Richt, Johnson score high on rankings, not Chizik, Muschamp
Sporting News has Mark Richt (14) just ahead of Paul Johnson (19) among 124 FBS coaches.
The problem with most “rankings” in sports is that there’s a large degree of knee jerk thinking in the thought process. Somebody wins, they deserve a stature. Somebody loses, they’re road kill. A coach wins a BCS title, he’s a sudden visionary.
But The Sporting News just ranked 124 FBS (Division I) coaches in college football and in my view the publication pretty much nailed it. Not so much because Nick Saban of Alabama is No. 1 or Charley Molnar of Massachusetts is No. 124 (UMass has a football team?) but because of the placement of so many others. A few examples:
– Boise State’s Chris Peterson (No. 2) and Texas Christian’s Gary Patterson (No. 7) both received lofty rankings for their success in actual games, not on national signing day. Winning games really is what coaching is all about, is it not?
– Auburn’s Gene Chizik was ranked only 36th nationally and seventh among 14 SEC coaches, despite winning a national championship two years ago. The reason: He has yet to prove he can accomplish something without Cam Newton.
– High rankings were given to often overlooked coaches in the SEC and ACC, specifically Vanderbilt’s James Franklin (fifth in the SEC, 25th overall) and Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe (fourth in the ACC, 31st overall).
As for Georgia’s Mark Richt and Tech’s Paul Johnson, both fared well. Richt ranked fourth among SEC coaches — behind only Saban, Les Miles and Steve Spurrier, all of whom have won BCS titles — and 14th in the nation.
Here’s The Sporting News on Richt:
A crossroads season at Georgia resulted in 10 wins—but nothing the ‘Dawgs weren’t supposed to do. In fact, all four losses were against the four best teams on the schedule, and left everyone wanting more despite another double-digit win season (his seventh in 11 years). Richt signed a contract extension after last season through 2016—hard to argue 4-0 vs. your rivals (Florida, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Auburn)—so UGA is committed to his process.
Johnson ranked second in the SEC behind only Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer and 19th overall.
Here’s The Sporting News on Johnson:
The best way to describe Johnson’s triple-option offense in the ACC: It works. The Yellow Jackets have led the conference—and ranked in the top four nationally—in rushing in all four of Johnson’s seasons in Atlanta, and in each of the past two years have topped 300 yards per game on the ground. The 2009 league title still looks good, as does Johnson’s 6-0 record vs. Army when he was at Navy.
Among those getting pounded: Florida’s Will Muschamp was ranked only 59th nationally (10th among SEC coaches) and Tennessee’s Derek Dooley finished 99th overall (worst in the SEC, even behind No. 90 Joker Phillips of Kentucky).
Also noteworthy: Among former Falcons head coaches June Jones, now of SMU, ranked 22nd overall and far ahead of Jim Mora, now of UCLA, at 68th.
TSN on Mora:
Mora, who led the Atlanta Falcons to 11 wins and a berth in the NFC championship game, is back at the college level for the first time since 1984, when he was a graduate assistant at Washington. He’s off to a pretty good start at UCLA, having signed a well-regarded initial recruiting class. But we don’t have the sense that he’s suddenly on the road to glory. He could struggle with the adjustment from the pro game.
One flaw in the article: The Sporting News states that Big 12 coaches have the best average ranking (27.2), far ahead of No. 2 SEC (43.3). The problem with that statistic, which TSN admits, is the Big 12 goes only 10 teams deep and the SEC now goes 14 deep.
Here’s a link to the entire list (in four parts).
But here’s a breakdown of SEC and ACC coaches and the overall top 10:
•
Top 10 1. Nick Saban (Alabama) 2. Chris Peterson (Boise State) 3. Urban Meyer (Ohio State) 4. Les Miles (LSU) 5. Bob Stoops (Oklahoma) 6. Chip Kelly (Oregon) 7. Gary Patterson (TCU) 8. Steve Spurrier (South Carolina) 9. Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech) 10. Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State) •SEC coaches 1. Nick Saban (Alabama) 4. Les Miles (LSU) 8. Steve Spurrier (South Carolina) 14. Mark Richt (Georgia) 25. James Franklin (Vanderbilt) 26. Gary Pinkel (Missouri) 36. Gene Chizik (Auburn) 46. Dan Mullen (Mississippi State) 47. Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M) 59. Will Muschamp (Florida) 74. John L. Smith (Arkansas) 77. Hugh Freeze (Mississippi) 90. Joker Phillips (Kentucky) 99. Derek Dooley (Tennessee) •
ACC coaches 9. Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech) 19. Paul Johnson (Georgia Tech) 27. Dabo Swinney (Clemson) 31. Jim Grobe (Wake Forest) 34. Al Golden (Miami) 38. Jimbo Fisher (FSU) 45. Mike London (Virginia) 49. Tom O’Brien (North Carolina State) 53. Larry Fedora (North Carolina) 65. Randy Edsall (Maryland) 67. David Cutcliffe (Duke) 110. Frank Spaziani (Boston College)
•
So what are your thoughts on the list?
By Jeff Schultz
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238 comments Add your comment
Dumb Dawgs
May 11th, 2012
9:59 am
“Gene Chizik is so bad he has 3 undefeated seasons and two national titles under his belt. We’ll keep Chizik and you guys can keep Saint Mark. We love the Chiz!!!!”
EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chizik has brought in THREE top ten recruiting classes in a row. He brought in the best college football player in the HISTORY of college football while CMR wanted him as a tight end.
Dumb Dawgs
May 11th, 2012
10:00 am
“He ranks 124th in morality”
And the dawg fans sink to a new level.
npgator
May 11th, 2012
10:56 am
Richt has never won anything in all the time he has been at UGA and don’t expect that to change.
Who REALLY Cares?
May 11th, 2012
12:25 pm
Having said that, I obviously care enough to comment. I would put Miss. St.’s Mullen in front of Chizik despite the NC for Chizik. He just hasn’t shown me much, and Mullen has shown he can coach his guys up.
Dumb Dawgs
May 11th, 2012
12:41 pm
“He just hasn’t shown me much, and Mullen has shown he can coach his guys up.”
Mullen had a losing record last year. Chizik has had three winning seasons in a row.
Ghost
May 11th, 2012
12:42 pm
NP gator , SEC championships don’t count anymore? Richt has 2 the same number as Fla. has over the past 11 years. 106 wins in 2nd in sec over the past 11 years only behind LSU.
Dumb Dawgs
May 11th, 2012
12:44 pm
“Mullen has shown he can coach his guys up.”
Miss St was 2-6 in the SEC.
Miss St. was 7-6 last year.
Charles
May 11th, 2012
12:46 pm
You UGA fans are so stupid. Like other posters have pointed out, Chizik has overachieved his first three years. In 2009 and 2011 we were picked to win 4-5 games each year, ended up winning 8 both times. Saying something like “If you take away Cam Newton”….uhh yeah, why would we do that? Because Richt was dumb enough to think he was a tight end? No thanks. We will keep that year. And spare me the money garbage. If we did pay him, which there is no evidence we did, so what, we got away with it, get over it. If you really want to feed this line of garbage a UGA players has never been paid for his football services you are smoking crack. How about you join the real world?
UGA fans are just mad because they are now stuck in a spot they once criticized Auburn for, which is not winning a NT in many years…so how does it feels chumps? They have to resoirt to head to head wins vs Auburn to feel better and so on…things teams without championships do…focus on petty stuff. These rankings are ridiculous. Chizk is 3-0 v Spurrier and embarrassed him the SEC Title game. The man has not won anything in the SEC in 12 years. Give me a break. I have not seen any evidence he can coach players up more than Lou Holtz did at SC. Dan Mullen better than Chiz? Youve got to be kidding. That dude has one more year and if he doesn’t win 8 games this year he is hot seat bound. Watch. Richt? Face it, if he was going to win one he would have done it by now. He may salvage a decent season because of that weak schedule, but lets face it, he won’t be winning the SEC because he won’t beat the West champ. So, I guess get ready for another 9-10 wins with nothing to show for it. Perhaps you can win your bowl game this year and stop making the SEC look bad. Congrats, you are in last place. UGA (only team of the power 6 to not win a BCS Championship. Must Suck).
Charles
May 11th, 2012
12:47 pm
You UGA fans are so stupid. Like other posters have pointed out, Chizik has overachieved his first three years. In 2009 and 2011 we were picked to win 4-5 games each year, ended up winning 8 both times. Saying something like “If you take away Cam Newton”….uhh yeah, why would we do that? Because Richt was dumb enough to think he was a tight end? No thanks. We will keep that year. And spare me the money garbage. If we did pay him, which there is no evidence we did, so what, we got away with it, get over it. If you really want to feed this line of garbage a UGA players has never been paid for his football services you are smoking crack. How about you join the real world?
UGA fans are just mad because they are now stuck in a spot they once criticized Auburn for, which is not winning a NT in many years…so how does it feels chumps? They have to resoirt to head to head wins vs Auburn to feel better and so on…things teams without championships do…focus on petty stuff. These rankings are ridiculous. Chizk is 3-0 v Spurrier and embarrassed him the SEC Title game. The man has not won anything in the SEC in 12 years. Give me a break. I have not seen any evidence he can coach players up more than Lou Holtz did at SC. Dan Mullen better than Chiz? Youve got to be kidding. That dude has one more year and if he doesn’t win 8 games this year he is hot seat bound. Watch. Richt? Face it, if he was going to win one he would have done it by now. He may salvage a decent season because of that weak schedule, but lets face it, he won’t be winning the SEC because he won’t beat the West champ. So, I guess get ready for another 9-10 wins with nothing to show for it. Perhaps you can win your bowl game this year and stop making the SEC look bad. Congrats, you are in last place. UGA (only team of the power 6 to not win a BCS Championship. Must Stink).
furmanuga
May 11th, 2012
12:50 pm
I understand Auburn fans standing behind their man but I think if you take yourself out of the chair as a fan of the school you’d see what the rest of us see. A coach whose only proven he can win with an unbelievable talent on the team. He stunk up Iowa State and the two years sandwiching the Cam years were not typical auburn standards. He is getting the recruiting kids he needs so we will see soon what he does with his own kids. I don’t think anyone outside of the Auburn fan base has seen much to prove otherwise.
Charles
May 11th, 2012
12:50 pm
You UGA fans are so stupid. Like other posters have pointed out, Chizik has overachieved his first three years. In 2009 and 2011 we were picked to win 4-5 games each year, ended up winning 8 both times. Saying something like “If you take away Cam Newton”….uhh yeah, why would we do that? Because Richt was dumb enough to think he was a tight end? No thanks. We will keep that year. And spare me the money garbage. If we did pay him, which there is no evidence we did, so what, we got away with it, get over it. If you really want to feed this line of garbage a UGA player has never been paid for his football services you are smoking crack. How about you join the real world?
UGA fans are just mad because they are now stuck in a spot they once criticized Auburn for, which is not winning a NT in many years…so how does it feels chumps? They have to resort to head to head wins vs Auburn to feel better and so on…things teams without championships do…focus on petty stuff. These rankings are ridiculous. Chizik is 3-0 v Spurrier and embarrassed him in the SEC Title game. The man has not won anything in the SEC in 12 years. Give me a break. I have not seen any evidence he can coach players up more than Lou Holtz did at SC. Dan Mullen better than Chiz? You’ve got to be kidding. That dude has one more year and if he doesn’t win 8 games this year he is hot seat bound. Watch. Richt? Face it, if he was going to win one he would have done it by now. He may salvage a decent season because of that weak schedule, but lets face it, he won’t be winning the SEC because he won’t beat the West champ. So, I guess get ready for another 9-10 wins with nothing to show for it. Perhaps you can win your bowl game this year and stop making the SEC look bad. Congrats, you are in last place. UGA (only team of the power 6 to not win a BCS Championship. Must Stink).
5150 UOAD
May 11th, 2012
12:52 pm
furmanuga…………PLEASE do the same thing as a UGa fan when looking at Richt and Bobo.
fred smith
May 11th, 2012
1:25 pm
Mark Richt is the biggest phony on the planet! He tells everyone who will listen that hes is this God fearing Christian man, but then he recruits thugs and looks the other way when they commit multiple crimes. If there is any discipline it is for a half against St Mary’s school for the blind.
Dumb Dawgs
May 11th, 2012
1:26 pm
“A coach whose only proven he can win with an unbelievable talent on the team.”
And he recruited him. Who was it that tried to recruit Cam as a tight end?
“He stunk up Iowa State and the two years sandwiching the Cam years were not typical auburn standards. ”
And that has WHAT to do with Auburn?
” I don’t think anyone outside of the Auburn fan base has seen much to prove otherwise.”
National Championship says differently, little girl.
Dumb Dawgs
May 11th, 2012
1:27 pm
furmanuga
If Chizik is so bad and Richt is so good, why hasn’t Richt won a national title in his 10+ years at UGAG?
Dawgs for Life
May 11th, 2012
1:39 pm
Hey Score Check, there is a cleanup in aisle 5, so get back to work! Let the adults comment on this blog.
joe
May 11th, 2012
1:40 pm
When you have an article written by a UF grad, crap is what you get…
Ghost
May 11th, 2012
4:19 pm
Dumb Dawgs, How’s Auburn fared against Richt ? 1-5 since 2006.Think you should find another coach to pick on, this one seems to have Auburns Number.
Snoop Dawg
May 11th, 2012
4:44 pm
Even though Richt is the darling of the media, he has proven to be stupid yet sly and cunning. He bears considerable watching as he leads UGA to another mediocre season with lots of suspensions and excuses.
Ksdawg
May 11th, 2012
4:54 pm
Dooley at Tennessee has had a rough job
for any coach to take on I being a Georgia fan even would give him better than 99 hell its tough when your playing with one of the youngest programs in the sec and you lose your best quarterback
UGACDS
May 11th, 2012
5:56 pm
As a UGA fan, I’m really tired of Richt.As a person, you couldn’t ask for better, but at a coach he’s just not taking UGA to National Championship. We can’t even win a bowl game. He doesn’t have it in him. He also hasn’t had the strength to fire Bobo! I would like to see us start over with a new coach. It would be easy to find a good one since we’re in the SEC.
UGACDS
May 11th, 2012
6:00 pm
To the Auburn fans… Cam Newton could of won a national championship at any SEC school. Your coach didn’t do sh** but to ride cam to the BCS while he pissed himself.
BamaRTR
May 11th, 2012
8:49 pm
cam newton was on the auburn campus only a few months after getting big money to show up—after he left, the team sucked again. chizik–he can’t coach a lick. Bama will rule the SEC for years with Nick–best coach in the U.S!!!!
Snoop Dawg
May 13th, 2012
8:33 am
I have concluded that AJC is part of the problem. They prop up Richt just like NBC and CNN prop up Obama. Why is that?
Whoever rates Richt highly as a coach is a certified idiot needing professional help.
I can’t really think of any coach in the SEC who is as bad as, or worse than Richt.
He is taking the Bulldog Nation down into the mire.
Laughing all the way to the bank.
People say, “Who could we get to replace him?”
I say, “Anybody!”
Anybody but Bobo, that is…
TexMar
May 14th, 2012
10:21 am
Where the hell is Mack Brown! I believe he’s a far better coach than coach “I’m a man” Mike Gundy.
Common Sense
May 14th, 2012
5:09 pm
An engineering question to the recently created school of engineering at UGA. What value does a 3rd Column have in supporting an arch?
Jimbutt Fisher is a whacko
May 14th, 2012
6:24 pm
Johnson 19? and June Jones 22? No Way….Way too high.
Harvey Updyke
May 14th, 2012
6:26 pm
Bamalama sold their souls years ago.
Rob P.
May 16th, 2012
10:38 am
Its funny that you say that Chizik should be ranked low for doing nothing without Cam. You then go to say it makes since that Saben, Miles, and Spurrier deserve to be ahead of Richt for winning a national championship. I guess I would ask why would you think Spurrier is anything other than Chizik. He has done nothing since taking over at S.C. Just good’ol UGA bias. We have the greatest coach we just can’t get the job done on the field. For the talent UGA gas had half the coaches in teh SEC would have won a national championship. UGA will never win a championship with Richt. Want to know why. He is good. Good gets you second at most in the SEC. Many more years of UGA fans whining about why they should have could have to come.
Irving
May 16th, 2012
12:23 pm
Mark richt does the least with good talaent.At least auburn has won a national championship, can uga say that, oh I forgot 1980 but I was on 5 years old then so that is why I don’t remember that. Richt has been at uga more than 10 years and has not even played in the BCS championship game, not to even mention win one. Coach chizic won the nat champ in 2010 not you can put any kinda spin on that you want but come to auburn’s athletic dept and you will ses a brand new shiny crystal football uga fans, something you guys dream about. Richt has set very low standards for the bulldog nation, yall just want to win a sec championship because you know that a nat championship is not in your reach, thats for aubuarn, alabama lsu and UF. You guys just are luck to make to the sec championship game because UF and UT are no longer good team and you get to go and meet the sec west champ such as LSU and get demolished! Loosers! War Eagle!
Au Tig
May 16th, 2012
12:49 pm
Hey uga fans, let me put the comparison betwee chizic and richt in perspective, Chizik has been at auburn only 3 season, so lest compare what has been accomplished by these coaches the last 3 years.
Chizik record is 30-10
Richt is 24-14.
Chizik has won 1 sec championship.
Richt: 1 appearance, 42-10 Lost to LSU.
Chizik is 3-0 in his bowl games.
Richt is 1-2
Chizik has won the National Championship of College Football.
Richt: GIVE ME A BREAK! LOL!
WHO HAS ACCOMPLISHED MORE? Face it guys, richt is only good for getting cats out of the trees and helping old ladies across the street.
A.B. Normal
May 16th, 2012
4:04 pm
Bobby “Ditch Rider” Petrino would’ve come in 69th place.
Just Sayin
May 16th, 2012
7:14 pm
I love the way idiots like to pick CMR’s worse 3 years for comparisons.
Just Sayin
May 16th, 2012
7:16 pm
Au Tig……I’m talking about YOU!!!
Just Sayin
May 16th, 2012
7:20 pm
AuTig……you forgot to mention CMR is 2-1 vs Auburn in the last 3 years…..a convenient omission!!!
Just Sayin
May 16th, 2012
7:22 pm
And CMR beat the defending National Champions in 2011 by 6 TDs…….and pulled the starters at halftime, but who’s counting?!?!
tolivr
May 17th, 2012
12:42 pm
No doubt why Saban is #1. A 48-6 record over the last 2 years and 2 BCS titles to add to the other title he won at LSU in 2003. Bryant had 6 unanimous All Americas in 20 seasons (1961-1980); Saban has already had 6 unanimous All Americas in only 4 seasons (2008-2011). And, of course, one #1 recruiting class after another with monotonous regularity. Who knows how many more titles he will win at Alabama..two more, three?
As for Chizik, no doubt he captured lightening in a bottle in 2010 with the greatest QB, during one season of college football, in all of college football history. No one can expect that again. Chizik’s one consistency: poor defense. 2011 was AU’s worst defense in its long history. 3 years at AU and not one defense in the top 50. Malzahn’s gone, and with him the offense may be gone as well. That was the ONLY thing saving AU from a losing season last year (Malzahn’s offense won the Utah State and Miss St games). Chizik will win 7 or maybe 8 again in 2012, but he’ll lose to the big boys–Alabama, LSU, Georgia, and perhaps Arkansas as well. Even Clemson is far from a definite win. Then the season gets bad in 2013 with road games against the tougher teams, with the exception of Alabama. Likely another 7 or 8 win season. Consequently, after 7/8 win seasons in 11, 12, and 13, and 3 consecutive losses to Alabama, look for Chizik to be gone by 2014. Tough I know, but that’s just how it looks.