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
Clarification for the unenlightened
July 20th, 2010
12:03 pm
Nice booger, very nice. I come to these posts hoping for insightful discussion on these topics, and I get booger. Eternal optimist, eternally let down.
Wow
July 20th, 2010
12:04 pm
rogeriter, I didnt say that UGA program is just coming on the rise, Mark Bradley said it in this article that the program is on the rise, and UGA fans say it is on the rise. And it does matter that a coach can get more from less, that means hes a great coach. Richt has way more talent, supposedly, and he cant win with them, let alone control them. Thats not a good sign when you have a lot of talent and cant win with them. And if UGA is ok with winning 8 to 9 games a year and playing in any bowl game, than Richt is your guy. Paul Johnson’s players respect him, and quite frankly, are scared to get in trouble off the field because of fear of the consequences. And dont try and make it seem like players get in trouble off the field all of the time at major football programs, because they dont, and just because you dont hear about it doesn’t mean the police or anyone esle is covering for the players. Its just that Richt is losing control of his program, and the players get in trouble more there than other programs players do.
dm
July 20th, 2010
12:05 pm
GIVE ME A BREAK MARK….take the Paul’s. If your opinion that Paul Hewitt has had the talent and hasn’t produced the results, the same situation with Mark R. He always gets the talent but hasn’t produced the results that talent should have produced. As for Fox, all the praise he’s getting now, if you recall, the same praise was given for Dennis Felton his first few years as well….REMEMBER ???
Year 2
July 20th, 2010
12:07 pm
Mark Richt in Year 2 at UGA – 13 Wins , 1 Loss , SEC Championship(30-3),Sugar Bowl Win(26-13), Win over Tech(51-7), Final Ranking 3rd
Paul Johnson in Year 2 at GT – 11 Wins , 3 Losses , ACC Championship(39-34), Orange Bowl Loss(14-24) , Loss to UGA(24-30), Final Ranking 13th
Booger
July 20th, 2010
12:07 pm
You guys keep giving excuses about Paul Johnson is not even playing with his own recruits. Please let me know when you find a quarterback than can run a merry go round better than Nesbit.
Big L
July 20th, 2010
12:08 pm
Paul Johnson is NOT better than Richt. If getting destroyed in bowl games gets high marks then by all means. Richt wins in the toughest conference outside of the AFC. 2 SEC championships. 2 BCS bowl victories. 1 offense that can produse players that can play in the NFL. There is NO comparison. U people are delusional and it makes me sick.
tek's DADDY
July 20th, 2010
12:09 pm
Somebody needs to punch Paul Johnson in one of his chins. He’s a self-rightious jerk only looking out for himself, not the team. Example, he states that “we” are 1-1 against UGA. Well, you know, Georgia & Gag Tek were playing long before Chins Johnson came along & they’ll be playing many games AFTER his rectum is gone. He better get used to many more games like the UGA game last year & the Iowa game where the (g)nats were destoyed! The little high school gimmick offense is out of gimmicks now. EVERYBODY will tear that option apart now that Willie Martinez showed how to dismantle it. That’s right, Willie Martinez and don’t anyone try to deny it – check the stats on that game.
Mark Richt
July 20th, 2010
12:10 pm
I’d want my boy to play for Richt……I don’t want him GD’ed on national TV………………I know that impresses some folk…………….You’re wrong.
Huh?
July 20th, 2010
12:12 pm
Is that offense what made David Greene, DJ Shockley, Joe Tereshinski, Joe Cox, Dany Ware, Thomas Brown, Kregg Lumpkin, etc., etc. such great NFL players? Oh wait…
GTBuzz85
July 20th, 2010
12:12 pm
Great topic/blog. I love the 1st response by Angus.
Yeller Bugs
July 20th, 2010
12:12 pm
Enter your comments here
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
July 20th, 2010
12:13 pm
the stats don’t lie in YR2 for UGA vs GT. still think CPJ looks like a tranny.
Huh?
July 20th, 2010
12:13 pm
Would you prefer he get GD’d in private while the coach prances around talking about religion while half his team gets arrested, Mark?
Big L
July 20th, 2010
12:13 pm
GTfan. That offense put up ACC numbers. Not big boy conference numbers. Last I checked, all big boy conferences BUT the ACC had won a BCS bowl game. Do not lump yourself in with teams noone in the ACC can beat.
Sweet Home Alabama
July 20th, 2010
12:14 pm
easy,Paul Johnson runs a program.Mark Rick reacts to a program.
Is UGA going on probation for the latest violation,something dont smell rite to me.
ROLL TIDE ROLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
mike
July 20th, 2010
12:15 pm
Paul has better boobs
CoolBreeze
July 20th, 2010
12:15 pm
too easy, you nailed it. And Mark Bradley – once again, you have proven that there are more UGa newspaper readers/blog snipers than there are Jackets with the time to do this.
Dawg Man
July 20th, 2010
12:18 pm
The Marks, they run this state.
Why do all these people think CPJ is a genius compared to CMR
July 20th, 2010
12:18 pm
Look, I will be the firs to say that CPJ is a great coach but so is CMR. CMR won the SEC (which is a better conference, sorry ACC fans) in his second year just like CPJ. Everyone knows it is harder to maintain winning than win at first, especially when you run a offense that no one sees but one time a year. Its the dawgs hands down b/c Richt and Johnson are both good coaches and Fox beats Hewitt.
joe
July 20th, 2010
12:18 pm
“That’s always my intent, Paul in RDU. To stimulate thinking.”
You’ve never stimulated thought in your entire life. Your only job is to stir up sh*t! As for Richt versus Johnson, Richt has won 90 games in 9 years, 2 SEC titles, and 3 SEC East titles. That trumps anything Johnson has ever done. Sorry, winning a title at Georgia Southern doesn’t count. That entire division is a joke and the football is no better than Division II. As for the ACC title, well, that isn’t half of an SEC title. The conference is a joke.
Huh?
July 20th, 2010
12:18 pm
Mark has a better spray tan.
Huh?
July 20th, 2010
12:19 pm
Let’s stick Richt in Annapolis and see how well he does.
JB
July 20th, 2010
12:20 pm
Sad but simple truth…….Year one, Tech wins in Athens and has the score put on Rings. Year two, Georgia’s worst team under Richt beats the ACC champs ON THEIR HOME FIELD and Johnson say’s, ” we’ve got bigger fish to fry”…… Immature, classless, and not manning up.
How bout, “We lost to a motivated and inspired Georgia football team today, I congratulate them”……………..No, He’s pretty much a turd.
HEY WOW
July 20th, 2010
12:21 pm
Richt did make the a change in coaching staff last time I checked, and in doing so, he fired his best man in his wedding. I think we will be just fine.
kevin
July 20th, 2010
12:22 pm
The 2 Mark’s hands down. While Johnson has been successful in his career thus far, his mickey-mouse high school offense is not going to continually be successful at the highest level.
Herschel Walker, the red panty stalker.
July 20th, 2010
12:25 pm
Lots of scared puppies on this blog. The winds of change are blowing and all UGA can do is suck. The true joke of college football lies to the northeast of Atlanta. The forecast calls for red panty rains all across the southeast on Saturdays this fall. Should be fun to watch.
CBS SPORTS
July 20th, 2010
12:25 pm
Enter your comments here
techfan
July 20th, 2010
12:25 pm
PJ > MR (If PJ could only recruit as well as MR)
MF > PH (PH recruits one and dones. good hype bad turnout)
Budweiser
July 20th, 2010
12:25 pm
I thought HBTD referred to Damon Evans – Half Brained Tipsy Driver.
- “stay thirsty my friends”
americus jacket
July 20th, 2010
12:26 pm
Like most on this board, I would pick the coaches for the school I root for — the 2 Pauls. And although Hewitt makes me pull my hair out in some games, I actually regained a lot of faith in him during the post season last year. It will be interesting to watch him next year when he doesn’t have the one and dones on the team. I actually think he, unlike Cremins, does better when he has no big stars on the team since he plays so many players.
I think if I was impartial about this, I would be equally excited about Tech and UGA football this Fall. I truly think both of them have a chance if the cards fall in place to do something really special. But in basketball, I just don’t see UGA with much of a chance to be a top tier team. Hewitt’s team, on the other hand, is a BIG question mark. I’m very happy with the 1 through 3 positions, with 4 and 5 being something that could be good with the players who were redshirted last year. If they come up big, Tech could do at least as well as last year — compete in the tourney and make the NCAA’s. I just don’t see how anyone can pick Fox over Hewitt if you consider the coach has to recruit AND coach to be successful.
And regardless of what you say about Hewitt, I think he can recruit with the top programs in the country — and Fox has not proven this yet. I would say, with very few exceptions, there are not many teams who can compete at the NCAA’s without talent. If you say that talent makes up 75% of the success — and coaching 25% — how in the world can you choose Fox over Hewitt with what we know now?
UGA OWNS gtu
July 20th, 2010
12:26 pm
We OWN gtu.
1. UGA
2. gtu
We’re simply better than you. At everything.
CBS SPORTS
July 20th, 2010
12:27 pm
Quote from Reggie Ball’s last game in Athens when ask, Reggie, tell us what you were thinking when you threw the ball out of bounds on fourth down. ” Get away from me man, it’s just a game dog”…………………
reality
July 20th, 2010
12:28 pm
I give the edge to the Pauls. GT has the better football coach and program. UGA’s basketball program is improving.
Clarke County Sherriff's Office
July 20th, 2010
12:30 pm
T – To
H – Hell
W – With
G – Georgia!
The only think I’d pick Mark Richt for is speed dial #1 on the office phone. You know, to bail these kids out so they can get back to practice.
CBS SPORTS
July 20th, 2010
12:31 pm
americus jacket= obama supporter who thinks the economy is doing fine………….Geez……
I’ll give you Johnson as a good coach, But Hewitt needs a body guard on that campus…….GO DAWGS
UGA OWNS gtu
July 20th, 2010
12:32 pm
We always have and always will OWN gtu.
We’re simply better than you. At everything.
roughrider
July 20th, 2010
12:32 pm
I think the State of Georgia has been blessed with some good coaches.
Roy Wood
July 20th, 2010
12:33 pm
Are you kidding I would have Dannon than Johnson so you know the marks I would go crazy having to watch UGA play the kind of football that tech plays.Texas Dawg
Huh?
July 20th, 2010
12:34 pm
Who is GTU?
JB
July 20th, 2010
12:34 pm
I think Tech’s problem in football this year will be that their competition has gotten better. Georgia may have a redshirt QB starting, but our schedule is favorable this year.
layinlow
July 20th, 2010
12:34 pm
Johnson is a good coach but some TECH fans act like he is on the verge of greatness. Personally, I think Johnson thus far has failed on the biggest stage. 0-2 in bowl games against good, but not great, out of conference opponents is a strike against Johnson in my book. Not to mention the panic he displayed at the end of the UGA game last year. A conference championship in a weak ACC is the only thing he has on his resume at Tech. And even that was tarnished when he lost to his in state rival who was having a down year, then followed up that loss by getting manhandled by Iowa. And what happens when all of gailey’s players are gone? Like someone on here has already said recruiting is part of being a great coach so I don’t want to here about how Johnson only has to work with lesser talent. Jim Harbaugh at Stanford has been recruiting some top notch players the last few years so I don’t want hear about how Tech is an academic school. I think the jury is still out on Johnson and I wouldn’t be suprised at all if Tech has a downward trend the next few years. With Miami and Fla. state on the rise Tech will no longer have the luxury of playing in a watered down conference. In fact I will go ahead and predict that Johnson ’s jackets will come down to earth this season and stay there.
I would pick the two mark’s in a landslide.
UGA OWNS gtu
July 20th, 2010
12:34 pm
24/7/365 we OWN gtu. This year will be no different.
We’re simply better than you. At everything.
dawgcrzy
July 20th, 2010
12:35 pm
slow day at the paper….geeez!
Time Out
July 20th, 2010
12:36 pm
Easy Mark Richt: he’s not a hot head like fatso and doesn’t make stupid comments like “we have to go to a fish fry” after he gets his arse handed to him.
Yeller Bugs
July 20th, 2010
12:36 pm
I unfortunately confess that the Mark’s have it now–Football’s a virtual tie & even if Fox is a bust—he at least can be fired not like GT’s $7 million dollar man.
FalconFrank was right—I was at the NC State game and it was painful to watch—like a trainwreck in slow motion. It’s pitiful that a team with soooooo much talent couldn’t perform Middle School fundamentals of getting the ball inbounds. The players looked clueless out there. We always lead the league in turnovers. Had Coach K or Roy had GT’s B-ball team last year—they may have gone undefeated. To go 7-9 in the ACC and lose to the cellar-dweller of the SEC East was OUTRAGEOUSLY EMBARASSING!
Now, IF CPH can get an offensive coordinator—someone who can teach the fundamentals, then maybe the Paul’s can take over first spot. Until then CPJ will have to win an NC to compensate for GT B-ball.
reality
July 20th, 2010
12:38 pm
UGA OWNS…you must be Phi Beta Kappa from UGA…you are really good at that “copy and Paste” thing…
KimZ'sPackage
July 20th, 2010
12:39 pm
uga owns Gwinnett Technical University? Are you sure about that everything? How many dawgs have been to outer space?
UGA OWNS gtu
July 20th, 2010
12:39 pm
Here’s a free lesson for you gtu yellowjerkits…
1. UGA
2. gtu
We’re simply better than you. At everything.
D-Nice
July 20th, 2010
12:40 pm
Why do the people hate on Hewitt so much but give Richt a pass. As much as people hate on Hewitt you would think he has finished in last place year after year. Did anyone notice who was the worst team in the ACC last year (UNC). Oh yeah that team with 4-8 Mickie Ds on it and dont say they were young because then that takes back your excuse on Hewitt (Favors). In college unless you recruit a great PG then your team will struggle hence GT and the press even though they managed to almost beat the eventual National Champions (Duke) in the ACC Championship game.
Mark Fox had a decent year with UGA but at the end of the day we still had some embarassing losses and there were 2 very good players at UGA so lets not give him credit for finishing last but bash Hewitt for going to championship game.
I am a UGA fan but Mark RIcht has screwed up some super talented teams. Was I the only one in the country who knew West Virginia was not going to let DJ get the ball after we spotted them 28 points and came blistering back. Allowing WVU to fake punt was a collossal mistake and that is coaching because Rich Rodriquez knew DJ was going right down the field unless he never got the ball and we all watched as Greg Blue and the rest of the punt team turned around before the ball even left the foot of the punter (it still hasnt left defense).
Thats one instance or shoud I talk about the Florida game when Joe T had to play for DJ and Joe T threw a bomb to Milner that he dropped and from then on he refused to let Joe T throw so we lost to UF playing conservative. Please Mark let the Dogs play and stop all these gimick running plays (our lineman are 300lbs) and run over someone so you can throw the deep pass.
Paul Johnson gets credit because he has been to the promise land regardless of it it was at GSU hey the Coach at Ohio State also won one of those (Youngstown) and added to it in the Big Time College Football.
With all this being said I am taking the 2 Pauls over the two Marks but say lets revisit every year since they all have nice contracts and could care what any of us think HAHAHAH
LSU Fan
July 20th, 2010
12:40 pm
I’ll take
Les and Paul Mainieri
And then give me Paul Johnson. I’ll take a coach who can win at every school he has been at over spary tan boy in athens.