken, must absolutely fix it. like what’s goig on if it’s more than just words, and we do see very significant attitude & results improvements. let’s get the fire going back again when we’re all in athens team and fans and then when we invade other stadiums, sec or not. Go Dawgs!
jack bull
January 5th, 2011
6:47 pm
oh yeah Sam, we had less arrests this past year than Cam Newton had on his own in one year at Florida… and i still say having only 10% of a team filled with 18-22 year olds, away from home for the first time, at a big time college being arrested for very minor things is pretty good. i bet there’s not many school in the country that can say that….
Jim
January 5th, 2011
6:50 pm
I really haven’t seen anything that CMR said that indicates a change. Didn’t he say at the start of this season he was getting more involved with the offense. Who knows for sure who was calling the plays him or Bobo. Maybe whay he needs to do is loosen up on Bobo and Grantham and let them run the offense and defense. I think most would agree that Granthams style toned down after the first game this year and the defense went down hill from there. The head coach has to set the tone. Maybe we as fans have been looking at things wrong. Every body called for Willie’s head until he got canned. But under Bob Stoops he seems to be striving. I haven’t seen any negative reports about him coming the Oklahoma folks. In my opinion CMR should meet with Bobo and Grantham in a manner that he does not need to tell them he is not a happy camper but in a manner where they know well before the even get near his office. He should levy on them the requirement to show him why this team ended the season where they did and what they were going to do to fix it. After he gets there input then he can deside if there plan would work or if he needs to replace them.
Truly study the game of football, the trends, and what's going on
January 5th, 2011
7:11 pm
`
`
Coach Richt will finally discover “what’s going on”.
big root
January 5th, 2011
7:16 pm
Rodney Gardner isn’t a factor in recruiting anymore if we are not getting the best talent in GEORGIA we need to find someone who can. you no where your program is at when year in and year out no one is hiring your coaches. BRING BACK BRIAN VANGORDA the only assistant he has had on his staff
just a fan
January 5th, 2011
7:18 pm
xzavier dickson commits to bama
bamaguy
January 5th, 2011
7:21 pm
Roll TIDE!
Delbert D.
January 5th, 2011
7:26 pm
“being arrested for very minor things is pretty good”
Not really.
FIRE MIKE BOBO!!!!!!
January 5th, 2011
7:30 pm
Mike Bobo is a good Qb coach demote him to QB coach and get another offensive coordinator who is a coordinator not four different jobs.
Bravesfan79
January 5th, 2011
7:32 pm
Im not the biggest UGA fan in the world, but seems to me that the comments about the coaching staff being weak could wait until after the commits from the Under Armor game played. Bad timing guys…. way to help out Bama!
old dawg
January 5th, 2011
7:36 pm
if you don’t fix strength and conditioning problem and the recruiting deficiencies, play calling doesn’t matter. if you don’t have the best athletes available, strong and ready to play all four quarters, who cares what you call, they cannot execute it.
somebody please tell me how they are going to land the top prospects in the state and area and after that keep them all out of jail.
please tell me that those players who give us the best chance to win will play. i don’t want to hear about red shirting top players to give them a chance to “mature” in the system so they will do better for 4 years. Hint: the really great players don’t stay for 5 years.
don’t tell me someone is going to start cause they have been here for 5 years and have “earned” their playing time.
can someone in athens speak to some substance and specifics? fuzzy comments and inferences are not getting it done for me.
i don’t feel better cause cmr is optimistic about the new year.
tell me you have commitments from 3 top juco defensive linemen.
i have zero confidence the dawgs can beat boise state to start the year.
just a fan
January 5th, 2011
7:46 pm
Justin Scott Wesley looks good tonight
girldawg
January 5th, 2011
8:20 pm
To Rex Kramer…
unfortunately it is going to take money or the say the lack of donated money to get McGarity and Adams true attention and inspiration.
Aaron gets wish: Steroid users kept out of Hall of Fame | Jeff Schultz
January 5th, 2011
8:30 pm
[...] – Richt’s plan for change is good, but why did it take so long? [...]
joe taxpayer
January 5th, 2011
8:41 pm
It took CMR 3 years to get rid of all of those penalites. Next years schdule is pretty good most of all home games is on the road. Must have 9 wins with that schdule.
joe taxpayer
January 5th, 2011
8:43 pm
Sorry to many beers. Make that most of our tough games are at home
NoRichtFan
January 5th, 2011
8:47 pm
The SEC has burned Richt out. The pressure has proven to be too great. Richt needs to resign next year or be fired. He has had ample time to fix the problem and has proven unable and incapable. He is no longer an asset and has become an expensive liability. His coaching future sould be in the ACC.
squat
January 5th, 2011
8:52 pm
hey if u think cmr knows what he’s doing i have a crap load of used t.p. i will sell cheap..i say kick him in his arse and take the whole crappy staff with him to pray.
hang down your head vince dooley
January 5th, 2011
10:17 pm
Buckshot wrote:
January 5th, 2011
10:50 am
Starting to wonder if Vince needs to take over for CMR!!!
______________________________________________
Without ERK, Dooley is Ray Goof.
JRW7
January 5th, 2011
11:23 pm
CMR, you said you need more time to STUDY FOOTBALL, GIVE ME A BREAK!
Top Recruit
January 6th, 2011
12:13 am
The trend coach is what Florida, Bama, Auburn, Mississippi State and others have been doing. Here is what is troubling about all those comments…excited, focus of football, trends,and etc. If I am standing 53 yards on the opposing sideline, I’d think I could see the trend. I do not think I could be that stupid,lazy, and stubborn. And above all I would learn to guard my comments a little better.
Here is some advice. Talk less to the press and at gatherings. Circle your staff and team. Do not use gimmicks anymore. Have every coach attend the S&C. Eat what they eat. Study and read what they do coaches too. Do not fret over 5 star recruits. You had some and they do not seem to pan out or they jump ship to the pros. Go find a Green and Pollack. Smart, hard working kids. Kids that want to play for you and the team. Recruit no kid who is about himself. If he is there now he will be in every game here after. How times have we seen coaches and staffs recruit kids no one heard of and they beat teams they should not. Good solid players that you get ready mentally and physically. One thing your team needs to do is run alot more and they need to do a lot more LSAs. Also put all players and coaches off limits for the next 11 months. Now I’d sit down and review every D and player in the SEC and I’d devise sets and schemes to attack every onepf them. Boise is big, but I’d make it my test run for my new offense [that means no plays at G day and every practice til Boise is closed]. I’d be willing to give that game up to start hot in the East conference. Conference wins are it. In every game I would put the points up and never let up. I’d have my offense ready to run 85 plus plays a game. You did 70 in Memphis…but where was the production. I let every player on scholarship know it will be taken away if they did not perform very well. But I’d make my offense lethal and something that fans love to see. but opposing teams dread.
LagDawg
January 6th, 2011
8:04 am
Sorry, I just don’t feel like this will get any better next year.Keeping Bobo is a joke and keeping Richt is a joke. Damon Evans wanted to win and he knew that Richt wasn’t getting the job done. Yes, if he was still the AD, Richt would be gone. Evans wanted UGA to be a national name like Fla., Ala., USC., Ohio St. and Texas. He wanted to take the program to a higher level and I do believe he would have made the right hire. I cannot help his personal actions but he made a great hire in Mark Fox. To get to the top you have to have top notch coaches and players and we have some players but the coaches need to be replaced. As long as we continue to settle for subpar coaching, that’s what we will get. The whole team needs to play faster, we need to be stronger and more physical and more creative on both sides of the ball. The OC is too predictable and cannot devise any plays to get the ball in the hands of or playmakers and cannot just recruit QBs. There is more to the offense than just QBs. Our RBs are not even mediocre and we cannot get a top one to commit. This is going to get worse before it gets better. I hope the JUCO NT Jenkins commits to us because if he he doesn’t we are in trouble again next year.