Which coaching pair is better: UGA’s Marks or Tech’s Pauls?
Saints marching in? Tech's Paul Johnson, Georgia's Mark Richt. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Four men, all named after saints. Two led their respective teams to conference championships in their second seasons. One played for a national championship in his fourth season. The other has been in place a little over a year and has stirred enthusiasm where none existed.
For Georgia, two Marks: Richt coaches football, Fox basketball.
For Georgia Tech, two Pauls: Johnson coaches football, Hewitt basketball.
For you, one question: Which pair would you rather have?
It’s not an easy call: Johnson just took his Jackets to the ACC championship, and Hewitt’s Jackets just played for the ACC title. Richt’s Bulldogs haven’t graced the SEC title game since 2005, and Fox’s Hounds — sorry, still can’t resist — finished last in the SEC East.
Were I picking the best pure coach of the four, I’d pick Johnson. Were I picking the coach who has known the most sustained success at the highest level, I’d pick Richt. But that’s not today’s exercise.
Think of this as an alternate-shot tournament in golf. If you take PJ of GT, you also have to take Hewitt. And the same on the Georgia side: If you choose Fox, you have to take Richt. And that said …
Loading ...I’d pick the two Marks over the two Pauls.
I’d pick the Marks because I believe Richt’s team is about to get really good again, and I’m not sure Hewitt’s ever will. And, as noted yesterday, I like what Fox is doing with Georgia. (He’s already 1-0 against the Jackets.)
But that’s just me, and I’ve been known to be wrong. And this isn’t as much about me as about you. So here’s your chance.
On Election Day, please cast your vote. And just this once, ticket-splitting is not allowed.
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391 comments Add your comment
wiley
July 20th, 2010
10:18 am
Man up…I have gotten conflicting reports. I know for sure he graduated but I have also read reports that he has enrolled in graduate school at GT. He is on the official 2010-2011 roster on the GT AA website so I’m thinking he comes back. With him we would have three guys who could play center all 6′11 or up…Miller, Sheenan, Hix….and one guy who could play SF/PF…Holsey…and he is 6′8.
Jacket Backer
July 20th, 2010
10:19 am
PJ all the way! Certainly wouldn’t trade him for the preacher.
Go Jackets!!
JB
July 20th, 2010
10:19 am
It’s also not easy to get top flight OL when they know NFL scouts want to see pass blocking skills. Something they won’t get much of there.
HBTD!!!
boots
July 20th, 2010
10:19 am
Seriously? The records speak for themselves. Marks have won and won big. Fox will be winning a lot more in the next two years. (Odd – expectations are running wild for UGA basketball. We do LOVE raising the bar, don’t we?) Anyway, I would not trade our coaches in Athens for anyone else.
wiley
July 20th, 2010
10:22 am
Holsey and Miller were ESPN U 100 recruits…don’t listen to dog fans who bash miller. The kid is legit…I sat in on many practices and the kid looked great against the big time NBA guys that we had last year. I think sone of them are still bitter about how we aquired Miller. This team should make noise.
Dan
July 20th, 2010
10:24 am
Boots – If you’re going on results alone (awfully simplistic, but whatever), then actually the Pauls have you lapped.
Slick
July 20th, 2010
10:28 am
How about the Bobs from Office Space? I bet they are great X & O guys.
gadawgs
July 20th, 2010
10:29 am
Mark-Where’s my post my man?
Swoop60
July 20th, 2010
10:31 am
the Marks. not because I’m a fan, well of either for that matter, but because of the hoops Mark – IF UGa can actually keep him around. The man can flat coach basketball.
But it’s still a big IF on whether the Dogs can keep him in Athens.
steverino
July 20th, 2010
10:32 am
On the football side…depends on what you want. As for basketball…too early to tell. If not for the name parallels, we probably wouldn’t be having this discussion.
ManUp...
July 20th, 2010
10:34 am
JB, you have a point, but CPJ doesn’t need the same O-line talent as a traditional or spread offense. He won’t need to sell them on the NFL necessarily. He needs bulls that can stay low, be explosive and are a step faster laterally. I think as GT continues success recruiting gets easier, so he’ll find his guys in that mold but bigger who are willing to play for us. He won’t need a bunch…just a few every year. I think it can be done. Improvement is the key here since the system tends to work week-to-week even with some shorter linemen as it is right now.
Huh?
July 20th, 2010
10:36 am
Did Richt’s pro offense get DJ Shockley to the UFL, JB?
eddie
July 20th, 2010
10:36 am
PJ, the ultimate sore loser. I have really lost alot of respect for him over the last year or so. Remember Paul, it was UGA who would play you when you were at GSC, with nothing to gain I may add, and all the other scools would run and hide.
Gt4ever
July 20th, 2010
10:37 am
Not even close, even with Hewitt, GT has the BEST coaching!
Huh?
July 20th, 2010
10:38 am
Yeah, that was a huge risk, eddie. UGA lining up against Southern – that’s a brutal non-conference game.
Pi$$onaDawg
July 20th, 2010
10:41 am
eddie what does BAMA get for playing Bill Curry and the other GSU? What is UGA gaining by playing Idaho St and La. Laf? Well i guess some practice and 2 easy wind to pad their W/L record.
Ted M
July 20th, 2010
10:47 am
JB – BTW, Wilder bailed on his previously scheduled visit to Yech, so he could stay longer in Athens, just this past weekend.
Do you know if another visit with Tech has been scheduled?
If Tech doesn’t get him I hope UGA does.
Huh?
July 20th, 2010
10:49 am
Can you read, Ted M?
2. Jones also spent a lot of time this past weekend with mega-prospect James Wilder Jr. of Tampa. “Cool kid,” Jones said of the running back. “He seems like somebody who’s humble with their head on straight.” The nation’s No. 1 recruit apparently did not make it to Georgia Tech on Saturday as scheduled. JacketsOnline.com reports that he did not want to spend only a couple of hours with the Yellow Jackets and plans to return for a two-day visit like he had at Georgia this past week. The 6-foot-2, 219-pound athlete is expected to be at Florida’s “Friday Night Lights” camp on Friday.
HugoStiglitz
July 20th, 2010
10:54 am
I would go with the Pauls. Hewitt didnt coach very well this season and still took a team to the ACC championship and 2nd round of the NCAA tournament. He isnt as much of a drag as he is made out to be. We could do better but we could also do worse. Mark fox is going to have to do more then beat Tennessee once and get one good recruit to show himself as the amazing coach he is being built up as. As for Mark Richt vs Paul Johnson, I think most people would take Paul Johnson in that case.
Halberstram
July 20th, 2010
10:57 am
I’m taking the Mark’s. I think it also should show something that Tech fans are the only ones inquiring about mixing and matching. I don’t blame them though, Hewitt is very frustrating.
I think the poll would get even more interesting if you included the baseball coaches (Hall and Perno). Hall has the better record and is more consistent but Perno gets to the CWS and makes the seasons really count when the team is good. Of course since the baseball coaches don’t have the same name as the other coaches, it doesn’t fit the bill I guess.
Buzzboy
July 20th, 2010
10:58 am
I look at the talent you have and what you are able to do with it to answer the question. No question UGA has the better football talent over the last few years and Tech the better basketball talent. Though we will never know, I believe that Johnson with UGA’s talent and Fox with Tech’s talent would have taken those teams further.
Ignition
July 20th, 2010
10:58 am
Mark Bradley is MAD cause PH wants to Punch him in his weasle face.. And doesn’t give him the time of day..
For all those criticizing PH should look at CMR and tell me how many National Championships he’s won, or how many times he’s played in the National Championship GAME.. How many Top 10 teams he’s defeated or better yet how many Top 5 teams his defeated, with all that NFL talent that litters his roster.. If PH can’t coach what does that say about MR….
justdhoo
July 20th, 2010
10:59 am
Interesting thought, but really a pointless poll. It’s basically is a “are you a Tech fan or a UGA fan”. That being said, I went with the Pauls. Hewitt has underachieved, but he’s still done more than Fox (including playing for a national championship). Richt has major discipline problems at UGA, while Johnson (so far) has not. Plus, like Mark Bradley said, Johnson is just a better pure coach.
nickj0321
July 20th, 2010
11:03 am
CPJ > CMR , CPH = CMF
frank james
July 20th, 2010
11:05 am
I just feel like GA and GA Tech are very fortunate to have these coaches. There are two things alot of people think they can do and that is coach and teach school. I don’t know of any other occupations that are criticized more, maybe the President of the US. Both Marks and both Pauls are outstanding men and coaches. I am a Dawg fan, but I respect all the coaches and two others that I respect are Danny Hall and David Perno. Both Baseball Programs have had alot of success.
Billy Bob
July 20th, 2010
11:06 am
As a combo it’s the Mark’s. But if I could choose it would be Paul Johnson and Mark Fox.
Big time?? Not
July 20th, 2010
11:06 am
Four tickets, four hot dogs, four cokes
Bromariyus Thomas
July 20th, 2010
11:08 am
Someone posted earlier that Mark Richt is the kind of coach you’d like your son to have… If you hadn’t noticed, a lot of people’s sons that play on UGA’s football team end up getting arrested. Just because Mark Richt is a good person and a christian doesn’t mean every person involved with UGA’s program is the same way (obviously, look at Damon Evans) or that the UGA football program has class. And because Paul Johnson gets ticked off at the media for asking him about his “gimmicky” offense after he’s won at every level and at every school he’s coached, UGA fans believe he doesn’t have “social skills”? Everyone I know who has met Paul Johnson, including my buddies who have played golf with him, say that he’s hilarious and fun to hang out with. I can’t believe a UGA fan is saying that Paul Johnson being a straight shooter and not politically correct makes him non-southern. We must have been raised in two different Souths because I learned that you tell it like it is and you’re accountable for your actions. This kind of stuff makes me furious. UGA fans can’t respect the fact that Tech has a great football coach, a coach that wins with less talent, higher academic standards, and who fixes problems when he sees them. CPJ and CMR are 1-1, as far as I’m concerned, and I truly believe that Tech has a lot more to win.
Ted Striker
July 20th, 2010
11:13 am
Paul Johnson got outcoached by Willie Martinez and Mike Bobo. At home. When his team was favored.
End of story.
JackP
July 20th, 2010
11:16 am
Oh! Yes.
tell it like it is
July 20th, 2010
11:19 am
CPJ gets more out of his players than CMR,and PH plays in a better conferance than MF.
Wow
July 20th, 2010
11:19 am
You UGA fans are funny. Paul Johnson is winning with a bunch of players who never played in that offense before, and he hasn’t even recruited the right players for that system yet. He’s won everywhere he has coached, he’s a great coach, I played against him. The reason why he wins is because its football, not rocket science. It doesnt matter what offense you run if you know how to run it, and no one has stopped it yet, not even UGA, that was a close win when a receiver dropped a wide open pass. That being said, its funny how UGA fans always says “with our good recruiting class, give us a couple of more years and we’re gonna be unstoppable.” Or “our program is on the uprise.” UGA fans say “give us a couple of years” every year, how many couple of years does Richt need? And he has been there 10 years, and the program is just now coming on the uprise, i didnt know it took that long. Saban didnt get to Bama and his fans said “give him a couple of years”, he won a NC with the other coache’s players, he hasnt even had a full recruiting class yet. Meyer didnt get to FLA and say “give me a couple years”, he also won a NC with the other coache’s players. Bama and FLA are still doing great with their current recruits. And Paul Johnson didnt say “give me a couple years” until he got the right players for his offense, he went to an ACC championship and BCS game with the other coaches players. He hasnt even had a full recruiting class yet. Paul Johnson, Nick Saban, and Meyer are great coaches who are only gonna get better when they have their players that they recruit. Richt did better with Donnan’s players, and has gotten worse with his recruited players, he has had two classes come and go. These are the same players that you UGA fans get stiffies about because they have so many stars by their name. Johnson is winning with 3 star players. Tech will eventually run the state in football unless UGA makes a change at the head….
Billy Bob
July 20th, 2010
11:24 am
Wow
Great Rant! Couldn’t have said it better!
Weeb
July 20th, 2010
11:25 am
UGA’s have more class…
You mean having 42 UGA players arrested in the past three years plus several officials in the athletic department is classy?
Dream on, you moron. Go play with your red panties.
DannyB
July 20th, 2010
11:27 am
Paul. By a big margin.
Ted Striker
July 20th, 2010
11:30 am
To the two guys both posting at 11:19 a.m.:
Enjoy relying on your excuses about Johnson and his players. However remember what former Florida A&M coach Jake Gaither always said of Bear Bryant — “He can take his’n’ and beat you’rn’, and he can take you’rn’ and beat his’n’.”
RogersH
July 20th, 2010
11:32 am
Any school with an ounce of class would have fired Mark Richt for failing to control his players, both on and off the field. He has made UGA the laughingstock of the state. UGA is truly the Cesspool of the South.
Hoops
July 20th, 2010
11:35 am
If Mark Fox was so great he wouldn’t be coaching at Georgia, or finished last place in the worst basketball conference in America.
Mark Richt – heckuva a recruiter (not hard at Georgia) and a good QB coach, not sure about Head Coach.
Paul Hewitt- great recruiter, stand up guy, has had some bad luck, and some head scratching coaching moments. But played for a National Championship and two ACC Championships
Paul Johnson- best coach of all three. Give me the Paul’s.
Greg
July 20th, 2010
11:40 am
I’ll take the Pauls for a few reasons. CPJ is a coaching genius who doesn’t need any laminated paper to call his plays he just knows them. ESPN has constantly referred to him as one of the best in game adjustors in football. HIs teams are more disciplined (look at number of arrests for each coach) and he has to deal with a tough academic schedule for the players. CMR is not a bad coach at all but if we are speaking based on pure coaching then CPJ has him beat. Fox is better than Hewitt no debate which is why I take Marks.
FLA DAWG
July 20th, 2010
11:41 am
Ask the same question in two years – we will all know for sure by then.
Richt will have had stellar talent and time to develop them (of course he may still have Bobo). Fox – same. Paul & Paul – same.
Richt should be uncontested in overall success compared with Johnson.
A pity to say, it’s a wash right now.
Huh?
July 20th, 2010
11:41 am
Mark Richt got outcoached by Dave Wommack. At home. When they were favored. End of story.
Booger
July 20th, 2010
11:43 am
What the difference between Tech and a bucket of Crap? Absolutely Nothing
rogeriter
July 20th, 2010
11:44 am
Who cares who WE think is the best. It’s what happens on the field and the court that counts!
Booger
July 20th, 2010
11:47 am
Nevermind the bucket is
courtney
July 20th, 2010
11:48 am
where my painties at?
rogeriter
July 20th, 2010
11:50 am
WOW, “Richt’s program is just coming on the rise?” Where have you been, WOW. Averaging 10 wins a season maybe isn’t the National Championship…but most schools, including Tech would love that over a ten year period.
But I still say, “Who cares?” Lets play next year on the field. And it doesn’t matter that Johnson gets more from less (if he does). Recruiting is part of beinmg a good coach1
DOO DOO LEE
July 20th, 2010
11:51 am
note to the writer on this Atlanta Urinal and Constipation, Hewitt is about to get good again too.. and btw, without Bama or LSU on Georgia’s schedule, what excuse do they have if they do not inmprove? You simply looked at the schedule and said what the rest of the nondogpoops thinks, omg, what a schedule. yeah that sisters of the idaho and lafayette of the poor should be barn burners so fasten your seat belts
GT Fan
July 20th, 2010
11:58 am
Glory, Glory,
Nick Marshall going to UGA has nothing to do with GT’s success on offense. GT was recruiting him at DB. Idiot.
Furthermore, our “gimmick” offense led the big boy conferences in rushing last year, so I don’t know where you get that it won’t work. I mean you guys said that in year 1, and year 2, now you’re saying it in year 3. Following the trend, I’ll go ahead and predict you be puking that sentence in year 4, year 5, and so on because it’ll always be effective. GT’s offense really isn’t a whole lot different than UF’s other than our QB goes from under center and I don’t see you proclaiming UF’s offense doesn’t work.
You’re a tool.
I’d take both Paul’s in a landslide. I like how Dawgs fans attack Paul Johnson because he’s honest. Not like Richt telling recruits there is only one more spot just to get them to commit and that not being case as he would easily take Xavier Ward as well. He’s a f***ing liar, and you guys talk about class.
smoore54
July 20th, 2010
11:59 am
Just to put in a vote I’m going with the two Marks. I think Mark Richt has proven that he’s willing to adapt (though more slowly on some issues than I would like) to shake things up with his team. He’s found a way to be one of the most consistently successful teams in the nation and recruits really, really well.
And Mark Fox is proving to be top notch as a coach, as a recruiter and as a person. He’s sparked a program that hasn’t had a lot of glory, glory in recent years and I see it fast becoming a part of the conversation in NCAA basketball. The man exceeds expectations and you can’t ask for much more than that. Hopefully he’ll continue the trend as those expectations rise. I think he will.
PANTS ON THE GROUND
July 20th, 2010
12:00 pm
Paul Johnson is surly, rude, and downright nasty at times. Richt is always nothing but class. I’d pick the latter just for these differences.