Richt has impressive company among coaches with no national title
Can Mark Richt be called a great football coach if he never wins a national title? (Jason Getz / AJC)
USA Today’s Mike Lopresti had an interesting column this week discussing who is the best current college football coach without a national championship.
Naturally, Mark Richt’s name came up, with Lopresti noting that the coach “has survived the Southeastern Conference hothouse at Georgia for 11 years and won nearly 74 percent of his games.”
But Lopresti consigned Richt to the “resonable nominees” list along with Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio, Wisconsin’s Bret Bielema, Nevada’s Chris Ault (really!!??) and Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly (who has the best winning percentage among the top 10 active coaches in career victories).
His main candidates, though, included Kansas State’s Bill Snyder, Boise State’s Chris Petersen, Oregon’s Chip Kelly, TCU’s Gary Patterson and his ultimate choice of the best coach without a crystal football: Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer, who has 251 career victories (the most of any active coach), has had 19 bowl teams and came closest to a national championship in 1999 with a certain dog-abusing quarterback.
Frank Beamer also doesn't have a national championship. (Associated Press)
Who the USA Today columnist picked as the best coach without a national title didn’t interest me as much as the fact that it’s a list of pretty impressive and successful coaching talent who are in the same boat as UGA’s Richt.
So, here’s my question: Just how important to a program is it to win a national championship? If Richt never gets one, will he forever rank behind the Nick Sabans and Urban Meyers, no matter how many successful seasons he coaches at Georgia? That’s been the major knock on Richt and it boggles my mind a little to realize that even if his Dawgs were to manage to win the SEC championship game this season and make it to the BCS game and didn’t win it … he’d still have that same millstone around his neck.
What do you think? Is it all about the national title? If so, does that really make Frank Beamer less of a coach than Urban Meyer?
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382 comments Add your comment
sunny purdue
August 23rd, 2012
5:27 pm
Every time someone starts their statement with – mark this down, expect it to be followed by something outrageously stupid.
Andy
August 23rd, 2012
9:09 pm
No wonder UGA can’ win a National Championship The NCA A is against them The BCS is against them The SEC is against them The National Media is against them and all the other coachs in the SEC cheat except for Richt That is the only reasons that UGA has not won a National Championship.
Scott Jeep Guy
August 23rd, 2012
9:21 pm
Then again, Bear Bryant only finished in the top 10 once in his first 15 seasons, Richt’s done it 6x in 11 seasons.
Lanier
August 23rd, 2012
9:22 pm
Mark Richt has a higher win % than Saban, Miles or Spurrier.
Coahc Richt was shafted in 2007, ESPN wanted Miles, though Miles didn’t deserve it.
SuperGolfer
August 23rd, 2012
9:24 pm
Mark Richt’s 20 out of his last 25 seasons, his guys finished in the top 10 nationally, he’s without a doubt, the best coach in the country. name one other coach who can claim that in the history of the NCAA.
tide roll
August 23rd, 2012
9:43 pm
Richt simply stubbornly refuses, year after freakin’ year, to recruit big, athletic offensive linemen that can pass protect, AND also give UGA the option of a power running game. Year after year, when the field shortens, he has no red zone offense. Because he lacks an offensive line powerful enough to pound the rock. It also hurts him in the 4th quarter, after three quarters of he and Bobo’s 3 and out silliness, your defense is gassed. He has personnel on his offensive line that make it impossible to control the ball, and the clock, AND KEEP HIS DEFENSE OFF THE FIELD! Year after year it’s the same damn thing. His other problem is recognizing that his failure to properly evaluate and sign this type of offensive linemen results in Richt actually assisting the competition, as these athletes leave the state and line up for other teams. He virtually gave us TWO national titles with Georgia bred offensive tackle James Carpenter and offensive guard Chance Warmack. He’d have to be Stevie Wonder to have not seen the TOTAL DOMINATION of S. Carolina’s and Cedar Grove product, OT Roke Watkins in Spurrier’s win over the y’all last year. AND despite of all of these facts, he stands by YET AGAIN while offensive line studs Brandon Greene (BAMA again, Richt, sheesh), Shamire Devine and Jeremi Hall (TECH!), Vadal Alexander (LSU). JuJuan James (Tennessee), Max Garcia, Octavious Jackson (FLORIDA), and Joshua Outlaw (Anywhere but UGA), go elsewhere! This is why he’s never won one, and unless he changes (which he won’t) he never will.. You begin to feel sorry for UGA fans. I’m not kidding. 32 years.
tide roll
August 23rd, 2012
9:46 pm
EVALUATING CAM NEWTON AS A TIGHT END, AND HIS INEXCUSABLE FAILURE TO RECRUIT THE NEXT CAM NEWTON, ANTHONY JENNINGS, a friggin UGA legacy, doesn’t help much either.
tide roll
August 23rd, 2012
9:50 pm
Starting a 5′10″ 270 lb. center from a private school ain’t gonna help much in the quest either.
Pit Bull
August 23rd, 2012
9:51 pm
6gtygygy
Pit Bull
August 23rd, 2012
9:56 pm
Coaching isn’t for nice guys. Saban and Meyer care only about, Saban and Meyer. But they win. So I guess that makes it ok. How Saban pulls it off, making those kids believe his BS, I don’t know.
Mobile Dawg
August 23rd, 2012
9:58 pm
Altamaha, the blog topic was about Coach Richt, so, I thought my comments were on topic, and the results speak for themselves, Richt has underachieved with the talent he has had, the resources he’s had. I challenge you to disagree with me. I, like many other loyal Dawgs are “sick and tired” of hearing how great he is from the “kool aid krowd” that don’t want to hold him accountable for the job he’s done at the salary he’s paid. If and when Richt earns the accolades, I will give them.
As far as the Boise game you mentioned, I think I agreed with you, it was a brand game. I did tag on that “Richt tarnished our brand” with the performance. We’re supposed to be a top tier team in the premier conference in the land. Boise kicked our arse.
It’s worth repeating, maybe Richt has learned that you can’t win championships when you put a program on “autopilot”. It takes long hours, hard work, tough decisions, good decisions, support, and some luck. The old statement “the harder you work the luckier you get” applies. I hope he’s learned, but he’s got to show me, and a bunch of other Dawgs before he gets my support.
I will say this again too, the bar has been raised in the SEC, Richt has been “way” behind the power curve in getting his program to that level, Do you disagree with that?
Hobbler
August 23rd, 2012
10:28 pm
Sad to agree Richt is a good man but doesn’t have what it takes to win a national championship even with the better players they underachieve. Be satisfied with 70% and bowl games.
Dawgbreath
August 23rd, 2012
11:11 pm
Richt is about the fifth best coach in the SEC behind Spurrier, Saban, Miles and Pinkel. It is what it is.
Fair n Balanced
August 24th, 2012
12:17 am
75 % winning mark is great but without championships it’s like kissing your sister thru a screen door.
SSIgator
August 24th, 2012
12:22 am
Mobile Dawg -
“Richt has been “way” behind the power curve in getting his program to that level”
_________________
Don’t despair. Word has it that St. Markus Rectumus is almost finished his studies of “Cutting Edge Football” that he signed up for.
RED DOG 77
August 24th, 2012
12:59 am
Me?…………I really don’t give a rats rear end what others say about coach Mark Richt. I am a student of the game, played the game, and know without a doubt Mark Richt is the best thing to ever happen to Georgia football period!…………….One of the reasons I say this, is Mark Richt really doesn’t give a rats rear end what you think of him either……….He answers to “higher standards”, and so do I. So take all your garbage mouth attacks and stick it in your ear……………me? I’ll be behind coach Mark Richt win or lose…………………..But I betcha we win………………RED
ckgator
August 24th, 2012
6:36 am
Richt will be forever ranked behind Meyer and Saban, period.
UGA – you have just been passed by South Carolina, and that is 100% attributable to coaching.
Piney Woods Pete
August 24th, 2012
7:36 am
The two biggest problems with Richt:
1. He is – at best – a 3rd rate coach, behind several others in the SEC.
2. He recruits mostly low class illiterate goons who have no heart and care only for themselves. They also have a strong propensity for alcohol and illegal drugs.
There are a lot of other problems, but those are the biggies.
Dawg Tired
August 24th, 2012
8:13 am
I’m always amazed at how Bobo is always blamed for poor play calling and offensive strategy. Isn’t Coach Richt the head coach? Doesn’t he wear a headphone on game day? Doesn’t he have the authority to tell Coach Bobo to throw the ball to the tight end? Do you actually think that Bobo comes up with the offensive game plan by himself? Folks, Bobo ain’t the problem.
Dawg Tired
August 24th, 2012
8:17 am
Does anyone really believe that Vanderbilt has players as good as ours? Assuming the answer to that question is “no”, explain why they are usually scaring the crap out of me when we play them. I think know the answer, but want to hear what others think.
Dawg Tired
August 24th, 2012
8:23 am
Tide Roll – I hear you about the OL. I must admit to being confused, however, when I watch the NFL draft and our o-linemen are all getting drafted. Then I watch the NFL network, and see those folks bragging about how great Cordy Clenn is, etc. These linemen seem to be pretty good AFTER they leave UGA. Is this all abut coaching? Or is something else going on? I admit I have not figured it out.
HUH?????
August 24th, 2012
9:05 am
“HIS INEXCUSABLE FAILURE TO RECRUIT THE NEXT CAM NEWTON, ANTHONY JENNINGS
There is, and never will be, a next Cam Newton.
HUH?????
August 24th, 2012
9:06 am
“Richt is about the fifth best coach in the SEC behind Spurrier, Saban, Miles and Pinkel. ”
Who is Pinkel? Is that Ray Finkels half-brother?
HUH?????
August 24th, 2012
9:06 am
“Does anyone really believe that Vanderbilt has players as good as ours? ”
Nope, but they might end up having better coaching. CMR is predictable just like Spurrier.
HUH?????
August 24th, 2012
9:07 am
“Richt will be forever ranked behind Meyer and Saban, period.
And Spurrier, Miles and Chizik.
HUH?????
August 24th, 2012
9:07 am
” it’s like kissing your sister thru a screen door.
And dawg fans know all about that.
Junkyardbyrd
August 24th, 2012
9:14 am
Yes…Yes…Yes. Can’t wait to hear all the excuses this year if he doesn’t do it. I could write an essay on all of the bonehead decisions he had made that cost us games, but last year’s bowl game sums it all up. There is no reason they should not at least play in the BCS title game this year. However, I’m sure there will be plenty if he doesn’t. He’s a good coach, but not a great one…yet.
DawginLex
August 24th, 2012
9:17 am
Huh??? and SSIGator
You won’t like this blog as much anymore because I am leaving. When the guy who runs this blog tells me “adult conversation is not allowed” and won’t do anything about people like you absolutely ruining all discussions, it is time to move on.
I would suggest to all reasonable posters that you do the same and abandon this sinking ship of a newspaper.
I’m tired of arguing with idiots and being presented with juvenile taunts and personal insults like being told I live in a trailer, that I work at Pizza Hut and being called Nancy and ma’am.
Enjoy arguing with yourself or talking to yourself.
Congratulations to Bill King for allowing this nonsense to go on and not having the guts to do anything about it.
HUH?????
August 24th, 2012
9:36 am
“You won’t like this blog as much anymore because I am leaving. When the guy who runs this blog tells me “adult conversation is not allowed” and won’t do anything about people like you absolutely ruining all discussions, it is time to move on.”
What’s funny about you is the fact that you call people names like idiot, moron etc and then you go crying to the moderator when someone throws it back at you.
“I would suggest to all reasonable posters that you do the same and abandon this sinking ship of a newspaper.”
Nah, you’ll be back in an hour or two after you stop pouting.
“I’m tired of arguing with idiots”
There’s the hypocrisy I was talking about. You act like you’re above something and then you go back to being the same child you really are. It’s almost as if you’re brain doesn’t function like an adult brain should.
“Congratulations to Bill King for allowing this nonsense to go on and not having the guts to do anything about it.”
If Bill King were to ban people he’d most likely have to ban you since you’ve called two the three bloggers, idiots and morons.
HUH?????
August 24th, 2012
9:37 am
DawginLex
What’s worse? You trash talking other schools or you getting upset when other people call you out?
Room for more!
August 24th, 2012
10:23 am
68 players…NUFF SAID!!
Phin
August 27th, 2012
10:23 am
Ok, so DawginLex attempted to hijack the blog once more. Goodbye, see ya round.
Bill, good article. Yes, Coach Richt is an excellent coach, he’s the #4 winningest coach among active experienced coaches. His winning % is better than Miles, Saban, or Spurrier. Coach Richt is one of only 7 coaches in the HISTORY of college football to win 100+ games in their first 11. richt had 6 top 10 ranking finishes in his first 11 seasons, TWICE as many as Saban, bear Bryant, and Bobby Bowden COMBINED.