What’s wrong with UGA? Sad to say, it starts with Mark Richt
"The meeting of the Mark Richt Fan Club is called to order." (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Mark Richt’s teams use to have all the answers. Whether it was P-44-Haynes in Knoxville or 70-X-Takeoff in Auburn, his Georgia Bulldogs would win the sort of breathless games that stamped Richt as college football’s next great coach. But it has been a decade, and Richt hasn’t taken Georgia to the pinnacle — got close a couple of times — and nobody sees him that way anymore.
If you’re looking for what has gone wrong with this program, there it is: Mark Richt never quite finished the drill. Georgia was No. 3 in the final polls after the 2002 season and No. 2 according to the Associated Press after 2007 and No. 1 according to everybody in preseason 2008, but the Bulldogs could never do as Florida and LSU and Alabama did — they couldn’t get to the BCS title game and win.
And now they’re 1-4 and Richt isn’t the sleek young man just in from Tallahassee; he’s a 50-year-old who has been on the job a decade and who seems at a loss to arrest the slide. This isn’t to say he’s a bad man or even a bad coach, but it is to say that in college football the blame must always fall upward: There’s a reason head coaches are multimillionaires.
It’s convenient to say that Georgia in Year 10 under Richt resembles Florida State near the end of his mentor Bobby Bowden’s reign. Convenient, and also true. Attention to detail has slipped. Players appear to be coaching themselves. Players also seem incapable of conforming to team rules and community laws.
A college coach can override almost any embarrassment so long as he wins 10 games as a matter of course, but Richt’s team is but 9-9 over the past season and a quarter. And you simply cannot play .500 ball and have 10 players arrested in one offseason.
The belief here is that Richt will not be fired this season or in its aftermath. The belief here is also that Richt stands before us a damaged coach. There was no reason for Georgia to lose to Mississippi State or Colorado, no reason other than that these Bulldogs no longer expect to win. They’ve seen themselves caught and passed in the SEC. They’ve seen their gimmicks — the blackout against Alabama in 2008, the black helmets in Jacksonville last season — fall flat. They’ve seen teams with lesser talent being coached up.
There was a time when we would have expected Richt to solve any problem, but that time is gone. The slide of 2006 — four losses in five games — was halted by three rousing victories at season’s end, but come 2009 the Bulldogs were back in the same place, needing to beat Georgia Tech and win a bowl to salvage a season.
This winter Richt steeled himself and fired three-quarters of his defensive staff, but nothing much has changed. Tackles are still being missed. Coverages are still being blown. The whole operation comes off as disjointed, distracted, dysfunctional. It’s as if the Georgia Bulldogs awoke one morning and found themselves reinvented as the Kentucky Wildcats. (Who, not incidentally, beat UGA in Sanford Stadium last season for the first time since 1977.)
The effect has been stunning. How long since we’ve seen the Bulldogs so inept? (Even Ray Goff’s otherwise lousy 1990 team managed to beat Alabama.) It would be one thing if Georgia wasn’t good enough to compete, but nobody can seriously believe that a roster including A.J. Green, Justin Houston, Branden Smith, Aaron Murray, Orson Charles and Washaun Ealey is without talent. Ask Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen if he’d trade rosters with Richt. Heck, ask Paul Johnson.
Rule of thumb: If it’s not the playing, it must be the coaching. What worked for Richt for five years and two SEC titles has stopped working. (He lost 13 games those first five seasons; he has lost 18 in the four-plus seasons since.) This team of 10 returning offensive starters and the new 3-4 defense hasn’t won a game in a calendar month.
The optimum course would be for the man making the millions — that’d be Richt — to seize the wheel and steer this program back to excellence. But if he could, wouldn’t he have done it by now? It’s the age-old question: What do you do when you’ve run out of ideas?
(Take the guys swimming? Nope. Tried that already.)
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894 comments Add your comment
Old Coach
October 4th, 2010
2:54 pm
I coached for forty years. Thirty Three in Ga. Seven in Virginia. I have said many times over those forty years that I would prefer to be lucky than good. The three State championships we played for and won there was a lot of luck involved, injuries, officials, and the bounce of that odd shaped ball. I have watched Ga football since 1947 and yes in many of those games Ga played stronger than some of our recent Bulldogs. The head coach didn’t Tell Caleb to fumble the ball nor did he tell Washan to fumble those things happen sometime at the most opportune time.
I am quite sure most people didn’t look close enough to see the linebacker come unmolested ad actually helped create the fumble. As a disciple of the ledegendary Bear Bryant I can remember what he said a coaching clinic in 1959. His comments to a bunch of coaches was boys if you are going to win the big ones you had better be able to run off tackle, and you had better be able to stop the off tackle play. I think the ship will get righted it may not be this year,but stay together Dawg fans and support the troops in the trenches.
MAC
October 4th, 2010
2:55 pm
Mark Richt would have lost to Alabama by less than 31-6.
FLA DAWG
October 4th, 2010
2:55 pm
South Georgia,
Our Offensive Line is not young.
They are among the most experienced in the country but play as true freshmen – high shool freshmen.
jtdawg
October 4th, 2010
2:56 pm
wow, there are so many “fans” that just don’t care about the program
Support Mark Richt forever. Give him a lifetime contract now!
We like mediocrity.
We like losing to Florida every year!
We like being the laughingstock of the south!
SOUTHGADAWG88
October 4th, 2010
2:56 pm
Grantham flat out sucks in any scheme he has put on the field.750K was a big mistake
missouridawg
October 4th, 2010
2:57 pm
Richt talks a lot about accountability to his players. Now is the time to hold him accountable for the mismanagement of the team and the games. For years we all have watched him become this CEO-like figurehead. He is supposed to be a coach. A football coach. The hiring of Martinez, the promotion of Bobo are just two glaring personnel moves that set this organization on it’s rear end. Where is the accountability?
LMAO
October 4th, 2010
2:57 pm
Mark,
Way to keep the Dawg Nation in an uproar. Fire Coach Richt. Who you gonna replace
him with? Who will take a job in which fans think they will win a National Championship
year in year out and they have Won 2 thats right 2 in the history of the school. One of
which was shared. This program is a Second Tier SEC program and always will be.
Thats why the Fans constantly pull for the conference instead of their own university.
SEC baby SEC. Ole Miss has more National Championship than Georgia
Booby's booger finger
October 4th, 2010
2:57 pm
“nothing wrong with a 1-4 start”, -Vanderbilt fan
FLA DAWG
October 4th, 2010
2:58 pm
missouridawg,
There is no accountability.
And just like the government, we are paying for this mismanagement.
Scooter
October 4th, 2010
2:59 pm
I love how UGA fans keep saying their players and coaches do not care. What a group of morons. The coaches and players live this. This is their lives. The fans that say such things go about their work week, mow the grass on the weekend, head to church on Sunday, then begin the cycle again. They set aside 3 hours on a Saturday to sit on their butts and watch a game. The players and coaches work tirelessly at this game, give all they have, die inside with every loss, and come back to go at it again. The UGA fans have to be the worst in college football. I guess they are wanting to return to their proud tradition of 6-8 win seasons. Oh, wait…That is where they are. Outside 1976, 1980-82, and the first few years under Richt, how is UGA any different from what they have always been? It is a second-tier school with fans in a class by themselves…In a bad, bad way.
He Hate Gator
October 4th, 2010
3:00 pm
LMAO, no one is expecting a NC every year….about at least 1 BCS bowl game?…
JB
October 4th, 2010
3:01 pm
Shula was a nice guy to………didn’t stop Bama………………..Some people on this blog are asking ” Who would we get”……………….Pull a Bama, grow a pair, lay out 4 mil a year in this Talent rich state…….you’d be surprised at the interest.
dawgfan_1977
October 4th, 2010
3:01 pm
Heck, hey Mr AD….pay me a couple mil a year. I’ll sit on my couch, watch the games on my flat screen, and yield the exact same results. Throw in a Christmas bonus and I’ll even put on a head set and tweak it from time to time.
Blackberry Cobbler
October 4th, 2010
3:03 pm
CMR is quoted as saying he believes that the negative views about him and the football program are a minority of fans.
He is flat out wrong on this one. The reality is that after 4 losses now, he has lost what little good faith he had with the majority of fans.
It will take a miracle now for him to right the ship and save his job either this year or next.
This is the truth whether he knows it/ believes it or not. CMR is in denial if he thinks he’s not in real serious doo-doo.
Booby's booger finger
October 4th, 2010
3:04 pm
dawgfan_1977, you forgot to ask for the red panties girl
JB
October 4th, 2010
3:04 pm
LMAO…………………….your blog is dumb……………first you say who would take the job……….second, you say we are a second tier program…………………Really……..
I think there would be plenty of interest in the job. Yes, as of now, we are second tier. But we have beat tech 8 of 9, which I assume you support……….
dawgfan_1977
October 4th, 2010
3:04 pm
“The players and coaches work tirelessly at this game, give all they have, die inside with every loss, and come back to go at it again.”
You are correct…they just come back to go at it again, the exact same way as the week before. If they guy was making minimum wage, I probably wouldn’t care. However, if he’s getting paid millions to do a job, then at least be good at it.
Old Coach
October 4th, 2010
3:04 pm
Enter your comments here
Jim Harbaugh
October 4th, 2010
3:05 pm
I’ll take the job but it will cost you 5 million a year and keep the rednecks out of my face.
dawgfan_1977
October 4th, 2010
3:06 pm
Jim Harbaugh
October 4th, 2010
3:05 pm
I’ll take the job but it will cost you 5 million a year and keep the rednecks out of my face.
——————————
HAHAHAHAHAHA…that’s funny.
gdawginkalamazoo
October 4th, 2010
3:10 pm
Jim Harbaugh that was hilarious!
lazydawg
October 4th, 2010
3:11 pm
What the heck has happened to this program?
LMAO
October 4th, 2010
3:13 pm
JB – My blog is dumb wait the truth hurts doesn’t it. As a matter of fact I am not a Tech
Fan and could care less how many years you have beaten them. Facts or Facts who
is gonna take this job and you are and always will be a second tier SEC team
Chihuahua Doggy
October 4th, 2010
3:13 pm
Of course we can chalk at one win at Tech. We have beaten Johnson 1 out of 2. Maybe not.
b-ham dawg
October 4th, 2010
3:14 pm
yalls inside info sound like a bunch of balogna
reality bites
October 4th, 2010
3:15 pm
Who do you guys suggest we get to replace this “terrible” coach?? Lou Holts looks ready, Patrino will jump ship, how bout we call USC, Jim Mora is looking for work, Spurrier knew how to beat UGA maybe he could help….Really Guys
dawgfan_1977
October 4th, 2010
3:15 pm
Right now, I’d say the Idaho game is suspect.
One win and four losses
October 4th, 2010
3:16 pm
I am shocked that Tenn is a 13 point dog this week.
I am putting my entire IRA up and taking the points.
dawgfan_1977
October 4th, 2010
3:16 pm
If granny holtz took over, I’d shoot myself. Seriously…
NoDawgInThisFight
October 4th, 2010
3:16 pm
just reporting, not flaming. Tom Dienhart was asked if CMR would be a good fit for UNC if BD were let go (which will not happen). Tom replied that UNC could do better.
HECK
October 4th, 2010
3:17 pm
UGA is a top ten Coaching Job.
Right now Mark Richt is not a top ten coach.
If he can’t get the job done at UGA then cut him loose and hire someone who can get it done.
Bama did it, so can UGA if we hire the right coach.
reality check
October 4th, 2010
3:17 pm
Football Ken “Please don’t be fooled ….Grantham is “fool’s gold”… I agree whole heartedly!
Nacho Daddy
October 4th, 2010
3:17 pm
Program’s just fine, all is well, my coach will turn it around. -Jesus H. Christ
LMAO
October 4th, 2010
3:18 pm
UGA a Top Ten Coaching Job – Here we go again. That is why NO ONE I mean NO ONE
will come to coach at this program
GaSou_Is_Back
October 4th, 2010
3:19 pm
“Rule of thumb: If it’s not the playing, it must be the coaching”
MARK YOU’RE AN IDIOT.
I’m sure CMR’s coaching made King drop the ball (literally) and made Ryan Mallet (BEST QB in the SEC) complete a pass in BLOWN coverage. You are just like the rest of the DESPICABLE bandwagon fans on his butt. BCS WINS, SEC TITLES, BEATING GT HOME, AWAY, GAILEY, JOHNSON, etc…, isn’t enough for the man to have ONE bad season in ten? 90-27 record before this year, .767 win pct., and a great season 90% of the time is worth firing?
Btw, this is coming from a GT fan who doesn’t want to see ANOTHER coach done WRONG by his school. Treat CMR bad and see how karma brings that back around. You know what they call her.
GaSou_Is_Back
October 4th, 2010
3:19 pm
“Rule of thumb: If it’s not the playing, it must be the coaching”
MARK YOU’RE AN IDIOT.
I’m sure CMR’s coaching made King drop the ball (literally) and made Ryan Mallet (BEST QB in the SEC) complete a pass in BLOWN coverage. You are just like the rest of the DESPICABLE bandwagon fans on his butt. BCS WINS, SEC TITLES, BEATING GT HOME, AWAY, GAILEY, JOHNSON, etc…, isn’t enough for the man to have ONE bad season in ten? 90-27 record before this year, .767 win pct., and a great season 90% of the time is worth firing?
Btw, this is coming from a GT fan who doesn’t want to see ANOTHER coach done WRONG by his school. Treat CMR bad and see how karma brings that back around.
Bill P.
October 4th, 2010
3:19 pm
Richt ain’t going nowhere anytime soon but “the fire in his belly” has been burning low for too long. If he would take off those stupid looking Nike sunglasses, I’d like him a lot more and his players could look into his eyes and see if he is serious. But those sunglasses and the amount he is paid to wear them is an indication of the problem. If you get paid $4 million a year maybe the fire goes out?
DawginLex
October 4th, 2010
3:20 pm
Can’t believe they are denying that they called a flea flicker on the fumble play at the end.
Bottom line.
They did.
3 gives to the fullback, who never got less than 4 yards per carry all night and Walsh wins the game after Colorado has to use all of their timeouts.
And we called a timeout to set up the play.
Sad
RaRa
October 4th, 2010
3:20 pm
Didn’t Bradley say the dogs would go 9-3? LOL
Realist
October 4th, 2010
3:20 pm
Hire Jim Harbaugh (Stanford) ASAP before someone else does!!! He knows how to coach up lesser atheletes to be great. In addition, he is used to recruiting academic atheletes; which means he could not always get the 5 star athlete. Just think of what he could do at Georgia with the amount of top recruits. Who knows, maybe he will even expand our recruiting to be more nationally prominent; something UGA could use desperately. As opposed to all of the southeastern thugs they currently recruit!!!
reality check
October 4th, 2010
3:22 pm
SOUTHGADAWG88
Solid points and bring much to light!
Nacho Daddy
October 4th, 2010
3:22 pm
“Fire, jump in my belly!” -CMR
DawginLex
October 4th, 2010
3:23 pm
Anybody else think Meyer would trade for Murray right now even up for Brantley?
Anybody else think Murray wishes he had put on the Gator hat on signing day?
Talk about being surrounded by idiots……………
He Hate Gator
October 4th, 2010
3:23 pm
Wrong Holtz, try Skip at USF…or a guy in Boise..
LMAO
October 4th, 2010
3:25 pm
Hire Jim Harbaugh (Stanford) ASAP before someone else does:
Wait a minute let me see here Stanford or Georgia hmmmmmm.
NO expectations or Ridiculous Expectation. Think I will wait and
go to the NFL
What's wrong with UGA? It all starts with the head coach | Mark … economic university
October 4th, 2010
3:25 pm
[...] the original post here: What's wrong with UGA? It all starts with the head coach | Mark … By admin | category: University of GEORGIA | tags: ajc, bradley, bulldogs, feet, [...]
Vulture
October 4th, 2010
3:25 pm
UGA not a top ten coaching destination? Money, Facilities, Major Recruiting Base, Great Fans (full stadium). Am I missing something?
dbsham
October 4th, 2010
3:26 pm
As a Bulldog fan, I think we must accept that the SEC football, and national landscape for that matter, has changed as a result of the recent rise in Alabama football. Just take a step back and look objectively at the teams that Nick Saban is putting together and you have to come to the conclusion that they are on another level. Is there any team in the country that can out-physical or out-fitness them? Recognize that as long as Saban is there, Alabama is not going anywhere; which speaks to the fact that this year’s team, at the end of this season, may prove to be better than last year’s team. At the level Alabama is at right now, they don’t compete against other teams as much as they do a standard that Saban has set for themselves.
So, this year’s disappointing season for the Bulldawg nation could be a blessing in disguise as it forces Georgia to evaluate its program with a microscope; the weight training program, recruiting, facilities, fan support, and of course coaching. If we are not the best we can be in any facet of Georgia Football, then we must be committed to make any necessary changes. If we don’t, then we should accept the fact that SEC championships will be a thing of the past for Georgia as long a Saban is around.
And by the way, do you think after 2 loses to Alabama Urban is evaluating his program? Given his recent health issues and his demonstrated commitment to the Florida program inspite of his health, I think it is safe to say he is. The view sucks if you are not the lead dog!
LMAO
October 4th, 2010
3:26 pm
Hire Jim Harbaugh (Stanford) ASAP before someone else does
Wait Stanford NO Expectations or Georgia Ridiculous Expectations. Think I will just stay here.
Sam
October 4th, 2010
3:27 pm
College Football’s 25 Highest Paid Coaches: Are They Worth It?
http://www.quora.com/Jim-Harbaugh/Is-Jim-Harbaugh-paid-enough-to-be-a-major-football-program-head-coach-Are-there-structural-reasons-why-Stanford-cant-pay-Harbaugh-a-market-rate/answer/Raj-Misra