There’s no other way to say it: Mark Richt is in trouble at UGA
This was Mississippi State's first touchdown Saturday. It would add two more. (AP photo)
I wouldn’t have thought such a thing possible a month ago or a week ago or even 24 hours ago, but here it is:
Mark Richt is in trouble.
It was possible to write off Georgia’s first two losses as having come against superior opposition. It is not possible to write off losing in Starkville. It is not possible to square all those ballyhooed recruiting classes with being 0-3 in the conference. It is not possible to look on the Bulldogs as anything more than a middling SEC team.
Five years ago, how many other league schools would have gladly traded their coach for Richt? Nine? Ten? How many would today? Maybe three, and that’s depending on how Ole Miss feels about Houston Nutt this week. Too many SEC programs have caught and passed Georgia, and this has nothing to do with the superpowers in Tuscaloosa and Gainesville. Consider:
Last year Georgia lost to Tennessee in Year 1 of Lane Kiffin. Last week Georgia lost to Arkansas in Sanford Stadium in Year 3 of Bobby Petrino. Last night Georgia lost to Mississippi State in Year 2 under Dan Mullen.
No longer does an opponent tremble at the sight of Georgia approaching. On the contrary, this has become — three weeks running! — the team you want to play if you’re looking to establish your program.
The old Steve Spurrier critique of Ray Goff — “Georgia gets all these players … I don’t know what happens to them” — again applies. Georgia doesn’t lack talent. It simply cannot bring its talent to bear. Its new 3-4 defense mustered one sack against Arkansas and Ryan Mallett. Its touted offensive line was able to carve out 113 yards rushing against Manny Diaz’s Mississippi State defense. Its offense could not score a touchdown against South Carolina and needed 58-plus minutes to manage one in Starkville.
There has been no improvement week over week. There is only a weird stasis. The weeks and the opponents change, but Georgia looks no different. How does that happen?
Loading ...Granted, the season might look different had A.J. Green played these four games. But he didn’t because he broke a rule, and that’s the other reason Richt is in trouble. A coach can get away with having his players mess up off the field if the coach keeps winning big on it. But Richt is 10-9 dating back to Nov. 29, 2008, and guess what cheery news awaited him on his return from Mississippi?
You got it. Another player has been arrested.
When I say, “Richt is in trouble,” I don’t mean I expect him to be fired this week or even after this season. I think Greg McGarity, the new athletic director, will err on the side of patience with a coach of such distinguished pedigree. (And a strong finish to this season — winning the next eight and beating Auburn and Florida en route — would effectively get Richt out of trouble.) But the loss at State seems a tipping point. It seems the game in which the majority of Georgia fans stopped seeing Mark Richt as the answer and came to regard him as the problem.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,529 comments Add your comment
Brock
September 26th, 2010
1:31 pm
so faith, now we can’t tell jokes about jesus without it being a sin? You’re an idiot if you think that. Grow a sense of humor and maybe you’ll get through life without being a bitter biatch. Sorry your life sux so bad . But I’m sure you’ll go pray about and all will work itself out fine. Loser
UGA is just not elite
September 26th, 2010
1:32 pm
Sorry Dawg fans, but when you set the pedestal too high this what happens. Georgia is a good, respected program with a proud history. HOWEVER, you are NOT an elite national program and when you start believing that you are such a program then you set yourself up for disappointment.
Blobo
September 26th, 2010
1:32 pm
With all of CMR’s expericence on the offensive side, he should cerainly know that his offense stinks. Bobo is responisble and that should have been known years ago. Bobo has known nothing other than UGA in his career. He needs to be demoted or fired. And it should have been done 2 years ago. Now CMR has a big problem on his hands. Get rid of Bobo and lose another year adjusting or keep him and take over the offense. I would prefer he take over the offense and play calling and then work in a new OC. Bobo should head to the WAC and see what he can do there.
Woof Woof
September 26th, 2010
1:32 pm
How’s the Dawg kool aid tasting? Pathetic
excuse for school recruiting in a state of 5+
million.
Brock
September 26th, 2010
1:33 pm
watchout sideways. The bible thumpers can’t take a joke about religion. It’s a SIN!!!
Oh, and I think it was a pinot noir.
doug dawg
September 26th, 2010
1:33 pm
sad to say, it is time for ‘housecleaning.’ the sooner the surgery happens, the sooner the patient will recover, after a painful time of convelescence. but it will have to happen. coaches, teachers, and leaders of all sorts simply burn out. there is nothing worse than seeing an over-the-hill fighter trying for one last victory. no one roots for the defeat; they only feel sympathy and sadness. this is the case with mr. mark richt. he needs to pack up his money and go into missionary work; a great calling, to be sure, and leave our beloved program before things get any worse, if that is possible. i, frankly, doubt we will win three games this year. and right now, i wouldn’t venture a guess as to who we would beat. ‘beat’ is not in the vocabulary of this team or of mr. richt. oh, how awful it is; but, oh, how good it can be if we act now. alas, mr. richt, we knew ye well.
b-daddy
September 26th, 2010
1:33 pm
CMR cliipped Grantham….. But I think kids got it… They look flat on D since the CMR calmed Grantham down. CMR can be the Head Coach he wants to be, but stay there and let someone esle be the SOB on the field…..
Herschel
September 26th, 2010
1:33 pm
Funny how the Bulldog Nation was ok with the Thug mentality while Thuga was winning. Saint Mark learned from the Master of Thugology under Saint Bobby at FSU. Y’all are the laughing stock of the SEC. Next win comes against Idaho State.
SatillaDawg
September 26th, 2010
1:34 pm
I appreciate all CMR has done for UGA.
I really do.
But it’s time for him to go.
Time, and the SEC, has passed him by.
Georgia hasn’t won a National Championship in 30 years. And from what we saw last night, it will take another 30 to rebuild this lousy program.
And how did it get here? Not from a lack of money or facilities, that’s for sure. And we’ve certainly had some talented players.
It’s the coaching, plain and simple.
Look at Florida, Alabama and LSU. Good coaching. National Championships.
Thanks, CMR. But it’s just not happening. You’re a nice guy and you’ve had some winning seasons. But you haven’t brought us a National Championship, and your program’s going down, not up.
Time to move on.
Adios.
J'ville Gator
September 26th, 2010
1:34 pm
Dogs suck again. We will be stomping yall’s butt, like always, 10/30/10. We’re not tired of beating UGA, just getting bored.
Herschel
September 26th, 2010
1:34 pm
Wayshon just hit another parked car.
Denver Dawg
September 26th, 2010
1:35 pm
We suck, we’re no longer even in the
conversation when it comes to national contenders
every year.
Bama Fan
September 26th, 2010
1:35 pm
Yall are giving the SEC a bad name.
ATLDAWG44
September 26th, 2010
1:35 pm
The two hottest seats in georgia rite now is EDDIE LONG AND MARK RICHT
Herschel
September 26th, 2010
1:36 pm
Auburn shut down Lattimore. He only gained 33 yards on them. How much did he gain on Thuga?
jellybeandawg
September 26th, 2010
1:37 pm
Bruce Mac is your typical old senile fool who forgets to take his meds and likes to get on “the internets” and post insane ramblings in the comment section of blogs.
b-daddy
September 26th, 2010
1:37 pm
McGarity is not a Damon Evens. He will sit back and see what CMR. I think McGarity will also tell CMR what to do on the Bobo issue. What do you think?
SatillaDawg
September 26th, 2010
1:37 pm
CMR, do the right thing, and resign.
Thanks.
Herschel
September 26th, 2010
1:37 pm
Mark Richt’s hair was out of place yesterday. I think that was the reason Thuga lost.
Imadawgfan
September 26th, 2010
1:38 pm
Being 0-3 in SEC play, Richt now has the perfect opportunity to regain composure and start handing out discipline. O.k, this season’s a bust so re- start by letting these kids know that “if you drop my football, you sit on my bench!”(anybody see what happened to Garcia at the end of SC’s loss to Auburn?) If you have more than one penalty called on you, you don’t start next game and you sit on my bench. I you get arrested for “JAYWALKING”, you don’t play on my team until and unless I feel like it! Richt has got to re-take over this team. I’ve been watching his interviews and he’s got this “ho-hum” attitude when he needs to be pumping his players up for the upcoming game. Bobo needs to go and I think CMR knows it
Everybody wants to use the excuse that we have a young quarterback in Aaron Murray. So what!? With only 4 starts under his belt, he’s the only one that looks like he cares. He’s out there actually trying to lead his offense and already looking like a future Heisman winner but he’s running into brick walls with Bobo’s playcalling. The kid has heart, talent and is a motivated qb. Old saying says “it’s hard to soar like an eagle……” you know the rest. Back to fundimentals, discipline and the REAL football that used to be played by gladiators of the gridiron.
Kapoonka
September 26th, 2010
1:39 pm
Man Richt is basking in money and endorsements. Football has been anything but a priority for him. His hair gel gets more attention than his anemic team. He is toast!!!! Damon (thought we forgot about ya) Evans got booted at the right time. The new Director needs to cut him loose….and fast. He should have plenty of time to practice his diving now……
Brock
September 26th, 2010
1:39 pm
it all makes sense now. New Birth Ministries will be looking for a new preacher. UGA needs a “new birth” for its program. And Richt wants to BE a preacher. It could come full circle.
Dawg Times
September 26th, 2010
1:39 pm
I’m glad Uga didn’t live to see this.
Serenity in the Swamp
September 26th, 2010
1:40 pm
Run Lindsey, run. Damn that’s funny.
b-daddy
September 26th, 2010
1:41 pm
I agree, Murray is the REAL DEAL…… you know the kid is doing everything he can..But we have a O-Line that SUCKS and can’t do a thing. I would fire all the players and find out who and the heck wants to play ball or sit down. Take contol CMR…..
DawgSqueeze
September 26th, 2010
1:41 pm
Another DUI……wow. After losing to a team that you have not lost to since 1974? You can get rid of Richt, Bobo, etc., but the problem will still remain. Recruit in the ghetto, you get the ghetto. UGA, welcome to the class of mediocrity.
the real Kirby Smart
September 26th, 2010
1:41 pm
Let’s face it. CMR has NEVER been a good football coach. He ran the ball with no timeouts in 2001 vs. Aub. The dumbest thing I’ve seen this side of Les Miles. He only got this far due to luck and Van Gorder and talent. Well the luck has run out and the talent is diminishing by the yr(no kid wants to play for a losing program). CMR, take all the cash you’ve made. And start a mission or something. He will make a much better minister than he ever was a football coach. And Bobo hope you like hs ball, b/c that’s where you’re headed. the Richt era IS OVER.
I fumble this state
September 26th, 2010
1:41 pm
I can’t help it. I and my team suck. Our coaches suck. We will lose to Tech.
We are the doormat of the mighty sec.
jellybeandawg
September 26th, 2010
1:42 pm
I don’t get the folks defending Richt:
He took 2, maybe 3 years too long to fire Willie. His staff is the reason we don’t have any experience at QB. His playbook is as stale as a week old loaf of bread. He made a commitment to all those Momma’s on how he would look out for their boys and yet, every offseason, the public defender’s office becomes Butts-Mehre East.
It starts at the top. For all the adoration he deserved for the 3 division and 2 SEC titles, Richt now deserves equal blame for our failures and meteoric decline.It is obvious that this Richt has lost the respect of our players and his lackadaisical attitude has permeated throughout the program and we are feeling the affect as fans, alumni and supporters of this fine University.
Firing Bobo won’t fix the problem. Richt has an offensive identity that everyone, including novel observers, recognizes as ineffective. In the ACC, FSU out-athleted everyone, save for UF and Miami and were successful. This is the SEC and we aren’t going to out athlete anyone and that is where the deficiencies in his philosophy begin to show.
We will never win another SECC with CMR at the helm. Sad, but true.
Dawghater
September 26th, 2010
1:43 pm
Good Lord, the UGA fan’s really can’t stomach that their program really isn’t Elite! It’s been 30 years since you Nat’l Championship. 30 years. CMR hasn’t been the coach for the last 30 years! Get over it and get a life.
(gypsy woman) Sylvia
September 26th, 2010
1:44 pm
Does it make you feel better and bigger to bash Coach Richt? How well are you performing in your job at work ? Appartently none of you understand human nature He can talk to the boys and coach till he’s blue in the face,but let face it these young men have to make the choice of what they are going to do on and off the field.
I’m proud that Coach Richt doesn’t curse on t.v are throw his headphones on the ground and make a spectacle of himself.
Pope UGA XXIII
September 26th, 2010
1:44 pm
Left my four Tennessee tix on my car windshield this morning
before going to Mass. Here’s what was on there when I returned:
Eight more UT tix, 32 Vandy tix, 128 Tater Tot State tix, 64
Tech tix with the note “here Nerds, enjoy”, notice of being turned
in to the ASPCA by Russ the stand-in Dawg, a note from D Baker
asking for help with his bail bond, a DVD of Damon Evans telling
the fans not to drink & drive, picture of Adams calling Don Leeburn
to ask what he can do next, and most importantly, the draft of the
2011 Hartman Fund letter advising us to give more so that we can
maintain our “competitive edge” in the SEC.
This is simply a case of “SAWB” (Smart Ass White Boy), but
someone posted about the fans wanting Vince fired in 1979 which
I definitely remember. !980 came after 1979.
I’m not willing to jump on the Fire CMR bandwagon UNLESS he
doesn’t make the needed staff changes, whatever they may be, &
make his youngsters behave like something other than an inner-
city high school team.
There cannot be anyone with an IQ above room temperature who
isn’t thoroughly embarrassed by this UGA’s performance ON & OFF
the field. Clearly there is no control with this program, and it needs
to change “ASAFP” !!
b-daddy
September 26th, 2010
1:45 pm
Who replacs CMR? Who’s out there? Fire CMR and put Grantham as Head coach?
Herschel
September 26th, 2010
1:45 pm
Loss number 4 comes on Saturday at Colorado. A.J. Green won’t help.
AMG
September 26th, 2010
1:46 pm
The best thing about this is that if you idiots fire Richt you will fire the coach with the best winning percentage in the history of UGA, Classic dumb A** Dawg move, go for it!
AMG
September 26th, 2010
1:47 pm
Why don’t you all admit that youy chose not to use your brain and went to UGA and now you have no clue how to fix anything.
Chris Peterson
September 26th, 2010
1:48 pm
I am standing by the phone…..
dawgfan
September 26th, 2010
1:48 pm
I think he’ll get another year regardless but I think that’s a big mistake. We are going nowhere fast.
I’m a little tired of hearing about all this wonderful talent we supposedly have. What freaking talent? We’ve got a bunch of hacks that had a bunch of stars by their names in high school but wouldn’t know championship football if it was sitting on their face. I know the buck ultimately stops with the head coach, but our players aren’t without blame. Nobody is going to remember a single one of these players 10-15 years from now, aside from maybe Aaron Murry just because he’s the QB. A little harsh you say? So the hell what. Its obvious that these guys have been getting smoke blown up their butts about how great and wonderful they are. Hardly a week has gone by since the start of summer practice where Richt wasn’t hyping how great some player looked in practice. As Allen Iverson would say, PRACTICE? Who in the crap cares coach. They don’t do jack squat when the lights are on. Its just utterly ridiculous how Richt coddles these guys. I honestly think most of them just don’t care that much. Look at how they play.
Steve
September 26th, 2010
1:48 pm
A year ago I would have asked ‘who can we possibly get that is better’ whenver this conversation kept coming up. I really believe from an administration standpoint the program is cleaner than it has been since I became a fan in the 70’s. I won’t blame the actions of the players (typical college kid stuff for the most part) on Richt. It is the whole football culture in the South that enables these kids to become spoiled brats with no ability to determine what they should or shouldn’t be doing.
All that being said, I WILL blame Richt for his ongoign recruiting and coaching decisions. Either the scouts are all wrong on the recruitign grades, or UGA is not doing much with these recruits when they get here. You look at what Saban can do (with similar recruiting classes that were brought in before he arrived) versus what UGA has done and you have to wonder. Richt’s best years were using recruits and players partially brought in before he arrived. He really has underachieved since that time.
We FINALLY have a defensive identity, and our defense is playing well despite major losses from last year. Our offense has almost every single player returning and we still can’t get anything done. We have NO identity on offense. Other teams laugh at our offense. We can’t run the ball. Don’t give me any nonsense about defenses not having to respect our passing game and stuffing the run. Do you think anyone respective McElroy and Alabama’s passing offense thru the first 74% of the season last year? Did that prevent Alabama from running the ball? Why can’t all the supposed stars on the OL run block?
UGA needs to get back to smash mouth football. Enough of this finesse stuff. You win by running the ball and stopping the run. Just ask Spurrier how that’s working for him this year now that he tried. Ask Saban. Ask OSU. Ask Florida (despite popular belief, they run and stop the run as good as almost anyone in the SEC when Tebow was there). We need to change our offensive philosophy, and start recruiting big smash mouth type of OL and not the finesse blockers. If Richt can’t pull the trigger on making the neccessary changes, then he needs to go. I know the big problem is that Bobo is a great guy and a UGA guy, but he just isn’t getting it done on offense.
b-daddy
September 26th, 2010
1:50 pm
You know how to find out firing CMR……ask the other teams in the SEC…. If the want to keep him, that said it all,….. Dogs wanted Shula to stay at Alabama, Zook at Fla, and the boy at tech before Paul Johnson.
DDAWG
September 26th, 2010
1:51 pm
Its all about the hair!!! Any man in his 40s that still parts his hair down the middle is obviously reluctant to change. The game has moved on and so should UGA. I wish CMR all the best in pursuing his passion, football does not appear to be it….at least not anymore.
nuff said
I fumble this state
September 26th, 2010
1:52 pm
Chris Peterson wouldn’t steep this low to coach us bull dykes.
AMG
September 26th, 2010
1:52 pm
Steve, Don’t nlame Richt for the legal issues on the team, its a southern thing? Really, then why is UGA worse than any other team in the nation? You guys don’t even run your own parking lot BWAHAHHAHAHHHHAHHAHHAAAAHHAHHAAAHHAA
Laguria
September 26th, 2010
1:53 pm
What 4 or 5 star high school player would want to play for such an inept team? UGA has turned top recruits into c- players. Richt and his coaching staff has hurt many a good recruit’s career these last few years. Georgia is done getting the cream of the crop. Lag
Herschel
September 26th, 2010
1:53 pm
Can’t wait to hear what homer Belue says on 680 the Dawg tomorrow.
Paul's Johnson
September 26th, 2010
1:53 pm
Fire Blowbo would be a good start. I was surprise to even see him come out of the locker room after halftime yesterday.
Herschel
September 26th, 2010
1:54 pm
The Vols and Dooley will beat Georgia.
Herschel Talker
September 26th, 2010
1:54 pm
MB:
We have been saying this for years. But you and Schultz kept making excuses, choosing to look at his record in his early years without considering that he got that record. You overlooked how bad 2008 really was. You overlooked last year, saying it was all a Joe Cox problem. These problems have been evident for years now, but you guys kept choosing to look at Richt as if David Greene and David Pollock were coming out of that locker room.
I appreciate your writing, but between this and your observations on the Braves, but I’m starting to wonder what you are smoking, or rather if you just have a mandate from your bosses to be a permabull.
HT
Paul's Johnson
September 26th, 2010
1:55 pm
Georgia is no worse than any other team with the “legal issues”, it’s just not as good as those other schools as keeping it out of the paper.
Ed
September 26th, 2010
1:56 pm
J’Ville Gator, I know the feeling. I was a Georgia fan saying the same thing to UF fans 20 years ago. Boredom is underrated.