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
Happy Warrior
January 5th, 2011
12:20 pm
As long as Mike Booboo calls plays, Georgia will settle for 2nd best. His offense is so predictable that SEC defensive cord know what play he will run on 2nd. and 7. or 3rd. and 4. And if you don’t believe me just look at where we stand 3rd. down conversion in the SEC. MIke take Vince’s daughter and go to UT if they will have you.
Rick
January 5th, 2011
12:21 pm
UGA lost 4 games by 7 points or less. SC game by close till the end, so was Miss St. Auburn game was close until they pulled away in the 4th quarter.
UGA was in every game going into the 4th quarter, no one blew them out for 3 quarters.
But 4th quarter & OT collapes defined the season.
Freshman Murray cracking under pressure? Conditioning? Play-calling? Poor 4th quarter adjustments?
Win the Fla (lost by 3 in OT), UCF (lost by 4), and Col game (lost by 2), and UGA’s 9-4.
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 5th, 2011
12:21 pm
“He coaches not to lose instead of coaching to win!!! SEC CHAMPIONSHIP OR BYE BYE RICHT!!!”
USC won’t be good like some ESPNers are predicting. Florida is rebuilding and I honestly don’t see Muschamp as a great coach. All UGA needs is discipline and focus.
Paul in RDU
January 5th, 2011
12:21 pm
ARK gave up more points to OSU than to any other team its schedule apart from Auburn.
OSU held ARK to fewer points than any other teams apart from ALA and LSU (tie)
Rick
January 5th, 2011
12:22 pm
Glad Richt didn’t spell out changes, why tell your competition?
blazerdawg
January 5th, 2011
12:22 pm
saban – LOL everytime you pick-up that cookie in the ESPN ad; like the Roll Tide ad too. Can’t wait until the next time the Dawgs and Bama tee it up.
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 5th, 2011
12:22 pm
Rick
Auburn owns the fourth quarter.
Snake Plissken
January 5th, 2011
12:22 pm
How do you get away making 3 mil a yr and making the statement that you’re going to free up some time to do your J O B…of course there are other outside activities that he is required to handle that I’m sure other head coaches at other major programs aren’t expected to handle, N O T…man, this guy sounds like he has been dialing it in for a few years LOL
Mobile Dawg
January 5th, 2011
12:23 pm
SEC CHAMPS, that actually gave me a chuckle. I’ve watched CMR for 10 years now and never really been impressed with his decision making, or game planning. I’m basically old school and believe you need a solid running game, a physical presence, kinda Sabanish, if you will.
I truly started questioning his intelligence/ability as a football coach against you guys 2005. We have the ball, the lead, with about seven minutes left. CMR called 3 pass plays, ran 23 seconds off the clock, kicked it to you guys and the rest is history. My wife’s an AU alum, looked at her right then, and told her he didn’t have a clue about SEC football. Nothing he’s done since has given me any reason to believe any differently.
Happy Warrior
January 5th, 2011
12:23 pm
And one more thing, teams that have a winning record don’t kick FG’s in a bowl game on 4th and inches. Case in point….. Alabama went for the Touchdown. Didn’t they win?
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 5th, 2011
12:24 pm
blazerdawg
I can’t wait till Auburn and Bama tee it up. 7-3 against them in the last ten years. Their all-time lead over us has dwindled down to 6 games. Also, Saban is 4-5 against Auburn all-time.
Also, I wish Urban had stayed at UF because he also never beat Auburn and we would have gladly given him a little payback for his part of the Newton mess.
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 5th, 2011
12:25 pm
Paul in RDU
Had Arkansas not had so many dropped passes they’d have won the game. O State played well in the first half and totally fell off in the second.
crapsandwich
January 5th, 2011
12:25 pm
Being from the Corporate world, I get this. McGarity wants Richt to devote more time like Urban Meyer did. I think McGarity has viewed Richt as being complacent and that is unacceptable. Richt pandered to McGarity about the lack of time because of blah..blah…blah. Well McGarity called his bluff and now it is on Richt to do what he has promised McGarity. First step toward the removal of Richt.
athensdawg
January 5th, 2011
12:26 pm
mcgarity has given richt some rope.
he can either use it to pull himself out of the ditch, or hang himself with it.
my guess is that as he is hanging, he will say, we had a great gameplan, but no one executed it.
Jake
January 5th, 2011
12:27 pm
You guys sound like whining gator fans. Look obliviously with CMR being relieved of some of the administrative responsibilities it will give him more time to be involved in game planning strategy. It looks like this will free him up to do that. I think UGA has the athletes and coaching staff to be very competitive in 2011 with these minor tweaks. You don’t have to blow up everything just tweak it. Maybe what McGarity is putting in place is the same model that was used at UF that got them 2 National Titles in 6 years. Give it chance.
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 5th, 2011
12:27 pm
Mobile Dawg
What’s your prediction on the Auburn/Oregon game? To be honest, I am pretty nervous about it. I was also nervous as crap about every other game but this really makes me nervous. The way ESPN talks, Oregon is the best team to have ever existed.
In Athens
January 5th, 2011
12:28 pm
This will be a major improvement !!!!! To those who are hypercrital-GET OVER IT !!!!
JB
January 5th, 2011
12:28 pm
Like that great commercial that’s running with the TSA Agents…………………………Kicking off with excuses….I’m Yawning…………………..I’m yawning some more………………….
Sandman053
January 5th, 2011
12:28 pm
I think Auburn takes the game but it is going to be close…maybe 41-42
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 5th, 2011
12:30 pm
Sandman053
For some reason I don’t think it will be a high scoring game as everyone else is predicting. ESPN is predicting a high scoring game but they also predicted that Alabama would win the national title, Yankees in the series etc…
blazerdawg
January 5th, 2011
12:32 pm
SEC – you owe UF & UM a big time whippin for that Newton mess – unfortunately you will have to wait to get UM until when he is at Notre Dame or Illinois. Good luck against the Ducks! No mercy.
Really?
January 5th, 2011
12:34 pm
blazerdawg
January 5th, 2011
12:22 pm
saban – LOL everytime you pick-up that cookie in the ESPN ad; like the Roll Tide ad too. Can’t wait until the next time the Dawgs and Bama tee it up.
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 5th, 2011
12:34 pm
blazerdawg
If Mullen left, we’d all know that MS is in big trouble with the NCAA. Anyway, I really hope we shut Oregon down because the way the media puts it, “we don’t stand a chance.”
JB
January 5th, 2011
12:35 pm
Had a meeting with my boss yesterday. He wanted to know why my sales were off 50% and I haven’t opened a single new account all year and why my margins had slipped. I told him if he would take over some of my paperwork that it would give me time to get back to what I love best, selling. ,,,……………………He fired me…………………..Geez, come on McGarity……
Mobile Dawg
January 5th, 2011
12:35 pm
SEC CHAMPS, I think your probably right to be nervous. Two things scare me about Oregon, the first one is their coach. He’s a good one, and he has icewater in his veins. The second is their no huddle offense, it keeps the defense from substituting freely, and will wear you down if they sustain drives.
That said, I believe Auburn has the intangibles to win, and if ever a team had “chemistry” and “destiny” it would seem to be Auburn. I think Newton, and Fairley, again are the difference. Auburn has so many offensive weapons they are impossible to play defence against.
Auburn wins a hard fought game, putting the Ducks away early in the fourth quarter, then pulls away. Good luck, and “War Damn Eagle”….
gdawginkalamazoo
January 5th, 2011
12:35 pm
Rick, I agree with that 12.21 post. The season could have been a lot better given a few points here and there. We just need that dominant RB back there again. The new D ended up #4 in the SEC overall? Or was that the East ranking. IF #4 overall not too bad a start for Grantham. More t alent ON the feild next year and not being redshirted.
ga gator
January 5th, 2011
12:36 pm
JB, now that is a classic. LMAO!!
ga gator
January 5th, 2011
12:38 pm
gdawginkalamazoo, after allowing our lousy offense score more than 30 in Jax, I would say that the D was the main problem all year.
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 5th, 2011
12:39 pm
Mobile Dawg
I hope you’re right.
Steve
January 5th, 2011
12:39 pm
Ultimately we still need about 2 more classes to build up the defense! Lets not forget that.
GSU Eagle 91
January 5th, 2011
12:39 pm
I like Coach Richt…But if the Dawg program wants to be a contender again, I feel new blood will have to be installed at the Head Coach position…
But lets’s give CMR one more season to see if he can resolve this mess.
I also wonder how long Paul Johnson will stay at GT. Maybe 2 more years is my guess. he is not a great recruiter, and his special teams situation is dreadful…dire, even…then there is that Defense…
I’m glad to have Coach Jeff Monken in Statesboro… Winning certainly cures most, if not all, ills…..
blazerdawg
January 5th, 2011
12:39 pm
really – realy
Mobile Dawg
January 5th, 2011
12:40 pm
Rick and Zoo, we returned 10 starters on offense, all we had to do was develop a game plan to nurse a young QB along a couple of games. Drink all the kool aid you want, the facts “ALWAYS” bring out the truth. Our coaches belong in the bush leagues, not the SEC.
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 5th, 2011
12:40 pm
Mobile Dawg
Oregon’s offensive line isn’t as good as Auburn’s and I am hoping Fairly can just sit on their QB like he did with Mallet. Not saying I want him to get hurt.
blazerdawg
January 5th, 2011
12:41 pm
SEC – Auburn 37 Oregon 28 – will be close until the end. Man I wish this game would just get here – hate the long layoff – y’all must be goin nuts.
bigeasy830
January 5th, 2011
12:42 pm
Much of mark Richt’s early success was because of Van Gorder. This team has not been tough enough since Van Gorder left town. Van Gorder’s top 5 nation wide defense hide alot of Richt’s mistakes early on. It was easy to over look Richt’s weaknesses as long as the team was winning. Mark Richt is not a good coach. I didn’t feel that way until after the GT game this year. What I saw in UGA vs GT was 2 bad teams playing each other. I am not a GT basher, I am a UGA fan and the truth may hurt but it is what it is. This year will be a waste with Mark Richt at the helm. He should be fired now and let the rebuilding begin.
Zack's Mom
January 5th, 2011
12:42 pm
Coach Richt on behalf of the entire Mettinburger Family we would like to thank you. Thank You so very much for kikcing Zack off the team. He got to show his true talent and will now get to play for a coach that cares about winning and not preaching. Thank you so much for doing what has turned out to be the GREATEST thing for my son. Working at Loserville will be so much fun this year while I get to watch Zack win games at a good SEC school.
McDawg
January 5th, 2011
12:42 pm
I am Ryan Mallett and when not throwing balls 90 mph i throw them at my receivers ankles
Really
January 5th, 2011
12:42 pm
realy=delusional
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 5th, 2011
12:42 pm
blazerdawg
I wish the game could have been played back in December after the SEC Championship. I really do hate these long layoffs.
Mobile Dawg
January 5th, 2011
12:42 pm
What’s one more QB for Fairley, in his last game….
Sandman053
January 5th, 2011
12:43 pm
@blazerdawg: they layoff gets them time to get in extra shipments of toilet paper to roll Toomer’s
Really
January 5th, 2011
12:43 pm
Ryan Mallet=Ryan Leaf
All world physical ability but headcase.
bigeasy830
January 5th, 2011
12:43 pm
@ blazerdawg,
I am an SEC fan but the SEC was not as tough as it have been in years past. Oregon has too much speed on offense. An Cam Newton is a one man show for Auburn. The Ducks win big in this one, Oregon by at least 2 touchdowns.
Jeff Schultz
January 5th, 2011
12:43 pm
Tampa_Dawg — “TWENTY FIRST!!!” Congrats!
gdawginkalamazoo
January 5th, 2011
12:44 pm
JB, must have been the way that you phrased it that got you fired.
Lee
January 5th, 2011
12:44 pm
Another thought….
The best years for Richt were when Dooley was athletic director. When Dooley was replaced as AD, it sounds like CMR had to assume a lot of the athletic duties. Now that we have a proven winner as AD, it should free CMR up to focus on football.
JB
January 5th, 2011
12:44 pm
Let’ me get this right……………Richt is paid 3 mil a year to win football games. I can think of nothing more important in his job Description. Nothing……so he tells us, to get Georgia back to winning, speaking at the Rotary Club in Ellijay will have to wait….And all that pesky paper work will now be shared with the AD………………………………….That’s what keeping us from scoring a touchdown on Central Florida with a month to prepare…..Really?
Sandman053
January 5th, 2011
12:45 pm
Lee that is an interesting thought…
Lee
January 5th, 2011
12:45 pm
should have been “CMR had to assume a lot of the administrative duties…”