5 reasons Mark Richt won’t leave UGA for Miami or anywhere
"Leave all this? And give up showbiz? Are you crazy?" (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
First it was Colorado. Now it’s Miami that’s believed to be interested in Mark Richt. As noted earlier, it might be best for both Richt and Georgia if he found a new job. But I’m guessing he won’t see it that way. And the reasons for that guess are:
• He makes too much money. Neither Colorado, which might not be seriously considering Richt, or Miami, which surely is, can match the $3 million Georgia is paying. His job security might be eroding — he needs to win at least nine games next season to feel safe — but he’s not so near unemployment he needs to take a pay cut.
• He works at a big-name school in the biggest-name league. You don’t exit the SEC to take a job anywhere but the NFL. (The weirdo Dennis Franchione is the exception that proves the rule.) The SEC is the place a college coach works all his life to land; it’s not the place you leave, at least not of your own volition.
• He’s a Miami alum, but he might not be a Miami fit. The folks in Coral Gables are serious about football — they just canned Randy Shannon on merit — but they’re more serious about image. The Hurricanes have worked mightily to clean up their image as Rogue U, and their president is Donna Shalala, who served in Bill Clinton’s Cabinet and isn’t about to let her school revert to being a rule-flouting football factory. And Richt, as we know too well, presides over a program that has seen 11 player arrests this calendar year.
• He has no powerful enemies in Athens. Nobody who matters wants Richt to fail. Already bearing the scars from Jim Donnan and Vince Dooley, UGA president Michael Adams isn’t anxious to fire another high-profile football man, and Greg McGarity, the new AD, is utterly sincere in his admiration for Richt. Indeed, Richt was the biggest beneficiary of Damon Evans’ midnight ride through Buckhead. The former AD’s often-stated goal was to win championships, and 6-6 in a season that coulda/shoulda been 9-3 wouldn’t have been received nearly as well by Richt’s former boss.
• He doesn’t see himself as the problem. For all his cordiality, Richt is a massively confident man. He hasn’t yet conceded that his stewardship is in real trouble. (Not many coaches would, it must be said.) Asked after the Auburn game how Georgia had gotten to 5-6, Richt leaned on the it-was-just-a-play-here-and-play-there crutch
I say again: I don’t think Richt is going anywhere, but I do think he should consider it. Because I’m not sure it’s going to get significantly better for him in Athens, and because the understanding Mr. McGarity mightn’t be so understanding if Georgia continues to be one play away. A coach gets paid $3 million to control his circumstances, not to be the victim thereof.
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324 comments Add your comment
david
November 30th, 2010
9:11 am
We will win all of our games next year and win the national title! We are ready!
Mr. Red
November 30th, 2010
9:12 am
Richard Dawson – Back at ya!
We’re criticized because we want to win championships and have a national powerhouse team. Instead we have a program thats in decline and will stay in decline until someone at UGA demands excellence!
MR won with Donnan recruits. He has been passed by in the coaching ranks by Saban, Meyer, Spurrier, Mullen, Petrino, Chizik, and even Les Miles. Where does this place UGA in the SEC? 7th best coach in the SEC at this time and it will only get worse!
Now we have the pervert LeMay to look forward to coming to UGA. A kid who has been suspended for his entire senior season in HS. WOW, MR sure can recruit the best, can’t he!
Urban Crier
November 30th, 2010
9:12 am
Call 911, I just found out another assistant
is leaving me. What is going on in Gainesville?
Mike
November 30th, 2010
9:13 am
Go Mark go and take BooBoo with you. Enough of UGA being a second level team in the SEC.
Elvis Dog
November 30th, 2010
9:13 am
Question: Why is everyone so supportive of CMR when Donnan gambles with Quincy Carter and has one down year and everyone wants his head. But for CMR it is different. How? Because Donnan was an a hole and mean to Lorn. Come on! I think firing Donnan was the right move because we were being aggressive and sending a message that we have high standards and we expect to compete with the top teams in the country. For some reason I guess us UGA fans don’t feel that way any more.
boots
November 30th, 2010
9:14 am
Mark, there is a major reason you left off for CMR not leaving: he wants to turn things around and win at Georgia. This is really the crux of the problem. That is, does he REALLY care? Does he still have the fire in the belly? If so, then he will succeed, and he should be given the chance to turn the ship. Every program has its down time. (Alabama was supposed to win going away this year and lost three. Florida was a top 10 team. Even Tech was pre-season top 20, and now look at them.) Anyway, CMR believes he can suceed and that he will succeed. If so, then he is the kind of man who sincerely wants to fullfill his duty and deliver results. THAT is the main reason he will stay.
5 reasons Mark Richt won’t leave UGA for Miami or anywhere | Y'all Sports
November 30th, 2010
9:15 am
[...] Read more of “5 reasons Mark Richt won’t leave UGA for Miami or anywhere” on AJC.com 11.30.10 [...]
Bob
November 30th, 2010
9:16 am
Your crusade waxeth wearisome.
Perhaps he won’t go anywhere because he is a man of his word, and one of the best damn coaches in college football.
Elvis Dog
November 30th, 2010
9:18 am
Boots, What is his plan?
shankit
November 30th, 2010
9:21 am
Prediction – Urban will resign and Florida
will hire Mullens back as the head coach.
Urban just lost another critical assistant coach.
dawgster
November 30th, 2010
9:22 am
Mark…i’m trying to figure out why CPJ gets a pass from you…i meand Coach Richt has beaten 2 out of 3 years…He continues to go against sound football by not taking field goals instead of always fgoing for it on fourth down…How many coaches around the country do that on a regular basis…I wonder how many times that has cost Tech…I mean Sat night they could have taken the lead in the game, which is huge in another opponents stadium…What about last year or this year when he abandoned the run that was working and started passing…You criticize Coach Richt and the dawgs for any coaching decision…Oh and why did Tech not try and tackle Ealey and force a fumble, he has shown the ability to do that this year, isn’t that sound football vs.quitting..Of all the years playing and coaching, not a single coach ever asked, nor have i, our team to not tackle an opponent, i mean how do you teach that….I’ve seen comments on here about Ealey should have fell down, well how many RB’s are taught to do that when they see open field in front of them…These are just a few things that i would point out, now i still think CPJ is a very good coach, thats not the point of my remarks, its just to have you open up your eyes instead of the constant negative remarks toward the dawgs and Coach Richt…The bottom line Mark is Coach Richt is 9-1 against Tech and 2-1 against CPJ..it really doesn’t matter which team played better or had better statistics or what coach made more blunders, it still goes in the “W” column for the dawgs for at least another year…go dawgs
Dr. Phil
November 30th, 2010
9:22 am
Richt was hired, like everyone else, to be another Adams puppet. A real president would have called Richt out seven or eight years ago when player arrests and misbehavior skyrocketed. Adams didn’t care as long as Richt won games and donations rolled in from fat cats. In the last three years, donations have pretty much mirrored team performance, and there was the disaster with Evans. Donations and support from the big boys that Adams lavishly entertained in Athens and New Orleans, have declined. I mean, what state legislator wants to go to a bowl game in Shreveport or Birmingham to watch a 6 and 6 team under perform. The overpaid Todd Grantham did nothing to stop the bleeding. In short, Adams can’t afford to dump Richt, and that is the main reason Richt will remain through 2013. During the remainder of Richt’s tenure, Georgia Tech and Auburn will sign the most talented players in the state.
JB
November 30th, 2010
9:22 am
The biggest reason he won’t leave. He’s working for a SEC school that being mediocre in Football is OK. You would think we are a ACC team by the No comment coming from the University President. I would like to Hear Adams say ” We want all our Athletic teams to strive to win championships. This has been a very disappointing season for our football team. I trust that AD McGarity is evaluating all facets of our program to get us where we want to be as a program, and that is champions.
Reality
November 30th, 2010
9:25 am
The ego of you people about the SEC is astounding. The SEC is NOT superior over other football conferences. They have NOT been superior over the last 15 years. The conference rankings change year to year….. some years it may be the SEC, but it most often rotates between all of the major conferences.
It is ONLY folks that are fans of SOME of the SEC schools that have blinders on and have the huge egos! It is really disgusting.
86 'em
November 30th, 2010
9:25 am
Fire CMR please. His window of excellence has closed, the program is treading water at this point, why does he get a pass.
Just like his truck commercials….he’s Found On Road Dead
Seriously....
November 30th, 2010
9:25 am
Mark Richt seems like a very Christian man, however, he is too nice to be a successful coach at thuga….Bring in someone such as Nick Saban and then your lousy program will FINALLY win another championship…
whocares
November 30th, 2010
9:26 am
LowCountry, so you are saying UGA goes 4-4 in the SEC next year? If that is the case, Richt is gone. Also, if he loses to Tenn,Fl, and S.C., he will finish in 4th in the East. Gone again. I don’t see anyway he turns this mediocre program around. He want fire his jogging buddy the S&C coach, he want get rid of BooBoo, and he can’t get rid of CTG. UGA doesn’t have a nose guard, the inside backers are too small, the corners can’t cover man to man, and the safties are terrible in run support. Too many problems on Defense, and no answers on campus. Offense, will be terrible next year. No dominant O.L., no big play threat at w.r., and no big play threat at r.b. UGA has a decent Q.B. that gets tight when the game is on the line, and that’s about it. So if UGA is going to hang it’s hat on a slightly above average q.b, with no playmakers on offense, and no playmakers on defense to turn this mess around, it want happen. Face facts UGA fans, no coaches, not enough talent=disaster in the SEC.
JJ's hair
November 30th, 2010
9:26 am
To All The Idiots That Can’t Read “The Hurricanes have worked mightily to clean up their image as Rogue U, and their president is Donna Shalala, who served in Bill Clinton’s Cabinet and isn’t about to let her school revert to being a rule-flouting football factory.” Now know that over 75% of student body is from NE US, they loved the wild old U and are torn apart by football slippage and leaving the Big East years ago. Since most of the JERKs making comments about the U couldn’t even qualify, much less be accepted into the U, it would behoove you to use your little computers and read about the U football program from the Sun Sentinel or the Miami Herald before making stupid comments about the U. Oh and by the way, how many Heisman winners and National Championships has either GA or Tech produced since 1983?
No Heisman’s and 1/2 NC; the U had 2 Heisman winners (has Tech ever had even 1?) and 5 NC (no 1/2 NC would be counted by the U).
Ben
November 30th, 2010
9:27 am
I’m still waiting on McGarity or Richt or SOMEONE to sell me that things will be better next year.
There is simply no way we lose 6 starters on Offense (including our #1 playmaker) and 7 starters on a Defense (if Boykin leaves, if not, 6) that was average at best and expect to somehow have things click.
The road to 5-7 is paved with good intentions.
I think Richt is circling the drain unfortunately.
Musa06
November 30th, 2010
9:27 am
I hope we keep Richt. I alos hope he eally wants to stay.
When Damon Evans interfered last year and basically forced/influenced Richt to drop Matinez, it hurt us this season.
Rome was not built in a day. Neither is a defense, offense, or special teams. I say give it some time for us to get the large linemen that the 3-4 necessitates. Weve got to have linement to keep the oppositions O-Line off of our interior linebackers. We are just a bit undersized still.
Honestly, we saw improvement in the offense this year. Weve seen improvement in the turnovers game. And most importantly weve seen improvement in the on-field penalties.
This off-season, lets look to improve the off-field drama and improve our defensive play. Look to see that the work is being done and that it is effective. As we improve and build we can have higher goals. Georgia fans are a bit foolish to think that every year is THE YEAR. We are a couple or a few years away from that point.
Ben Thenkin
November 30th, 2010
9:27 am
Nine great years and one bad one that was not all his fault (AJ suspension, new coaches and schemes, etc.)certainly deserves more respect than a lot of crazies are giving coach Richt.
Next season, after all the adjustments faced this season have been embedded, will put all these folks on the Richt bandwagon. He is a great head coach and UGA will suffer if he leaves. Show the man a little love.
Delores
November 30th, 2010
9:27 am
Mark,
You left off a big one:
6. Aaron Murray
Jason
November 30th, 2010
9:27 am
Good grief, Richt went to work on everything this season, he improved:
pass defense
rush defense
total defense
pass offense
total offense
scoring offense
socring defense
kick off coverage
turnovers
penalties
He made those improvements, and more. His game strategy is unrivalved, you don’t win 90 games in 9 seasons in the SEC being a poor strategist.
Mark, shocker, sometimes Freshman QB’s and a brand new defensive line don’t execute well.
But your propensity to BLAME RICHT FOR ALL BAD, and give RICHT NO CREDIT FOR ANY GOOD, is false.
Elvis Dog
November 30th, 2010
9:28 am
Reality, What conference has won the last 4 championships and will win again in 2010?
Rebel Ace
November 30th, 2010
9:28 am
He’s gone. Stay tuned.
Harold
November 30th, 2010
9:28 am
Reason #7
Christian Lemay.
danny
November 30th, 2010
9:29 am
$500,000. per win WOW!
Thnaks Mark, Thank you, Thank you
November 30th, 2010
9:30 am
85 grad, letterman, raised in Jax, FL, MR cannot, will not, never, ever be able to stand up to the pressure of playing FL.
Think of this, is thier not another school in the country that has the miserable 3 wins in 21 games against it’s biggest rival? Name another program in the country that has to put up with this?
Tebow finally departs, everyone was saying this summer, this is the moment to jump Florida. Florida just finished up 7-5. It took MR and Bobo and entire half to settle it’s team down, thus they loose a game they should’ve easily won.
And Adams, McGarity are telling us to tone down the focus on Florida? Does Ga’s brass, the guys who pay the bills for the Ath. Assoc. so wealthy that they can’t jet of to Colorado and hide after Florida, yet again winning? Do they not take it to the level of thier peers at Alabama, Auburn, Florida, who wouldn’t put up with Mark R. act and would’ve cut him loose a few weeks ago?
I dont’ get this program anymore.
Ron D
November 30th, 2010
9:30 am
Concur
Ben
November 30th, 2010
9:30 am
Reality, you’re on a southern football blog where one of the largest fanbases in the SEC come to post. What do you want? Get over yourself.
Done with you
November 30th, 2010
9:31 am
@crap sandwich
well said…..he was better 20 years ago when he wasn’t lazy and secure at the AJC.
JB
November 30th, 2010
9:31 am
whocares…………….people hate to read it, but you are correct….If next year is a flop, and Richt still stays, we are toast…….I’m still stunned a big Veteran OL could not push little Tech’s Defensive front enough to get a first down on fourth and one last Saturday. Stunned. I guess we kick a field goal against Fla,SC,Bama,LSU,AU………..should of kicked one against Tech .
shankit
November 30th, 2010
9:33 am
Georgia will not rebound until it starts getting
top recruits to stay at home.
Georgia will not get top recruits to stay at home
because of the fan base.
Who would want to come to Georgia and get
chopped up on these stupid blogs.
Big Bad Bruce
November 30th, 2010
9:33 am
With Richt as head coach even GT would have a decent team. That says a lot about his ability.
My God a Freshman!
November 30th, 2010
9:35 am
http://KeepMarkRicht.com/
dawgster
November 30th, 2010
9:35 am
Well i’ll try this again as it appears that my remarks didn’t get posted…Mark, let me ask you something..Wheres the criticism of CPJ regarding his coaching in the first quarter of the game Sat and not taking what should be a sure field goal..Getting a 3 point lead in your opponents stadium can be huge, but he constantly goes against sound football in many games by going for it on fourth down…don’t know many coaches that do that very often…I not saying that CPJ is not a good coach, i think he is, but it amazes the negative comments you continue to hang on the dawgs…Isn’t Coach Richt 9-1 and 2-1 against Tech and CPJ…doesn’t really matter whether the better team won or who had the better statistics or what coach did or did not outcoach the other…The bottom line is about getting the “W”…at least that is the way i always played it and coached it…also, how many times has a coach asked his team to quit and let a team score…Would it not have been better to tackle Ealey and force a fumble, i mean he has shown he is capable of doing that when given the opportunity…I have never had a coach from middle school thru college ever ask us to let the other team score…Should the dawgs have taken a knee everytime, perhaps, but doing that probably would have let Tech get the ball back, but to let the other team to score just goes against everything you are taught…Anyway my point is not to say CPJ is not a good coach, but just hoping you could actually give some credit to Coach Richt and his record against Tech..go dawgs..
PMC
November 30th, 2010
9:36 am
In regards to dicipline, players need to behave better. It is reasonable to expect 18-22 year olds to know how to behave when they get to school. Only so much baby sitting can be done. These men need to grow up and behave like men. It’s pathetic that grown men have to be baby sat. Do what you’re supposed to do and there won’t be any issues.
Jack
November 30th, 2010
9:36 am
I too think it is time for some of the bloggers/sports buffs to consider their jobs have worn out their welcome at AJC. AJC, get someone that is pro-UGA. These guys suck. The don’t dwell on the fact that UGA owns GA Tech(9 of 10 is an example, how long since GT beat us in Atlanta). UGA loves Atlanta dn Atlanta loves to have UGA in town. Why be so negative. Does your bosses ask you to be this way?
TommyJack
November 30th, 2010
9:36 am
No hate for Richt. But to deny that his teams are underachievers is folly.
Steiner
November 30th, 2010
9:37 am
Jim and Elvis Dog and Jeffro Bodeen and Mr. Red and Richard Dawson====STUPID DAWG FANS OR GT TROLLS—–GET A LIFE BOYS, NOBODY IS LISTENING TO YOU…..
robodawg
November 30th, 2010
9:38 am
C’mon now, Richt may have a lot of players getting booked for stupid stuff, but he’s hardly too ‘Rogue U.’ for Miami. And the players who were more than just stupid got kicked off the team — hardly a culture of permissiveness. At the old Miami, those offenses would’ve been winked at.
WDE
November 30th, 2010
9:40 am
Hopefully he will leave, so as an opposing fan I can actually wish for him to do well somewhere else. He’s much too classy for UGA.
bjohndawg
November 30th, 2010
9:40 am
With this schedule
Boise State
South Carolina
Coastal Carolina
@ Ole Miss
Miss St.
@ UT
@ Vandy
UF
New Mexico St.
Auburn
UK
@ Tech
dont be surprised if the Dawgs go 9-3 or 10-2 . And finishes second in th East.And they go to the OutBack Bowl. And if that happens than Richt will get another year.With the reason being that ” he is so close to turning it around.”
It’s like watching the same bad movie over and over, expecting the outcome to be different. You know the ending, but your hoping the zit faced kid running the project took some tape and spliced a better finish. Only it never happens. The zit faced kid is eating popcorn and reading girl magazines and “Woooh, Quick to the Slow”.
Anyway, I would rather watch War and Peace and The thornbirds back to back then to watch another game where we are passing the ball at will and suddenly Bobo decides we need to run the wild Dawg. Or where Georgia has the opposing team in 3rd and 19 and they get a first down on a screen pass. Or another press conference where Richt says” We just are not getting the breaks, one or two plays our way and we win.” Or another game where we are up 21-7 and decide to go conservative.
If Richt is not willing to make the changes necessary, then the changes need to be made for him…and to him.
AD McGarity…..time to give up the popcorn, and splice a different ending.
Move on
November 30th, 2010
9:41 am
Bad man. Bad coach. Time to move on.
JB
November 30th, 2010
9:42 am
Shankit………….You don’t think the fans in Alabama take losing serious ?
root4au
November 30th, 2010
9:42 am
UGA’s demise started when they started dancing to the solja boy on the field.
Dead Mike
November 30th, 2010
9:42 am
Bring back Donnan!
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 30th, 2010
9:42 am
Steiner if you responded to them then you did LISTEN or really Read what they said and were stupid enough to respond.
Larry
November 30th, 2010
9:43 am
Sad to say but the way it is at Georgia now is not whether they will compete for the SEC title next year but will they win enough games to qualify for a bowl.
Dawg_Mike
November 30th, 2010
9:44 am
GA just ran off 7 games in a row of scoring more than 30 points per game. Not even the mighty AU and Arky offenses can say this.
Having said that, GA dropped 2 of those games due to their inability to make stops on D.
The D has issues that will be addressed via recruting. The O has issues going forward that will not be addressed by recruiting, unless Crowell makes UGA his choice and he has immediate impact, like number 21 did for SC.