The Hot Button: Will UGA win a BCS title under Mark Richt?
What once seemed inevitable remains an unanswered question. In 2002 or 2004 or even 2008, Mark Richt was primed to guide his program to a national championship. But he’s about to enter his ninth season as Georgia’s coach and the Bulldogs haven’t gotten there yet, and only once in 11 years has the BCS title been taken by a coach who’d been in place that long — Bobby Bowden of Florida State in 1999.
That Richt is a good coach is beyond dispute. He has won at least 10 games in six of the past seven seasons. He has led Georgia to three SEC East titles and two conference championships. He recruits at the highest level and just saw two Bulldogs taken among the top dozen in the NFL draft. Georgia has finished in the top 10 of at least one major poll five times and in top five twice. But it hasn’t won, or even played for, the BCS title.
Last season was supposed to be the breakthrough. Georgia had finished No. 2 in the AP poll after the 2007 season and was ranked No. 1 last August. It wound up 10-3, and if ever 10-3 could be considered a rank disappointment this was the time. At season’s end the coach made much of the 10-win season in light of so many injuries — and the Bulldogs did have a bunch — but for the first time under Richt it was possible to look on UGA and think, “That team wasn’t very well coached.”
And now Richt has a new quarterback (and figures to have another new one in 2010) and his team has been given almost no chance to win the East, where Florida reigns, and the question occurs: Have we seen the best of this gifted coach? Or is Richt, who has done much already, capable of more?
To be fair, Richt hasn’t failed so much as he has been unlucky. LSU won the 2003 BCS crown with one loss a year after one loss cost Georgia a berth in the championship game. LSU won the 2007 title with two losses after emerging from a league that also housed Georgia, which likewise had two losses. Sometimes you have the right team at the wrong time.
Loading ...But last year’s glaring issues — the rash of penalties and the defensive collapses in Georgia’s three losses — have made some among us wonder if Richt is too nice to finish No. 1. He has vowed to be stricter regarding discipline this time, and it must be noted Georgia didn’t face the same problems with players being arrested this summer as last. And he has promoted John Jancek to co-defensive coordinator alongside Willie Martinez, whom Richt has never once criticized.
Still, it’s worth noting that Steve Spurrier needed six seasons at Florida to win a national championship, and it didn’t happen until he hired Bob Stoops from Kansas State to coordinate the Gator defense. And Mack Brown took Texas to the BCS title in his eighth season in Austin only after importing Gene Chizik from Auburn to lead the Longhorn D. Something similar might need to happen for Georgia and Richt to take the final step.
But would Richt, for whom family and fraternity are of massive import, ever demote or fire Martinez? Is keeping a longtime friend who’s a solid coach — solid as opposed to inspired — more important to him than taking a risk that might (or might not) lead to a greater reward?
We know Mark Richt can coach football. What we still don’t know after eight years of watching is whether he’s pragmatic enough to be a national championship coach.
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446 comments Add your comment
Dooley's Cardiologist
July 30th, 2009
11:28 am
I hate to inform UGA, but when Mr. Bowden finally hangs it up, Coach Richt WILL exercise his right to opt out of his contract and go coach the Noles. Take it to the bank.
VMM-Athens
July 30th, 2009
11:29 am
Of course we will. We have the top recruiting class every year! We’ve already booked all of the Days Inn and Motel 6’s out in California because like every year, we’re going to play for the title! Go Dawgs! Coach Richt might not have a championship yet, but he has the best sun tan of any coach in the land. Go Dawgs! Its great… to be… a Georgia Bulldawg(sp?)
Mark,
All of the programs that you listed (Texas, Ohio State, Oklahoma, UF, LSU, etc.) have won national titles in the past 10 years. Nice try, slap nutz
59bulldawg
July 30th, 2009
11:37 am
Are you kidding me? It not only takes a very good team, it takes a “lotta” luck in the current system. But pressure to win it all or else in the 9th season? Mark, surely you jest! It took Vince 17 seasons to win it all and even then it took a Hercules from Wrightsville and a huge play in the Florida game that year to make it happen. NCs are the right combination of athletes, coaches, team chemistry and heart, and yes plain old lucky breaks. People who think any team can just go out and win a NC any time they want to are just plain crazy. It don’t work like that. I think Richt is the right man at Georgia. And with the athletes we’re getting on defense, CWM is not going to have any place to hide if he doesn’t start to consistently produce winning defenses. That’s the only pressure I see on Richt . . . that of covering for coaches who can’t get it done.
juvenal
July 30th, 2009
11:39 am
only a few get the real point-BCS SUCKS-(to paraphrase)-in march, the toughest team is the best team, nobody votes you into the final game
Dawgaholic idiot
July 30th, 2009
11:39 am
Two words: Gator Bait.
Name does not matter; 45/42 does
July 30th, 2009
11:39 am
If he could not win one last year with a pro team, what will he do with Cox at QB?
By the time the dogs play Tech, they might be on their second freshman QB…
Lost dog
July 30th, 2009
11:40 am
CMR will definitely win. A few years ago everyone said Mac Brown could not win the big one. Look at what has happened to Bob Stoops when he gets the chance to win the big one, yet he is always said to be a great coach. The stars have to line up perfectly each year. Just ask Miles and Meyer. UGA will get its chance and I doubt that GT ever will.
JaxDawg
July 30th, 2009
11:41 am
The gators are having a nice run, but before you gator fans chest thump too much, remember you had to have luck on your side to win them.
In 06, you needed WV to choke to Pitt, and USC to UCLA in the final week of the season, or else you don’t get in, and even with that, if Lloyd Carr had done a little more politicing we might have seen a OSU/Mich rematch. You needed some help last year as well.
Again not taking anything away from what they’ve done, but to think any team can go out and “plan” to win a MNC is laughable. The only thing any team can control is winning their own conference and hoping for the best. UM & Florida are fortunate that his two 1 loss seasons got them to the game, but he’s 9-3 & 9-4 the other two seasons.
C. Strickland
July 30th, 2009
11:42 am
Hey Mark, it’s me Carter again. All of those fired sports journalists reading this(and those that can are) are going to be jealous that you are generating so much interest.
Whopper Dawg
July 30th, 2009
11:48 am
First and foremost, the BCS championship has nothing to do with football, When the pre-season rankings are published, most teams are eliminated from contention at that time, So, judging a football coach based on winning or not winning this concocted mess of a system is truly ludicrous.
That being said, if he doesn’t can Martinez, sooner or later Richt will be gone, fired or leave due to not wanting to fire Willie, and I believe that one of the two will happen. That is real unfortunate, as he is a real quality coach and man, with his weakness being loyalty to his staff, Sad when that admirable trait can be a downfall.
jimthorpe
July 30th, 2009
11:53 am
Although he fields better teams than Ray Goff, henceforth Richt, like Goff, will have to settle for middle of the Eastern pack. Look out for the youngster in Knoxville; Bulldog fans will soon hear Rocky Top in their sleep.
Mark Bradley
July 30th, 2009
11:58 am
I think Georgia under can win the BCS title. I do, however, think the program has slowed in momentum. Richt’s first five years — three division titles, two SEC championships. The past three years — neither of the above.
dan
July 30th, 2009
11:59 am
Bayou Philiospher,
You bring up the example of LSU beating Tennessee in the SEC championship as a claim that they would have beaten UGA too. But that’s flawed thinking. If you use that logic, then Florida would have destroyed UGA that year because they killed Tennessee. The Vols also had a bye week prior to the UGA game that year. I’m not using that as an excuse because the Dawgs played like crap. But that bye helped Tennessee just like it helped UGA that year against Florida.
Momentum is a BIG factor in sports and you shouldn’t underestimate it.If you asked me who would won between UGA vs. LSU in early 2007, I’d say LSU because they clearly had the momentum. But, if you ask me who would have won between UGA vs. LSU in late 2007, I would say UGA! LSU lost their last freakin home game against Arkansas and looked awful against Tennessee in a win. UGA went through the likes of Florida, Auburn, Kentucky, and Tech like a buzzsaw. 2003 LSU were the real deal National Champs, 2007 LSU were paper champions.
Lou Brown
July 30th, 2009
12:00 pm
Tech fans in the know – is it true that you guys sold 24,000 season tickets this year? thanks
BugKiller
July 30th, 2009
12:00 pm
Anyone who believes Lame will actually be a good coach, ’cause you know, he’s proven so much already , is in line for a HUH-YOOGE letdown.
Lame is Ron Zook 2.0.
Believe that.
DoucheNozzle
July 30th, 2009
12:01 pm
Uhmm, is Richt is a super nice guy? Let’s all run into the Gator’s endzone and celebrate like jackassess.Let’s just overlook all the criminal activity of our players. **He’s just not too smart, that’s all.**
I hope he and the current coaches all retire after many years at Georgia.
Enjoy this beatdown of a season Georiga fans. It’s coming soon…
Michael Stipe
July 30th, 2009
12:04 pm
Sadly, the old bugaboos of defense & the kicking game, are stifling us. CMR will never get rid of the bunny, Martinez, so our best bet is that a program like Tulane or Ga. Blechhhh hires him as a head coach.
And now I’m off to mumble some indecipherable lyrics to my next song.
~Peace
cga8000
July 30th, 2009
12:06 pm
How about Urban Meyer leaving Fla for NFL only to find it ridiculous trying to coach man babies therefore returning to college and eneding up at UGA and finally taking them to greatness sound ridiculous doesn’t it. Way to go Nick ass clown Saban!!!!
Jason
July 30th, 2009
12:08 pm
Enough talk everyone….pointless…football is here. Let the debate take place on the field.
dan
July 30th, 2009
12:10 pm
Hey DoucheNozzle,
You really expect anyone to feel sorry for the Gators about that endzone dance? After all the years they’ve intentionally run up the score on opponents? Boo hoo, poor Gators.
Hell if UGA did that against Florida this year, they might have won. And you forget that they could have lost that game after that stunt, but it worked. Florida underestimated UGA going into that game and they got exactly what they deserved.
Mike Jay
July 30th, 2009
12:11 pm
I will care for about the BCS title when it is decided on the field. Too much luck and opinons decide it now.
Dooley's Cardiologist
July 30th, 2009
12:13 pm
AS I SAID EARLIER: “I hate to inform UGA, but when Mr. Bowden finally hangs it up, Coach Richt WILL exercise his right to opt out of his contract and go coach the Noles. Take it to the bank.” He will not be there long enough to win a NC. Some of the players he recruited will be there, but he will not.
uuugh.
July 30th, 2009
12:13 pm
Douche? Sounds about right. How many times are people going to point at that as proof that Richt is the bad guy all of UGA’s opponents wish he was? The guy tried a ploy to motivate his players. It worked. It also worked to motivate the Gators the next year. Meyer calling 2 time outs in a blow out has never been questioned though. Hmmm sounds like the World Wide leader controls how an event is defined and yahoos like you eat it up hook line and sinker.
Carefeul…thinking causes headaches in the easily led.
Mike
July 30th, 2009
12:15 pm
Hey st simons…<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> hahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahah
Matt
July 30th, 2009
12:16 pm
Haha @ Dan for calling ‘07 LSU “paper champions.” That’s such a load of crap. Sure, LSU was lucky to get to the National Championship game but they played and won two Championships in ‘07 ON THE FIELD. UGA played for none!! Stop your crying. UGA has had several oppurtunities now to win championships but they simply cannot do it. Face it, some programs are championship programs and some are not. UGA has gymnastics. LSU has Football and Baseball.
Matt
July 30th, 2009
12:18 pm
oh, LSU wins national championships in Track and Field (mens and womens) as well.
Mark Bradley
July 30th, 2009
12:18 pm
I don’t think Richt will go to Florida State. I never have.
Dooley's Cardiologist
July 30th, 2009
12:19 pm
Matt,
Well said my good sir.
MtDawggie
July 30th, 2009
12:19 pm
Mark,
You’re exactly right. CMR is TOO nice, TOO stoic. No fire. And speaking of fire…until he fires Willie, it’s clear to all that he thinks mediocrity is acceptable.
doc bailey
July 30th, 2009
12:21 pm
You know, i really wish Mark Richt would hold a press conference and announce he is tired of supposedly dawg fans( like i read on this and other sites) backstabbing his coaching and tell Georgia to shove this job up your ass. Where i am going with this, who would you replace him with. Want do you people really want. Sure, everyone wants to national champ every year. who doesn’t. Don’t you think Mark Richt wants to. Look at his record in the eight years at Georgia. The one major thing i see is STABILITY!!!. Each year the quality of athletics has gotten better. He is now able to go into Florida and get the type of kids that at one time ,never considered GA. He has made UGA a school kids around the country look at now as a quality program. College football is such parity now. No longer are there the Alabama’s of the Bear that dominated football. To win a national champion requires as much luck and intangibles as anything else. I know our time will come, but it will be under Mark Richt and no one else.
Atlanta Gator
July 30th, 2009
12:22 pm
Let’s concede that Mark Richt is a good coach, a decent human being, and probably a great guy to have has a neighbor. Let’s also concede that the 2007 end zone stomp was out of character. What, exactly, does any of this have to do with Richt’s potential to win a future BCS championship?
Let’s try to tone down the gratuitous insults, and contribute something meaningful to the blog conversation about college football. And, no, “the Gators suck,” and “Mark Richt is leaving for FSU soon” do not qualify as meaningful facts or opinions.
Bo Williams
July 30th, 2009
12:23 pm
Will GaTech, UNC, Arkansas, Alabama, etc? UGA’s chances are no better than these teams, and they can’t all win. I.e., a stupid question!
Cuz
July 30th, 2009
12:29 pm
I just want to win another SECC, and with the Gators at the height of their powers, that will prove difficult. Win the SECC and if you do that, there is a chance you have a shot at the crystal football. Aint that right Urban?
Hubert
July 30th, 2009
12:32 pm
To you Richt apologists who maintain that winning a BCS championship is mostly a matter of “luck”…are you saying that LSU, USC, and UF are somehow consistently luckier than UGA? It’s more than luck, my friends…it’s being good enough and disciplined enough to make the most of your luck, and to capitalize when the other team doesn’t do the same. UGA has always had talent, but what they have always lacked is discipline. Until this is finally addressed, no championships for UGA.
Atlanta Gator
July 30th, 2009
12:37 pm
doc bailey—-Every college football program has a certain percentage of idiots for fans. Unfortunately, the idiots tend to be the biggest chest-thumpers when their team is doing well, and the loudest and most obnoxious about their mistaken facts and misplaced opinions when their favorite team is not.
There appear to be several representative of the idiot class of fans from each of Florida, Georgia and Georgia Tech on Mark Bradley’s blog today. It’s a fairly stated opinion to say that Mark Richt should replace Martinez; it’s nonsense to say that Richt is anything less than a very good college football coach. It’s also a fairly stated opinion that the Gators are not invincible, that they have had their share of luck, and that Tim Tebow may not be the greatest-ever college football player. It’s utter nonsense to suggest that the Gators are fundamentally flawed, that the spread offense is a “gimmick,” that the team will collapse after Tebow graduates, and that Tebow is anything less than a very gifted, once-in-a-generation football player.
So, having said that, does anyone have anything intelligent to say why (or why not) Mark Richt is likely to win a BCS championship in the next 5 or 10 years?
bigeasy830
July 30th, 2009
12:39 pm
Aaron Murray need to be the starting QB by week 4. UGA will win 6-8 games this year so let the most talented QB on your team get some experience and make a run at it next year. God forbid if Ritch redshirt Murray, that kid has the atleticism of D.J. Shockley, the quick release of Dan Marino and a biy time arm. Him and Caleb King will make a championship caliber duo in 2010.
uuugh.
July 30th, 2009
12:39 pm
Richt won’t go to FSU. He has always talked about making 1 move. I believe he has already made that move and will be with us for a long time.
…plus it will cost FSU a lot of money if Bowden stays another year, which they might be willing to pay. It will cost them way more money if they hire anyone but Jimbo when Bowden does finally split.
macrotech
July 30th, 2009
12:39 pm
FLDAWG, you suck at ‘not minding’ Tech fans….
Atlanta Gator
July 30th, 2009
12:41 pm
Hubert—-There’s an old expression to the effect of “winners make their own luck.” There’s some truth in that . . . if you have a very good team, you may be in a position to take advantage of that luck when it comes your way. If you have a so-so team, you will never be lucky enough to win a national championship.
EW
July 30th, 2009
12:41 pm
Dear Saint Simons. UGA’s new basketball coach said it best: “There’s 50 stars on the flag. There’s one for Georgia. It’s not for Georgia Tech or Georgia State or Georgia Southern.”
Tide Rising
July 30th, 2009
12:41 pm
Atlanta gator,
We got our idiots too. We just didn’t want to feel left out since you failed to mention us.
Atlanta Gator
July 30th, 2009
12:43 pm
Tide Rising—-Yes, I know. Sorry you felt left out. For the record, the Crimson Tide has its share of idiot fans, too. RTR
Hairofthedawg
July 30th, 2009
12:43 pm
I do not think lightening will strike twice in the same place. The injuries were costly last year and while great teams work around them we just had way too many in one season. Hopefully, things will go in a cycle and we can stay healthy this season. The fact that CMR has more tenure than most SEC coaches for head coaching at any one school in the SEC will start to pay dividends I feel. Stablility is important to players and recruits. This will be a very interesting year in my opinion for the Dawgs. They should be much improved on defense and hopefully critical penalties will not be such a factor. The OL should be really good and if we stay healthy maybe the best in all of the SEC. Lots of games are won in the trenches and this should be where UGA accels. I do not see UGA as a NC team this year, hopefully I am wrong, but feel a very solid team can emerge if leadership on the field takes charge. I feel that CMR will win a NC at UGA as he is too good of a coach and UGA is too good of a program and that day will come sooner or later. Nice article I thought by MR. B. Just can’t wait til sept 5th and the start of the season…Go Dawgs.
joe34
July 30th, 2009
12:47 pm
EW, by the way it is stated, there are also stars for U of Maine, UMass, Ohio University, U of North Dakota, and on and on. So, is the star for California for Cal or USC?
bigeasy830
July 30th, 2009
12:48 pm
Also Mr. Bradley, our momentum have slowed somewhat, but we did finish #2 in the nation 2 years ago. I know ifs mean nothing but that Vandy/ Tenn game and the Kentucky/Tenn game 2 years ago in which Tenn. , survived in two close games cost us a chance at playing LSU. Dorsey had the leg injury, I think we would have ran the ball down LSU throats and then beat “The Ohio State University” for the BCS title. But can’t complain because Tenn. did beat the breaks off us in our head to head match-up in which Mark Ritch and his staff was out coached. So, my answer is yes Mark Ritch can win a BCS title but not with his current Offense and Defense coordinators.
MaconKnight
July 30th, 2009
12:53 pm
CMR has to get rid of willie to win a NC, NC are won with a great defense and if you look at the past champions they all had a great Defense, the only eception being the Texas & USC game..( greatest NC game of all time)..anyway UGA needs to a better job of keeping the top high school talent in state and going out getting dominate Defensive Lineman… Dogs have not had a presence at DT since Johnathan Sullivan was taken sixth in the first round by the New Orleans Saints of 2003 NFL DRAFT and have not had a true DE since Charles Johnson and Quentin Moses were drafted in the 2007 NFL DRAFT..(Marcus Howard was a LB playing DE)….MY POINT IS THIS LOOK LSU’S 2008 DEFENSE, LOOK AT FLORIDA’S 2007, 2009 DEFENSE AND YOU WILL SEE STANDOUT DEFENSIVE PLAYERS WHO HAVE GONE TO THE NFL. HOW CAN UGA WIN A NC IF THEY DON’T GO OUT AND RECRUIT BETTER DEFENSIVE PLAYERS AND GET A DC WHO CAN COACH THEM?
BIGBOY
July 30th, 2009
1:00 pm
All you guys are side stepping the fact that the talent has not been there on Defense on par with our Offense during CWM tenure.You keep throwing out this gibberish about the stats show the D getting worse but you DON’T want to admit the talent has declined as well.This year we have the most talent we have had on D in a very long time.For the Urban Meyer would have fired WM crowd…oh yeah?We did hell didn’t he fire Strong after that terrible defensive performance in 07?
BIGBOY
July 30th, 2009
1:00 pm
Why
Chris
July 30th, 2009
1:03 pm
As everyone else has said, we recruit well, we have great players, and a great head coach. However, we have a horrible defensive coordinator that should have been gone after his first year…yes his first year. That was Shockley’s year at QB, and we lost to Florida because he didn’t play but then lost to Auburn and West Virginia because our defense was TERRIBLE. The signs were there early on, and something should have been done about the walking disaster know as Willie Martinez at that time. Our defense has become progresively worse each year since, and as a die hard DAWG fan there is a small part of me that wants Willie to fail again. I know that would spell a bad year for my beloved DAWGS but something has got to be done to run that joke of a coach out of Athens.
If we get a great DC, then we will have all the pieces we need to make a run at a National Championship. We stand no chance as long as Willie is on the sidelines.
BIGBOY
July 30th, 2009
1:04 pm
Atlanta Gator what did Aub do wrong when they went undefeated?