Mark Richt might need 9-1 finish to keep job at Georgia
Georgia coach Mark Richt is 0-2 for the first time in his career. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
ATHENS – Nobody is going to admit now what tight end Orson Charles acknowledged two weeks ago: “Our first two games will make or break our season.”
Because when a team is 0-2 after two perceived make-or-break games, players and coaches must nonetheless publicly cling to a series of improbabilities. Otherwise the rest of the season morphs into a three-month death march.
But reality is that it will take a miraculous finishing kick for the Bulldogs to have a successful season and possibly save coach Mark Richt’s job. What does that amount to? Try 9-1 in the next 10 games.
That may seem extreme. But Richt’s contract situation, the backdrop of the past two-plus seasons, the demands of coaching in the SEC, the divided fan base and a cryptic comment at a recent athletic-board meeting indicates if the Bulldogs do anything less than win the SEC East, which may take a 9-1 finish, Georgia may make a change.
Richt insisted Tuesday, “There’s not a cloud hanging over us” after losses to Boise State and South Carolina. Maybe he just hasn’t gone outside.
He said the attitude has been positive since Saturday’s 45-42 loss to South Carolina, adding, “If the game went the other way, then Georgia’s the front-runner in the East and everybody starts thinking about the positive possibilities.”
The problem being that Georgia didn’t win, and the SEC isn’t about “ifs.” The game actually just reaffirmed what many have suspected. The Dogs have talent. They can compete with most teams when they play hard and, for the most part, smart. But they seem to have forgotten how to win these kinds of games, either because of a turnover, a special-teams breakdown or a penalty.
Richt would prefer that the rest of the season not be about his job status. It’s not exactly a conducive atmosphere for wins and pep rallies. But it’s reality.
Consider:
• The contract: Richt will have two years left on an eight-year deal after this season. That’s basically death in recruiting unless Georgia extends the contract, probably by at least two to three years. To not extend the contract also would set up the extreme rarity, particularly in the SEC, of a coach potentially entering his third straight “hot seat” season and working on a contract that had not been amended since after the 2007 season (when Richt received a raise).
• The schedule: Every remaining game is winnable. To put it another way, there are no “good” losses left. Florida? Maybe. But how would Richt dropping to 2-9 against the Gators go over with athletic director Greg McGarity, school president Michael Adams and the fan base? Losing to Florida means losing tiebreakers to both the Gators and South Carolina in the East. Beating Florida could salvage division hopes, but only with a strong finish.
• The record: McGarity probably doesn’t have a specific number of wins and losses in mind. But let’s look at this logically. Going 9-1 the rest of the way means a 9-3 finish, while 8-2 means finishing 8-4. Two losses mean the Dogs probably will have lost to Florida again. And/or Georgia Tech (making Paul Johnson 2-2 in the series). Or Mississippi State (for the second straight year). Or Tennessee (to Derek Dooley).
• The backdrop: It’s significant that at a recent UGA Athletic Association meeting, board member Tommy Lawhorne stated, “There are many of us who are really concerned about the status of the football program. Yet we have confidence in Greg McGarity to get us where we want to be.” Note that he referred to McGarity and not Richt.
Winning this week over Coastal Carolina, an FCS (formerly Division I-AA) school, won’t change the important numbers. If you take out wins over FCS (Tennessee Tech, Idaho State) and Sun Belt (Louisiana-Lafayette) schools, Richt is 11-14 overall since 2009. He’s 6-10 in the past 16 SEC games and 2-10 against ranked teams. To go 9-1 overall and 6-1 in the SEC the rest of the way is possible. But it would be a stark contrast to what we’ve been witnessing.
Richt said the South Carolina game “could’ve gone either way. Did we improve tremendously? There’s no doubt about that. I left the field sick about losing but encouraged about the team.”
Improvement is good. But winning saves jobs. Richt has left himself no room for error.
By Jeff Schultz
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698 comments Add your comment
Get Gruden!
September 13th, 2011
9:45 pm
For enough money, Gruden would take the UGA job. But, it will take $4-5 million per year plus a boatload of benefits. I think his wife is from georgia so he will want to come back.
E from Riverdale
September 13th, 2011
9:46 pm
i noticed everyone keeps dogging no pund inteneded CMR and Bobo, deservingly so. But has everyone forgotten Georgia’s defensive coordinator is substandard. Grantham has shown he is not an improvement from Martinez. As a matter of fact he might be worse. Georgia is suffering from playing a 3-4 defense rather than a 4-3 defense.
Think about how in the game when Georgia scores, and behold the opposing team marches right down the field with very little effort. I said all this to simply say, CMR could possibly stay at Georgia but there will be changes at the defensive and offensive coordinators positions next year.
Pierce County DAWG
September 13th, 2011
9:47 pm
Jeff how would you like everyone to pound on you each week about how poor your columns are? Give Richt a break,you know nothing about fooball or you would be coaching. God has a plan for coach richt and you or no one else will derail it. You have tried to put a nail in CMR coffin and i have yet to figure out how it will benefit you. Shame on you Jeff. Try giving a positive comment about CMR sometime. It is not always about winning or losing but how you play the game. Go CMR and the Dawgs. By the way i am an older fan that supports the DAWGS win or loose.
microphone assasin
September 13th, 2011
9:48 pm
you need a coach with old school football values, one who knows you have to be able to run the ball on offense and control the line of scrimage on defense. no to Meyer, no to Mullin, no to Smart, no to Peterson…guys like Saban, Miles and Hoke at Michigan get it. we need to find one who gets it too. no spread offense…none of this catch me kiss me crap…run the ball, no prisoners defense.
Runnin With The Dawgs
September 13th, 2011
9:51 pm
JB…..9:21pm
Good post, except I think the wife comes first regardless of what the rest of the family says. You know the old saying –” If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy”. LOL GO DAWGS!
JR
September 13th, 2011
9:51 pm
All I keep hearing is that we lost to two teams that we were supposed to lose to. So why don’t we keep Richt and downgrade our expectations to make this happen every week?
trouble
September 13th, 2011
9:53 pm
Jeff,
Real Men eat dinner with their bride and take the dog for a walk. Good Job …I am sure your editors are pleased with your work. The truth is always the right answer. Anything else is speculation and make believe. Once again good job and keep us informed and maybe one days some of the knuckleheads will understand that a truthful article about their program will bring positive change.
At least you are not Paul Finebaum who had to dodge flying debris this past weekend at Auburn from mad Auburn fans.
Pierce County DAWG
September 13th, 2011
9:53 pm
GO DAWGS
Delbert D.
September 13th, 2011
9:57 pm
From ESPN Insider/DawgNation: “Nation’s No. 1 RB enjoys visit
Keith Marshall comes away impressed with McGarity, support for the program”
Pierce County DAWG
September 13th, 2011
9:57 pm
TROUBLE TALK IS CHEAP.
Derek
September 13th, 2011
9:58 pm
Here is what happens. Richt isn’t stupid and he knows what is gong on. Being the great man he is he will negotiate a buy-out and walk away making both he and UGA look good. Don’t doubt it as rumor has it this is already being negotiated.
Mark D
September 13th, 2011
9:59 pm
I am so sick of all the whining about Coach Richt. He has resurrected the Georgia program after a decade or more of mediocrity and all you people can do is gripe about the last couple of years. Gimme a break! His recruiting classes are top notch every year and we have been competitive for years now. Even the great Alabama had a few down years. Coach Richt knows he needs to win and he is doing all he can to get it done. This man loves UGA and Georgia football. He could have left us high and dry several times during the “good” years but he didn’t because he loves Georgia. He was loyal to us now we need to be loyal to him. Everyone needs to chill-lax and let the season play out. I am positive Mr. McGarity and the people in charge will do what is best for Georgia once the season is done. So lets just see what might happen! Go Dawgs!
Pierce County DAWG
September 13th, 2011
10:00 pm
GO BIG RED!!!!
CMR
September 13th, 2011
10:01 pm
Part of my contract stipulates if I am fired, I get to take the tanning bed home.
JR
September 13th, 2011
10:01 pm
Schultz-I read an article earlier in the year that Jeff Fisher has mentioned that he would consider coaching college football. Do you think this is a long shot possibility for UGA or another school? Or would he rather stay in Calabasas and wait for the NFL offers?
King Gator
September 13th, 2011
10:02 pm
We’ll miss you CMR, but not as much as UGA. Go Gators!
Delbert D.
September 13th, 2011
10:04 pm
Even Chip Towers is fixating:
“Freshman tailback Isaiah Crowell will get his first career start on Saturday against South Carolina.”
All this uncertainty is playing tricks with the mind.
Pierce County DAWG
September 13th, 2011
10:04 pm
Mark D i agree with you. But remember some of these so called fans are blind in both eyes. The same critics will jump on the wagon when they start winning. Same old !!!! just a different day! Nothing makes these kind happy!!!!!!!!!!
Sean
September 13th, 2011
10:05 pm
How many legitimate articles will it take Schultz to write to be able to keep his job? None, apparently the AJC is so desparate to keep so-called journalists that it puts up with having sports writers who take on the persona of being a “shock jock”. You state that you don’t want to come up with a list of potential replacements because the guy is still in the position. Yet you lay claims out why he should be fired. The more and more articles you write about Richt, the more and more it seems you are pissed off about losing money in bets. Do you have some kind of gambling problem? How about you take more professional approach to writing articles. Oh, wait. You’re the guy who does the Count columns. Nevermind. Get up the great work. At least we know no one will try to hire someone like you away from the AJC.
ugab
September 13th, 2011
10:05 pm
Same ole sht!!! MR can not win the big games. No other school blame the players or injuries for losses. It is sad to see all the talent just go to waste. Some of these kids could have went to Al, Au, Fl,etc. These kids deserve to be coached to the max. Not happening in uga camp/ Us fans are sick of watching the last 4 years suk so bad. This sht has to end. There is know doubt in my mind MR is a great father and a great man. We need a Intelligent, experienced coach. A coach that is dedicated to winning. MR puts willie and bobo before winning.
Pierce County DAWG
September 13th, 2011
10:06 pm
Nice game Isaiah Crowell!!!!
ugab
September 13th, 2011
10:07 pm
If Uga is not going after the best coach in the nation, keep MR. Don’t take a step down!
Pierce County DAWG
September 13th, 2011
10:09 pm
ugab just like the other sore loosers.
Delbert D.
September 13th, 2011
10:11 pm
“At least we know no one will try to hire someone like you away from the AJC.”
No, they hired Cynthia Tucker instead.
Pierce County DAWG
September 13th, 2011
10:11 pm
sad sad
Gen Neyland
September 13th, 2011
10:11 pm
We of the SEC knows the national sports media believes in your program because more likely than not, you’re ranked in the preseason Top 25 nearly every year. Last year, a sub-standard season by UGA standards and at Opening Day 2011, one poll has you at 19 (I think it was). Most programs (except for Notre Dame to name another) has to prove their worth after what should be considered a failed season or three. Sometimes I like to think that a ball shaped like an oval bounces very strange indeed…
Pago Pago DAWG
September 13th, 2011
10:11 pm
Not sure why you people still think the BS coach will come to Athens.
He saw enough slap dancers, hip hop dancers across the field while beating UGA.
Runnin With The Dawgs
September 13th, 2011
10:12 pm
Final — Braves 7 Marlins 1
Pierce County DAWG
September 13th, 2011
10:12 pm
1
DawgFan
September 13th, 2011
10:12 pm
Dead ON Jeff!!!
NYDAWG
September 13th, 2011
10:13 pm
This is painfull. We live to watch our Dawgs,and the results are becoming sickening! BOBOS’ got to go,and how is a walk on our best linebacker? Sad times ahead! Recruits are going to de-commit unless we start turning it around.
Just Say No
September 13th, 2011
10:14 pm
Coach CMR is 9-1 versus GT! That speaks volumes to this Dawg Fan! One loss to the trade school by three points. We better keep him around for a while longer.
luangtom
September 13th, 2011
10:14 pm
No problem…5 & 5 and he’s gone. End of story.
Pierce County DAWG
September 13th, 2011
10:14 pm
DAWGS 10-2
PaulieOldschool
September 13th, 2011
10:16 pm
Hey, broken record time–start getting your short list of replacements for Head Coach ready, you’ll need to be going public with it by Thanksgiving. Simple fact–he can’t coach, his assistants are for crap, and the players are not listening, or caring, anymore. I’ve been following GA football since the early 70’s and I don’t remember ever talking about games being “winnable” after they turned out to be “losable.” Is that even a word? I guess it will be in the GA lexicon pretty soon, if it isn’t already. Get rid of this turkey by Turkey Day.
GATA
September 13th, 2011
10:16 pm
Richt’s continous spin on the program is Koolade for his minions. The people supporting CMR are the problem. They call themselves Real Fans. Malarkey, I say. A Real Fan wants what is best for the program. I can want Obama to resign and still be a great American. A better one for that matter. Figure it out already people. The Lunatic Fringe is now the group supporting Richt. What does Buck Belue have to say about all this? Could anybody care less? Remember his rant against joe six pack dawg fan for wanting Willie Martinez fired. Seriously, we use to have to beg to have Willie fired. Richt is blind in one eye and can’t see out the other.
Gen Neyland
September 13th, 2011
10:16 pm
Just say No : With that logic, you’re losing sight of the big picture but hey, that’s cool…
Gen Neyland
September 13th, 2011
10:18 pm
…whatever UGA decides to do is no concern of mine, that’s for sure…GBO
Pierce County DAWG
September 13th, 2011
10:18 pm
Walkon I did not hear the best linebacker,i heard he was making progress!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pierce County DAWG
September 13th, 2011
10:20 pm
Dawgs will regroup!
Pierce County DAWG
September 13th, 2011
10:21 pm
It may be bad now. But a few wins will take the edge off.
AceDawg
September 13th, 2011
10:22 pm
If Richt needs help getting rid of Bobo, he must go. Firing Richt now is fine by me, but 10-0 the rest of the way would deserve a look I guess. 9-1 would suck unless UGA made the SEC championship and lost a heartbreaker. UGA needs to be playing for championships. We don’t need Richt around the way FSU didn’t need his mentor around for several years after Bowden could run the show effectively.
Patrick
September 13th, 2011
10:22 pm
People on this board act as if UGA is among college football’s elite (i.e. Alabama, Oklahoma, Ohio State, USC)…they aren’t and Gruden definitely wouldn’t come. To RomeDawg’s comment earlier about not wanting an average football team….That is exactly what UGA was for 20 years before Richt…average, with no SEC titles or elite bowl appearances (i.e. Orange, Rose, Sugar, Fiesta)
oh brother!
September 13th, 2011
10:24 pm
Richt will get it done. Think about the run he had when we finished 2nd in the country…year started off weak but he turned it around. Be careful what you wish for…are we ready for what UT is having or what Alabama had for years and years?
oh brother!
September 13th, 2011
10:26 pm
Listen to Patrick…he knows not what he speaks about.
Bill E. Rueben
September 13th, 2011
10:27 pm
You heard it here first…Urban Meyer will be the next coach of the Georgia Bulldogs. Take it to the bank.
Pierce County DAWG
September 13th, 2011
10:27 pm
Patrick you are dead on! They seem to forget where the dawgs were from 1986 until CMR TOOK OVER THE PROGRAM!!!
Pierce County DAWG
September 13th, 2011
10:28 pm
Not Urban Cryer
Jeff Schultz
September 13th, 2011
10:29 pm
Jake — Sorry, just a city kid from L.A. What’s a Mississippi leg hound?
Jeff Schultz
September 13th, 2011
10:30 pm
Pierce County Dawg — “Jeff how would you like everyone to pound on you each week about how poor your columns are?”
You new around here?