Can’t quite bring myself to bail on Mark Richt … just yet
Mark Richt is at a turning point in his coaching career. (University of Georgia)
Some of you are ready to write off the Mark Richt era in Athens.
I’m hearing this from fans who normally are not quick to call for a coaching change. They look at the downward trend in Georgia’s SEC results since the last conference title and figure the die is cast, even though most concede that Richt’s past record has earned him another season after this one, no matter how badly it ends.
And they’re not looking forward to watching that prolonged scenario play out.
Me, I’m not a big fan of change, as my wife frequently notes. I tend to stick with something way past when others would have bailed, whether we’re talking cars, VCRs, old shirts or football coaches.
I’ll admit, the precipitous decline of Georgia’s football program has me teetering when it comes to the Bulldogs’ prospects under Richt. The recruiting obviously has been subpar for several years, the development of talent has been less than impressive, and the players frequently look undisciplined, on and off the field, raising serious questions about the coaching.
It’s true, a couple of key blue-chip recruits can turn around a program nearly overnight, but as I’ve heard more than one fan say in the past couple of weeks, “Why would a five-star recruit want to come to Georgia right now?”
For me, the most disturbing aspect of it all is the seeming lack of urgency among the players and coaching staff. Facing the prospect of starting out “one and whatever the crap we are,” as Mike Bobo put it Saturday, they still were outhustled in Starkville, for crying out loud!
And yet … if Richt coaches his tail off and somehow turns this season around — which at this point would pretty much require winning out, including beating Florida — it will make for one of those feel-good stories that fans and sports media alike love.
Do I see it happening? Frankly, at this point, no.
Still, I can’t yet bring myself to say the words I heard an ardent and intelligent UGA fan utter Saturday night: “I’m done with Richt.”
A COUPLE MORE THOUGHTS ON THE GAME
I know, I know, it’s like picking at a scab, but I can’t let the Mississippi State game go just yet …
Like, for instance, what was going on with that Georgia drive in the fourth quarter where Bobo not only insisted on continuing to try to run up the middle, but was trying it with little Carlton Thomas, the Dogs’ third-string back. Had even Bobo given up on Washaun Ealey and Caleb King?
It sounds like Richt was wondering a bit, too, as he said after the game, “At times we just called running plays blindly. We were going to run the play no matter what, and there were times where we had success and times where we got hit in the mouth.”
Maybe now Richt will bigfoot Bobo and insist on a change in direction. With the Dogs’ offensive line getting manhandled and the backs not breaking many tackles, it’s obvious that continuing to try running play-action out of the I-formation just isn’t working. Our main running threat is our quarterback!
Perhaps it’s time to go to the spread most of the time with Aaron Murray in the shotgun and let him just make plays, whether it’s slinging the ball around or running the QB draw. Spreading things out might make it a little less easy for opposing defenses to jam the line like they’ve been doing so successfully. And if we make opponents defend the pass first, maybe that increases the odds of occasionally breaking a long one on a misdirection counter play with our backs.
Couldn’t be any less effective than what the Dogs have been doing the past three games. …
As for the defense, I still think the linebackers and secondary will figure out the pass coverage one of these days. But Georgia is as soft up the middle as I’ve ever seen them. With our undersized line, everybody’s going to try to run up the gut against the Dogs. It’s well past time for Todd Grantham to figure out a way to bolster the middle.
The Dogs can’t wait for him to recruit the big bodies he needs up front. By the time that happens, this staff may not be in Athens any more. Time to earn those big bucks now.
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621 comments Add your comment
Jim
September 27th, 2010
4:02 pm
I solidly support Coach Richt and the players. The momentum must turn around. In the words of Larry Munson, “Hunker down!”
Xenophon
September 27th, 2010
4:03 pm
Forget beating Tech. Who cares? GA must beat Florida to remain a viable program. After that, the bees game will take care of itself.
King Donko of Punchstania
September 27th, 2010
4:08 pm
Richt is softer than warm butter, and the team on the field is emulates his softness.
Die Hard Dawg Fan- From reading your post, it sounds like you should change your name to Die Dumb Dawg Fan…perhaps Die Delusional Dawg Fan…or at the very least, Die Ignorant Dawg Fan? Either way, buying into a coach that has too much tolerance for poor play, poor coaching, and undisciplined actions, is about as dumb as it gets. Do you watch the game, or do you just listen to Richt’s watered-down accounts of the games on the radio? Georgia does less with more than anyone in the nation. I’ve been a Dawg fan for 30 years, and I’ve never once been satisfied with the seasons that ended without a championship. Apparently, that same disatisfaction doesn’t resonate through the coaching staff or players, and definitely not through the thick-headed morons like you that seem to blindly follow anything Richt says. If you’re happy with losing, no expectations, and coaches that are “just happy to be here”, then you should trade in your Dawgs gear and start cheering for an Upward Bound Flag Football team at your local church.
Since 1980.....
September 27th, 2010
4:16 pm
Its coaching. We are looking like the 1995 – 2000 goff-dawgs.
Rick
September 27th, 2010
4:17 pm
So let me get this stright, like every college program in the nation and every pro team out there, the Dawgs hit a few bumps in the raod and everyone is ready to hang the coach. It wasn’t that long ago that CMR had a job for life and was being compaired to CVD. I agree that the play calling and the way he has delt with some of the off the field issues could be a lot better, but he can’t make the tackles, throw and catch the passes or block. Even CVD went through some down times. If CMR were to go to another program (either his choice or gets fired) and does well, then all everyone will be saying is, “I told you we should have kept him”. Where is the common ground on the diciplin? If you are to tough, the players won’t want to come to Athens, if you are to easy, then you get what you have now. Which way do you want it?
Minnesota Dawg
September 27th, 2010
4:21 pm
If Vince Dooley was coaching today and had his same records like he did then, he would be fired by the standards we put on coaches today! He had a few consecutive seasons in the cellar. The problem today is that a coach only has a few years to turn it around. I like Richt and think he will turn it around. I don’t think the alumni are going to give him a chance to do though.
King Donko of Punchstania
September 27th, 2010
4:26 pm
Rumor has it that the big-time donors are working on pooling the funds to both buy out Richt and bring in a coach with an aire of toughness and success. Being “competitive” doesn’t cut it- that’s for the SC’s KY’s and Vandys of the world. Until another football NC appears in Athens, this Dawg will not be satisfied. Do your job and bring in a winner McGarity!!!!
John Boy
September 27th, 2010
4:27 pm
UGA fans need to set their goals lower and more realistically; fans who think the Bulldogs ought to compete for the national championship every year are ignoring history. UGA rarely wins the eastern division of the SEC, let alone the SEC championship. It managed one national champion (30 years ago) during the 3 years that the greatest running back in college history played there, and even in 1980 that championship was a fluke. UGA has a good program, sure, but it’s just not of the same calber year-in and year-out as Florida, Bama, USC, Texas or Oklahoma.
Colt Seavers
September 27th, 2010
4:28 pm
I would just like to hear Richt say, “We will turn this season around. We will win next week.” Instead of stuff like, “I’ve never been 0-3 as a player or a coach.”
If you can’t say it, it won’t happen. Just say it to make the fans feel like they can get behind the team. Unbelievable.
Miss Mellie
September 27th, 2010
4:29 pm
I miss the CVD years… Dooley didn’t have a winning season every year, but at least you didn’t have to keep up with the players’ arrest statistics in addition to fumbles, penalties, etc.
Go Bullpups
September 27th, 2010
4:32 pm
I love dogs, but it is fun to kick a Dawg while he’s down. Your obnoxious fans have done it for years – enjoy eating it again in Colorado!
papadawg
September 27th, 2010
4:33 pm
I’ll always be a DAWG but right now i’m pretty down on the whole bunch but that doesn’t mean I’ll burn my dawg attire. I like Coach Richt but it looks like Coach Bowden whom I also like alot might be right when he said Coach Richt might be too nice to be head coach.
Coachdawg 2000
September 27th, 2010
4:39 pm
I think we need Pat dye to challenge our manhood. Because I don’t think we’re man eough to beat Buford high school. Also if you watched/recorded the game watch some our guys grinning and talking to the opponent. I am all for good sportsmanship but these guys are not our friends. We have the fight of George McFly (until Maty’s intervention)
TIRED OF BEING NICE
September 27th, 2010
4:41 pm
We hired the wrong guy! why do we expect so much from a
christian, won’t get in the face of anybody, doesn’t cuss
at his players, not a hard core guy, it was a mistake to
hire a christian to run a SEC PROGRAM, the above things
have to be done sometimes to get your point across and
strike fear into these players, when i played football
the head coach was the most FEARED guy on the TEAM, not
so much anymore @ UGA. right or wrong
GODAWGS75
September 27th, 2010
4:42 pm
First Tech fans, look at your own disgusting program before you say anything about ours.
Second, didn’t Richt stop making play calls a few years ago because he wasn’t doing it well. Now you want him to go back to it???
Bobo needs to go before the season is over to make a point. The play calling was freaking horrible, and had been under Bobo!!!
PappyHappy
September 27th, 2010
4:43 pm
OK Bill — if you had a very talented son or grandson who had offers to Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU, even Tennessee, or Georgia, where would you encourage them to go?? To the number one party school with ten player already arrested for ‘fun and games’????
Come on! REALLY TALENTED PLAYERS ARE NOT GOING TO HITCHED THEIR WAGON TO THIS DONKEY!!
wayne dawg
September 27th, 2010
4:44 pm
last year all we heard was get rid of defensive coordinator. now we hear get rid of offensive
coordinator. these things are never going to work. we need to rework the entire program as
rot begins at the top. richt has outlive his usefulness to uga. from recruicting to his assistant
coaches. i hope the new AD can see this and make this last year georgia fans have to
endure a season like this and the last three.
Murray Silver
September 27th, 2010
4:46 pm
SAY GOOD BYE! Richt…your departure is two years past due! You would do very well selling used cars!
3rd Richt (SEC losses)
September 27th, 2010
4:46 pm
I can’t bail on Mark either Billy Kingdawg. Is it time for another field general though? I agree with you about so many worthless run it up the gut plays.
GODAWGS75
September 27th, 2010
4:47 pm
Last year Wayne Dawg we said get rid of Bobo too, his play calling was horrible. Run run pass. Run run pass. Run run pass. Are you serious?
Bobo needed to go last year but Richt has a hard time letting go.
atlantadomer
September 27th, 2010
4:53 pm
All you UGA fans – Please believe me when I tell you this. Even if our new coach wins out the rest of the way and Mark Richt doesn’t win another game this year, I would fire Brian Kelly on the spot and hire Mark Richt to coach Notre Dame. You people have lost your ever-lovin’ minds if you get rid of this guy.
GT76
September 27th, 2010
4:55 pm
UGA football team bails on another tough opponent:
“The cancellation is a move away from Georgia’s philosophy under former athletic director Damon Evans of scheduling high-profile nonconference games in other regions of the country.”
Look for more weaker teams to be scheduled to shore up wins for decling UGA football program.
What a pity!
Jimmy
September 27th, 2010
4:55 pm
Bama fan living in Ga for 25years. All I’ve heard for a long time is how good a coach he is. In my mind he is average at best. He has had some of the best talent over the years and never even played for one national championship. His teams are almost always undisciplined and he needs to play silly uniform changes and backflip diving board tricks just to get his players ready to play a big game. No doubt he is a nice guy and has a great future in politics. I vote to keep him. Roll Tide!!!!
Bob Jones
September 27th, 2010
4:55 pm
I am a GATOR FAN. I endured a lot living in Atlanta. My favorite coach was Ray Goff ( easy to beat) I feel that you have a great coach and should stick by Him. Every school has problems with players not behaving as expected. We just lost Chriss Rainey a very big part of our offence because he was arrested. Coach Meyer has had 30 players arrested since he arrived at Florida.Vince Dooley was a great coach that instilled fear in the players. They knew that facing the coach was far worse than the police. Our families and government schools turn out players that are different than the players of the past. They lack respect for themselves and authority. Please hang in with Coach Richt.
UGADawg83
September 27th, 2010
5:00 pm
Folks the staff we have is the staff we have and there are eight games left. Lets run this rabbit and then talk about things in December.
Artie
September 27th, 2010
5:02 pm
Ealey was in no condition to carry the load the rest of the game…he got his bell rung trying to go in for the score!!! LMMFAO
SOUTHGADAWG88
September 27th, 2010
5:04 pm
Dooley would never ever be considered a disciplinarian good guy but that was NOT something he was known for.
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2010
5:05 pm
“No doubt he is a nice guy and has a great future in politics.”
He won’t lie; not a real good fit for a politician. I’ll give him that.
shannon
September 27th, 2010
5:15 pm
Richt needs to go b/c there is a curse of bad luck over the program. One person made a good point about getting someone with the mental toughness to beat Saban/meyer. here is a short list of whom I think may be the answer:
1. Jim Harbaugh/Stanford -a bigger jerk than Saban
2. John Gruden
3. Bill Cowher
Dawgs Top
September 27th, 2010
5:18 pm
Richt’s buyout is $8 mil, but his attorneys will likely try to argue for more money. UGA will probably make a deal for around $10 mil to make it all go away.
SOUTHGADAWG88
September 27th, 2010
5:21 pm
Saban and Meyer are 31-1 in the SEC in the last 2 years.I didn’t see anybody else having success against them either.
Old Dawg
September 27th, 2010
5:21 pm
The offense can’t block, the defense can’t tackle, the play calling borders on stupid and UGA is now at the bottom of the SEC. Who is to blame? God love him, but it all stops at the feet of CMR. Its his job and his responsibility. He is paid lots of $$ to field a competitive team and compete in the SEC and the last two years have been awful for the Bulldog Nation. I give my $$ and I expect my school and its football team to at least be competitive. It just isn’t happening. To think that UGA may not win a single SEC game this year is sickening, just damn sickening. It’s not a question of $$ or recruiting or anything. Its a matter of coaching. Short and simple, UGA is a poor football team due to poor coaching. Does anyone see a change from CWM to the new D coach? I surely do not. And, poor Coach Bobo. Call a draw play on 3rd and 8? Go deep on 1st and 10 with only Durham in the pattern? Good grief!! I gotta get a drink! Just damn sickening!
Way to go Richt
September 27th, 2010
5:23 pm
Homers, I am past ready to give up on Richt. Surely if 2 mil plus can’t light a fire under him, he’s not worth having around to continue stinking the joint up for one additional second. If there was anyone, just any one assistant that showed any competence I’d say dump Richt now and call up an assistant to finish 2010.
But, no hope there either, because Richt was the one that chose them, and not one of them is worth a crap either.
Disagree that Petersen would be a bad choice based on the fact Boise only plays two real games a year. What I have seen when they do play those games as well as their bowl matchups, its smash mouth city, and they relentlessly beat the crap out of their opponents. Its because Petersen has head coach credentials, I’d opt for him over Smart or the Texas assistant cause the present headache, named Richt, also was an untried assistant. Therefore I would put my money on Petersen based on his brand of football(totally anti-Richt) and the fact he has head coach background, versus an assistant. UGA has already been burnt with one of those.
SOUTHGADAWG88
September 27th, 2010
5:33 pm
Richt needs to hire a NFL guy as a CO.What better person to run a pro style Offense than a pro OC?It would help to bring in top notch Offensive talent too.
TheItalianDawg
September 27th, 2010
5:35 pm
dont keep fooling your self, Richt is done! no more! Coach Bobby Bowden once said he never thought Richt is a head coach caliber. even if Richt fix the problem the team will never play for the SEC. if you want to be mediocre and once in a while win 10 games then keep Richt, if you want to play for NC then find someone else. Jim Harbaugh is my guy, I love his attitude
Joe
September 27th, 2010
5:47 pm
You guys have lost your sense.
Bail, on Mark Richt, you’ve got to be kidding.
Think about it, Richt’s finished in the top 10 6x in 1st 9 seasons, 6x more than Saban & Bear Brayant did in their 1st 9 seasons COMBINED.
Top 5 in win % at 77% among coaches with 5 years or more experience. Top 20 even over last 5 seasons, since 2005, out of 120 programs.
#2 finish in 2002 & 2007.
MrDan
September 27th, 2010
5:54 pm
Hey. Where’s my post’s from earlier? Have I p-offed Cynthia Tucker again? And who cares what Bobby Bowden said about Mark Richt. When Richt left, there went FSU’s program. And Bowden went from potential class act, to finding out tenure don’t count in college football. Geez.
Mike Bobo
September 27th, 2010
5:57 pm
The Smart call would be to call Kirby Smart
Mississippii State Defeats UGA 24-12
September 27th, 2010
6:05 pm
[...] blog by Bill King pretty much sums up how I feel about it. Can’t quite bring myself to bail on Mark Richt … just yet | UGA: The Junkyard Blawg A few years back, I was all over Mark Richt. UGA seemed unable to make the next step to legitimate [...]
Saint Jan
September 27th, 2010
6:24 pm
I wonder if any of the books about UGA football include the perspective of someone speaking for the late Jan Kemp? The perspective that “student” athletes like Lindsay Scott were playing years without taking college level courses? That the proudest moment of the football program was earned by players who never earned a single college credit?
Dawgtards love to return to 1980, but their memories are really short when it comes to remembering an earthshaking event that happened a few years later that showed the world what a joke UGA athletes were and what a scam artist their beloved Vince Dooley was (and is). So for all those dawgtards with short memories or who think their athletes are actually taking real courses and trying to graduate, here’s the quote that broke the trial wide open and showed what a slimeball Dooley is:
O. Hale Almand Jr., a lawyer for the defense, offered a justification for the favorable treatment accorded the athletes, citing a hypothetical player. “We may not make a university student out of him,” he told the jury, “but if we can teach him to read and write, maybe he can work at the post office rather than as a garbageman when he gets through with his athletic career.”
Nothing has changed at UGA, they just do a slightly better job of keeping things quiet, but that’s hard to do when 45 of your player-thugs have been arrested in the last three years, isn’t it?
UGA: WINNER OF THE FULMER CUP AND THE CESSPOOL OF THE SOUTH.
B5
September 27th, 2010
6:26 pm
Who cares what TaxJacket has to say… seriously, he seems to know far more about UGA than his “team”. When the Nerds are losing against pathetic ACC teams, and not by just a few points, I think that says it all. Nerd fans certainly have NO room to be talking about UGA.
fan
September 27th, 2010
6:31 pm
TIME TO STEP UP UGA.
Elliot Garcia
September 27th, 2010
6:32 pm
http://www.keepmarkricht.com/
Saint Dipshiza
September 27th, 2010
6:39 pm
This is a riot. This has been an incredible decade for the Dawgs and you bunch are ready to fire the man who made it all happen. Too funny!
These comments about 19XX and what happened at this school or that are as azinine as those making them. Grow up fools…….
Some teams just reload. 2 weeks in a row, gators get SEC Freshman of the week.
September 27th, 2010
6:42 pm
Last week, linebacker Jalanie Jenkins, this week Trey Burton
Burton honored
Quarterback Trey Burton was named SEC Freshman of the Week, the league announced Monday.
Burton scored an SEC freshman record six touchdowns Saturday. He scored on all five of his rushing attempts (totaling 40 yards) and caught an 11-yard touchdown pass.
The Most Interesting Man Alive
September 27th, 2010
6:44 pm
Elliot Garcia that is priceless!!!
Saint Dipshiza
September 27th, 2010
6:45 pm
How many did Burton throw?
The Most Interesting Man Alive
September 27th, 2010
6:47 pm
Saint Dipshiza, the young man who they call “little tebow” ran for 5 and caught 1. He threw one time for 42 yards and should have gone for a TD but the receiver tripped and fell.
Saint Dipshiza
September 27th, 2010
6:52 pm
I think UF has a good team but little Tebow is a huge stretch. I may get shot for this but… Tebow is on this Dawgs VERY short list for greatest all time.I will see how he handles that Bama D before i anoint him the second coming.
Reza
September 27th, 2010
7:36 pm
If you recruit thugs – and Richt does – what do you expect? You end up with a gang, not a team.
For starters, get rid of two of the biggest thugs – AJ Greed and Wash-Out Ealey.