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
Dawgdad (The Original)
January 5th, 2011
11:09 am
Schultz: What a load of crappola you have fallen for. What specifics did he cite. Are we ever going to improve on special teams, the last kick blocked was probably by Champ Bailey. He puts no emphasis on special teams. When is he going to design some offensive plays to exploit Murray’s ability to run the ball, like maybe a run/pass option down on the goal line.
Richt refuses to believe that his tired old offense could use some refining to exploit the talents of his players. He refuses to admit that his recruits do not get better at the rate that players do in other programs. The guy has run out of ideas and is just trying to hang on and hope he gets lucky.
D A Double U G
January 5th, 2011
11:09 am
POAD,
I LOVE the fact that you are still here, running your mouth about UGA.
YOU, sir, prove the my theory right. And I think my theory should be on the t-shirt you mentioned.
It will read: “In a year where all UGA has to brag about it beating Tech, the only thing Tech has to brag about is the fact that all UGA has to brag about is beating Tech”…… you able to follow that??
(((((SHREVEPORT LOSS)))))
SoGaDawg
January 5th, 2011
11:09 am
If the Presser is not over,does anyone there have the “guts” to ask CMR how he can say Searels did a good job?
Wisky Breath
January 5th, 2011
11:10 am
Mark has earned the right to get an extension to his contract. He is a great Christian and that reason alone makes him a great coach. His year round tan is also impressive. When he talks in generalities, that is how you turn around a program. Give him the time, and you will see great results. I am thinking a 6 or 7 year extension. Bobo probably needs a vote of confidence too.
dbc
January 5th, 2011
11:11 am
Richt stated he thought Bobo and Searels had not “just done a good job, they’ve done great jobs.” He is now officially delusional. He’s grasping at straws. Now he’s invigorated? Just five short days ago he was walking the sidelines in Memphis looking like a zombie on ambien. I recall at the beginning of the season how he said he was excited because there was a “new feeling” with this football team. That new feeling was a 6-7 mess of an unmotivated team of troublemakers? Cutting edge? Like kicking a field goal on 4th and inches inside your two yard line? The man is an insult to DAWG fans everywhere. Guess we’re all stuck with one more crappy year. See you guys in a year…
surrealist
January 5th, 2011
11:11 am
I think McGarity is the key. I think Evans was over his head and that he self-destructed will turn out to be a huge net positive for UGA. The program is already showing signs of moving in the right direction. It is going forward with Richt and staff next year or he is gone and someone else takes the reins. Richt seems to have finally gotten a sense of urgency, and I think that is because of McGarity. Either way, change is coming. Hope and change is good, right?
Larry
January 5th, 2011
11:11 am
Tampa_Dawg,
Did they teach paragraph breaks at the Naval Academy?
Herschel Talker
January 5th, 2011
11:12 am
Schultzie:
It took so long because he is a blindly loyal fool. And it’s happening again. Next year will be another disaster, and finally we can rid ourselves of this buffoon.
HT
P.O.A.J. 24/7/365
January 5th, 2011
11:14 am
TOAD, glad we can help; those TECH blogs must be lonely places .
Hank
January 5th, 2011
11:16 am
Tell the truth – go back to watching oprah. Being an expert or stupid has nothing to do with the issue. I am not a doctor either but, I can tell when someone is sick or near death. I can also tell when my car is not running right and, sorry, no mechanic skills either. I don’t need to give my resume to have a credible opinion. You might be suprised at what some of the bloggers do for a living. If you think things are ok, I suggest you are either not an expert on football or maybe to use your term, stupid.
JDawg
January 5th, 2011
11:16 am
“Go ahead, fire Mark Richt. Then go ask a Vol fan how a similar situation and decision worked out for them.”
*************************************
Ask a Stanford fan how that worked out for them . . .
Ask an Arkansas fan how that worked out for them . . .
Ask a Nebraska fan how that worked out for them . . .
Ask a Mississippi State fan how that worked out for them . . .
joe
January 5th, 2011
11:17 am
5-7 & no bowl–Just look at the schedule:
Boise-L
USC-L
CC-W
at Ole Miss-L
MSU-L
at UT-L
at vandy-W
FL-L
NMS-W
KY-W
Auburn-L
Tech-W
Ted Striker
January 5th, 2011
11:17 am
I don’t have the least problem with kicking of the field goal on 4th down — in the early going — in the Liberty Bowl.
Players need to earn a new set of downs in the early going if they want to earn the right to run another play series.
dawgfacedboy
January 5th, 2011
11:17 am
What’s going to better about next year. As of today the only playmakers on either side of the ball are expected to go to the NFL. Why would next year be any different. Go ahead and start thinking of candidates to replace him and that underacheiving staff.
duh
January 5th, 2011
11:18 am
Not what I wanted to hear.
5150 P.O.A.D.
January 5th, 2011
11:19 am
DA double UG
Do you think Richt and company could have done what The Auburn Staff, Miss St staff, or Tenn Staff did this year with their teams? I don’t think so. Nobody, NOBODY has been beating down the door at UGA to steal away your coaches and that says VOLUMES. Other teams don’t want to steal your coaches because other teams realize it is easier to just steal Georgia recruits.
HotDawg
January 5th, 2011
11:19 am
Okay, lets talk about facts here. Richt is going nowhere, Bobo is going nowhere and Grantham is here in all his glory for a while. We know we are going to get some, not all of the Dream Team recruits. My question is even if we get Crowell, Rome etc…. Do we all really think that they are going to make that much of a difference immediately? In comparison, we couldn’t beat UCF with A.J. Green on the field along with A. Murray and Orson Charles who I think if given a chance could be one of the best players in the Country. I would take AJ over any of these kids that we “might” get and we still couldn’t score a touchdown on UCF.
I know everyone is talking about Bobo, but I think the argument could be made that our defense is in much worse shape than our offense. At least our offense can score occasionally but our defense cant stop anybody from throwing or passing, Ever. This nonsense about the 3-4 scheme versus the 4-3 scheme and the special players needed to run each is ridiculous. Line up and find the dang football and go hit somebody in the friggen mouth. Too many excuses for me. Football is simple, score and don’t be scored on! Now Go DAWGS!
Mike
January 5th, 2011
11:20 am
For all you CMR/Bozo Kool-Aid drinkers – Georgia’s returning quarterback has a career 6-7 record. If Bozo is such a great quarterback’s coach, how is his quarterback 6-7? For all you sports statistics people – No quarterback from any top 30 team had a 6-7 record. And, Georgia is happy he is returning.
UGA OCHO
January 5th, 2011
11:21 am
You are right Jeff, as always. Richt should be fired. If we use your standard, which apears to be win a nataional championship every year. If he were to win a BCS Championship three years straight and then only finish 10-3, we would surely have to read the “what has he done lately” article. I get it guy, we know what your job has you do, but do ya have to be the puddin’ stick of atlanta?
Skyhook
January 5th, 2011
11:21 am
There is something else going on here. Mark appears distracted. I don’t know if something is wrong in his family life, some family member illness or what it could be.
A wise coach once told me that it is not important to “want to win” he said everybody has that goal. He said it is more important to “hate to lose”. Saban has that quality, I think Paul Johnson has that quality, and Urban Meyer had that quality until it burned him out.
I am a big Mark Richt fan. He is an excellent x’s and o’s coach. For all you Brian Van Gorder supporters, remember is was Mark that discovered him and hired him from a college in South Florida as he was impressed at how he defended Richt’s offense when he was at FSU.
I am still willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but if drastic improvement is not made in the next year, I think as classy as a person as Mark is, he won’t have to be fired, he will resign and move on to what his true passion really is the ministry, family, etc.
SOUTH GA DAWG FAN
January 5th, 2011
11:21 am
Richt has played all his cards to stay another year . so if there is no improvement this just adds up to another wasted year or three depending on who will take the HC job at that point.
tired of waiting for next year but
GO DAWGS
duh
January 5th, 2011
11:22 am
doing the things I love the most, which is study the game of football …”
Somebody needs to tell him about sex.
Mobile Dawg
January 5th, 2011
11:25 am
I didn’t read one thing that led me to believe he’s going to change the culture in Athens. What’s wrong here is we have a tail, the team, wagging the Dawg. For those of you who can’t see the “forest for the trees” we have a head coach who doesn’t really believe there’s a problem.
joe
January 5th, 2011
11:26 am
CMR–Mike Bobo is the coordinator; Mike Bobo is the quarterback coach, and Coach [Stacy] Searels is the running game coordinator. And they have done a great job…
What? When did they do a great job?? The play calling was horrible most games, and the running game was virtually non existent. QB play was only bright spot.
Tom Brady's Hair Cut
January 5th, 2011
11:26 am
We all see what “Hope and Change” got us. Record deficits and no direction.
5150 P.O.A.D.
January 5th, 2011
11:27 am
p.o.a.j 24/7/365
I must not be able to read. I thought this was a JEFF SCHULTZ Blog. I didn’t see BILL KING’S name or the Big Ugly G in the header. No No I am sure this is not a UGA Blog. I can’t believe all you dawgs are posting. Didn’t you hear Schultz RIP your dawgs on Ch2 Sunday night? Y’all should be up in arms at Jeff like you do to Bradley. The dawg fans are so down you guys arn’t chewing out the Messanger.
Dawgs73
January 5th, 2011
11:27 am
For those of you that support Richt, I pose this question. If Mark’s demeanor/personality was more similar to say Ray Goff or Jim Donnan would he still be employed at UGA? Would any of you that support Richt put him on your top 5, top 10 list of coaches?
JDawg
January 5th, 2011
11:28 am
“I think as classy as a person as Mark is, he won’t have to be fired, he will resign and move on to what his true passion really is the ministry, family, etc.”
*************************************************
You mean, coaching is NOT what his true passion really is?
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 5th, 2011
11:29 am
I really do hope CMR can get his program turned around. As much as I can’t stand dawg fans, I do like CMR a lot. He’s the most upstanding guy the SEC has to offer and this is coming from a die hard Auburn fan.
Mobile Dawg
January 5th, 2011
11:29 am
Hopeless ignorant people will grab on to anything that sounds positive, even if it has no substance. Someone, anyone, tell me honestly, one thing CMR said he was going to change to improve things.
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 5th, 2011
11:32 am
5150 P.O.A.D.
True about no one wanting UGA coaches. Auburn has had a couple of coaches “stolen” from them. Chizik and Muschamp both went to Texas and now Malzahn is a hot ticket.
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 5th, 2011
11:33 am
Mobile Dawg
CMR’s biggest weakness is not being a hard a$$ on players. Bear Bryant, Bo Shembeckler, Gene Stallings and Nick Saban would NEVER allow the kind of crap that goes on at UGA to go on at their schools. Period.
jp
January 5th, 2011
11:34 am
Hey Jeff, what makes any of this different from what he did last year? What can he possibly do that’s different from what they’re already doing? What he’s gonna study extra game film or or tell a QB when to throw it away? The problem in case you didn’t notice wasn’t something Richt can fix by himself, there were too many gap mistakes on the OL. The receivers were never able to get wide open. The RB’s couldn’t break a tackle if their life depended on it. Nothing will change next year but at least Richt will be gone.
Sandman053
January 5th, 2011
11:35 am
SEC CHAMPS: I agree. I think the HC should be a little feared and that isn’t happening in Athens. I have a feeling when Saban has a “Come to Jesus Meeting” it takes on a little different appearance that CMR’s.
robodawg
January 5th, 2011
11:35 am
For whatever reason, the program has slipped in its creativity on offense. Richt came in as a bright young offensive mind, but in past years that has not seemed to define the program. Of course he’s not going to throw his assistants under the bus in public, but it’s a good thing more of his time will be spent studying the game.
But none of this addresses the lack of toughness or the issues on defense. Richt also came in with Van Gorder at his side. Grantham’s second year will have to show he can coach a college defense just as tough and tenacious. The team’s attitude has to be led by the defense.
KimZ'spackage
January 5th, 2011
11:36 am
Richt answered the MAKING CHANGES questions about as well as Caleb King answers Algedra Test questions.
Sandman053
January 5th, 2011
11:38 am
@KimZ: That was funny right there..I don’t care who you are.
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 5th, 2011
11:39 am
Sandman053
Yeah, but sadly I can’t think of many coaches who put the fear of God into their players. CMR should be number one in that department. As an Auburn fan, I don’t know if Chizik is a hard a$$ on his players but I do know that no one has been arrested or fired under his watch. I remember hearing a story from Frank “Big Hurt” Thomas once about how he was scared to death of telling Pat Dye that he wanted to focus solely on baseball. Now, Frank Thomas is well over 6 feet tall and could bench press a MARTA bus with ease. Anyway, he said that he was sweating bullets when he went into his office because he knew Pat Dye would not want to hear it.
That, my friend, is called respect.
dawgfacedboy
January 5th, 2011
11:39 am
Face the facts people. UGA has been relevant in the national picture once in the last 6 seasons. They have underacheived and wasted plenty of NFL talent in that time frame. Did he make UGA relevant? Yeah, for half the time he’s been here UGA has been relevant. Being better than terrible still isn’t that great. UGA needs to make a splash with a new coach. Somoene that makes the other teams in this conference say “oh no”.
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 5th, 2011
11:41 am
“I have a feeling when Saban has a “Come to Jesus Meeting” it takes on a little different appearance that CMR’s.”
You know, Saban is a weird beast. I’ve heard from Bama employees that people are not allowed to look at him when he walks down the hallway nor speak to him. Kind of creepy if you ask me.
Mobile Dawg
January 5th, 2011
11:41 am
SEC CHAMP, you are 100% right. What we have in Athens is a football program with a terminal illness. Remember when Saban went to Bama, he weeded out at least 25% of that team to get rid of the disease. I can’t believe Caleb King is still in this program. That’s when I finally checked out. I didn’t watch the Liberty Bowl. I will always follow the Dawgs but I can’t give this group any more support. My tank is empty. I have never be a Richt fan, but have had no choice except to tolerate him.
kent
January 5th, 2011
11:41 am
what did you expect him to say!!
Sandman053
January 5th, 2011
11:42 am
SEC CHAMPS: I agree. I heard/read somewhere that when Chizik took over he tried to instill discipline over there saying that it was special to be an Auburn man. The article said something about coats, ties, and no gold chains etc. Whatever it is seemed to work imo. You guys have a special team this year and a super special athlete in Newton. It gives us Dawgs hope that a couple of special players will rise to the top this upcoming year.
Vixzilla
January 5th, 2011
11:42 am
I think Richt is THE REASON Bobo struggles. Otherwise when we are struggling to change our gamplan when what we’re doing isn’t working, why wouldn’t MR intervene to get the “W”? Is it not important enough to step in and stop the bleeding?
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 5th, 2011
11:42 am
dawgfacedboy
Who would make other people in the SEC say “oh no?” Maybe an ex-NFL coach? The entire SEC would say ” OH $HIT” if you guys went out and grabbed Tony Dungy, Jon Gruden(maybe he’s kind of a moron), or the guy from TCU.
Sandman053
January 5th, 2011
11:44 am
Everyone keeps mentioning the guy from TCU, but I’m pretty sure he isn’t going anywhere. They are on a mission to get back to the big game next year and go undefeated in the Big East or wherever they are playing and make it to the NC game.
JDawg
January 5th, 2011
11:44 am
“CMR’s biggest weakness is not being a hard a$$ on players.”
******************************
Disagree.
His biggest weakness is hiring (and keeping) unproductive “buddies.”
Richt and Co are raking in close to $6 Million in salaries now.
6 wins.
Don’t think they are worth it . . .
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 5th, 2011
11:46 am
Sandman053
One can learn from watching the implosion of the Minn Vikings. That program has totally fallen apart and has been a disease for years. I’m not saying UGA is that bad, but when the players don’t have ANY respect for the coaching things will fall apart. Same thing happened at USC with Lou Holtz. Steve Spurrier, as much as I laugh at him, does not tolerate that crap and he turned that horrible program around……well, turned it around a little. They still suck.
My point is, CMR needs to either get tough or leave. UGA has a great football history and LOADS of talent. I am SHOCKED that UGA hasn’t won more national titles with the talent it’s produced over the years.
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 5th, 2011
11:47 am
“Everyone keeps mentioning the guy from TCU, but I’m pretty sure he isn’t going anywhere.”
We’ll see how TCU handles being in the Small East. I do think he’s a good coach even though I can’t think of his name. I would say maybe go out and get Chip Kelley but that guy is such a pompous jerk and would do nothing but piss off people in the SEC in a wrong way.
blazerdawg
January 5th, 2011
11:48 am
Mobile – I’ll take a shot at it! The administrative responsibility reoganization is a bigger deal than it appears on the surface. I have witnessed firsthand how the athletic dept at UF manages their business and it is a bit different, and I think better, than what UGA has been doing. Essentially CMR has been the athletic director for football at UGA, managing everything just like they did in Dooley’s era; whereas at UF, UM was striclty focused on football – and was handled by the AD for promotional events/functions/purposes.
I believe the relief from very time consuming non-practice and non-game prep functions will help – he will have more time devoted to football. Like with the Boise game, AD GM has made the challenge clear to the football coaches.
Remember the good times…root like heck for the Dawgs…it is great to be a Georgia Bulldog.
I trust Coach Richt can refocus and get it done. If not, then we restart and go for the best coach available. (Mullen or Strong)