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
Les W. Moore
November 30th, 2010
10:35 am
Mark, well done. Needed to be said.
Mutt fans, you tickle me.
Mark Richt rescued your sorry football program in his first two years. He then provided your FIRST SEC TITLE IN OVER 20 YEARS then a second soon afterwards. Sure, the winning average has dropped from 10 to something much lower but where would you be without him? Seeking your first SEC title in 30 years.
Get on your knees and kiss this man’s feet. You could very easily be Kentucky, Ole Miss, Clemson, or Tech for that matter.
Bulldog Colonel
November 30th, 2010
10:37 am
All you smart folks calling for a new head coach need a reality check.
Odds are you are worse off than before. Don’t believe….take a look a Michigan….remember Notre Dame?….What about Alabama pre Saban? Oh, and don’t forget, Florida lost 5 games this year.
Be careful what you ask for….you might get it.
Matthews Dawg
November 30th, 2010
10:38 am
I almost took the bait, but I won’t comment on the column. There are a few bloggers (who have the right to their opinion, just as I do)all you do is say “Fire CMR”!! We all have heard you! He is staying and you all need to get over it and either “get on the bus with us all, or get OFF the bus”! You are either with us or against us! It’s not blind loyalty, it’s backing who is in charge and giving them 100% backing. If you can’t do that, then YES I do question you as a Dawg. B/c all you do is gripe and cause strife! We have people like Bradley and Schultz to cause all of that. We don’t need our supporters do it with them. If we don’t win next year, then the “powers that be” will make tough decisions. As long as CMR is the head coach, I’m with him and the team. If someone new comes in then I’m with them. You all let Bradley and company stir the pot way too much! Go Dawgs!!
JB
November 30th, 2010
10:38 am
td……………I lost you at sentence three….The first rule of blogging……quick and to the point.
90% of people who read a newspaper article quit after the first paragraph.
Matthews Dawg
November 30th, 2010
10:44 am
TD….great post! The D will and has to get better! We need D linemen and the offense score a lot of points! We hold a few people and we wipe out a couple of those losses. Go Dawgs!!
The General Feeling
November 30th, 2010
10:45 am
If a college football coach cannot make it at UGA, then he cannot make it anywhere. The state of Georgia is the third most talent-rich state for college football talent and only has a lowly ACC school top compete against. So the Bulldogs are talented-enough every year to at least win it’s division.
Therefore, Mark Richt is a poor coach. So I hope he stays a long time….
reebok
November 30th, 2010
10:46 am
He might wish he’d gone to Miami after he loses to Boise State and S Carolina to start next season. I only see 3 sure wins on the schedule, maybe 3 more that the Dogs should win, and the remainder could go either way. Will the Bulldog Nation support a 7-5 campaign and again being a non-factor in the SEC?
Gary
November 30th, 2010
10:47 am
No chance what so ever for nine wins next year. Did you see the seniors leaving at the game on Saturday. Add AJ to the list. That does not leave much talent for next year. Certainly not enough for nine wins.
td
November 30th, 2010
10:47 am
JB
November 30th, 2010
10:38 am
td……………I lost you at sentence three….The first rule of blogging……quick and to the point.
90% of people who read a newspaper article quit after the first paragraph
How about this then: President Adams meddling is the real problem and until he is fired then the football team will never be a consistent winner.
juvenal
November 30th, 2010
10:48 am
& the u has done what with ACC academic oversight? & fsu, for that matter?…if he stays because he beats Tech, i’m not that worried, most have been close & we usually beat ourselves………
dawgster
November 30th, 2010
10:48 am
@MatthewsDawg…very good remarks, couldn’t have said it any better…believe me there are more like us than these blogs would have you to believe…The bottom line is you support your program and its players, let the AD and others make decisions regarding changes that need to be made…I will put my trust in them than to what many of the negative bloggers say, most of them are not truly dawg fans, oh maybe they jumped on the bandwagon when we were going good, but when it gets tough as it does at any program in time, they jump off…go dawgs
juvenal
November 30th, 2010
10:48 am
& the u has done what with ACC academic oversight? & fsu, for that matter?…if he stays because he beats Tech, i’m not that worried, most have been close & we usually beat ourselves………
Where o Where
November 30th, 2010
10:48 am
If I were Mark Richt, I would stay another year, live off what I made this year, put every penny of the 3 million I earn next year in the bank…and then retire and do mission work. Who needs the hassle/
OkefenokeeDawg
November 30th, 2010
10:49 am
Donna Shalala worked for Bill Clinton and is anti-sleaze? Haha!
Think About It
November 30th, 2010
10:54 am
CMR can hear all the 9 win to 11 win talk or go to the U and have 3 to 4 years of peace. He can work for “Behind the Hedges” Mikey Adams or Donna keep Shannon. He can be seen as a past employee of Damon Red Under Pants Evans and the current employee of the Temp AD and the future employee of ……. or work at Da U with an in place stable AD. CMR can wash his hands of his current staff and past recruits. Everyone will be new to him at Da U. The man is crazy if he stays!
Paul in RDU
November 30th, 2010
10:54 am
#1 reason CMR stays – ego.
You don’t get to the top of your profession, win all those games, have all that confidence in yourself and then leave to avoid the heat. Only coach in a major sport/league I can think of who took a distinct step down was Herb Sendek and he left because he had lost the support of the alumni
Derek
November 30th, 2010
10:56 am
Mark,
Could it possibly be that Richt will not leave because:
1. He is loyal to UGA. 2. He loves UGA football. 3. He is honest when he says that he wants to finish his career in Athens. 4. He is committed to the program. Mark Richt is the best thing that ever happened to UGA football. Adams and AD know it, most clear thinking fans know it and deep down you must know it also. The finest coach in UGA history will not soon be fired.
OkefenokeeDawg
November 30th, 2010
10:58 am
Derek = Kathryn Richt
Pago Pago DAWG
November 30th, 2010
10:58 am
Why would anybody want to live/coach in that cess pool …”thug u”?
FSU Alum
November 30th, 2010
11:01 am
Richt is the last of Bobby Bowden’s disciples still coaching as a head coach at a major level. Brad Scott and Chuck Amato lost their head coaching jobs. Bowden’s sons no longer have head coaching jobs at major universities. None really took the Bowden magic that papa had at FSU. At he had to be pulled out by his legs screaming “no.” The writing’s on the wall for Mark.
Sorry
November 30th, 2010
11:02 am
9 wins next season is a pipe dream with the addition of boise.
fla is a loss again. auburn is a toss up. dooly may have tenn back and that game is at ut where ga struggles. sc is likely a loss. and who knows what gt and miss st will be like.
i see 7-5 as a likely result.
Outside the Perimeter
November 30th, 2010
11:02 am
Allow some clear thinking from an area that pssesses most of the brains in GA. “OTP:”
If CMR with his cronies can produce an SEC Championship next year given what he has to work with and the staff (I use that term loosely)he noww has, he will be right up there with the Immaculate Conception, trust me.
All the talent from a talent-rich state goes to waste with the coach from Athens.
m
November 30th, 2010
11:06 am
Mark Richt is the chan gomer gailey of athens.
And thank God and Greyhound he is gone….even if idiots like Bark Madley continue to prop him up.
Jimmy the Geek
November 30th, 2010
11:14 am
Writers have been trying to get Richt fired for 10 years.
No luck yet.
Perhaps they are CLUELESS about JUST HOW GOOD Richt is.
Hint: Longest tenure in cut-throat SEC.
Jimmy the Geek
November 30th, 2010
11:16 am
hEY lONE bLOGGER, sIR pOST A lOT, (aka m/outside/sorry/fsu alum/etc. & 90% of all posts here–could they all be the same person? No!)
Using all your fake names again to bash Richt eh? Bored? My, what a futile waste of time.
ugaclassof2004
November 30th, 2010
11:24 am
Our program just needs a new fresh start. Richt has lost 14 games in the last 3 years. Once is an accident, twice is a trend, and three times is a problem. Except for 2007, you can really say UGA has underachieved 4 out of the last 5 years! Personally I think Richt has gotten lethargic as well as the vast majority of our fanbase, most of whom make excuses for his subpar performance. Well I’m sorry, but as an alum and ticket holder, I feel I have the right to demand more from a program like UGA that has the resources to be successful. Florida, LSU, and Bama have all won National Titles in the last 4 years, and Auburn is likely to win one this year. UGA has similar or better resources than these schools and should be on the inside looking out instead of the outside looking in with regards to National Titles. But from as far as I can tell, little pressure has been put on Richt. So the way I look at it is if our fanbase is satisfied with 6-6 and giving up 34 points to a team we should destroy in Ga. Tech, then hey keep Richt. But personally, I expect more for my money, and I don’t think that’s an unfair expectation. The ” Grass might not always be greener on the other side”, but at this point its certainly worth the risk. Because contray to popular belief, we can find PLENTY of coaches capable of winning more than 6 games.
gunter
November 30th, 2010
11:26 am
Bradley, give it up. Coach Richt is staying and most Ga fans are glad. You need to get over the arrest issues also………majority of them were traffic/vehicle/drinking issues. Boys being boys. I know you are dissappointed that you couldn’t influence Coach Richt’s future.
AltamahaDawg
November 30th, 2010
11:26 am
Did anybody catch Kelin Johnson basically lobbying Richt for the Miami job last night. The host seeemed almost embarrased and had to say, But, but, YOU Kelin, do want him to stay at Georgia right?
I’m not a fan of Kelin on that show BTW, Stinchcolmb was 10 times better. he gave actual information. There only so many ways a guy can talk about “representing”, before his obviously lack of preparation shows.
Matthews Dawg
November 30th, 2010
11:30 am
Dawgster…thanks! I’m am tired of all the negative comments. Things haven’t been good the last 2 years. But, I will back them until there is a change. Let’s face it, ALL coaches are hired to be fired! Well, that is true for about 99% of them. JoePa is about the only one that I can think of that gets to stay as long as he wants. They haven’t won many NC either. But, he is a great coach and so many thought the game had passed him by, but I guess he showed us all. Time will tell on CMR. I for one hope he proves he IS the head coach that UGA needs. I personally think he will. He’s a great coach and a man of character! There are not too many out there in today’s world with character! Go Dawgs!!!
wdm
November 30th, 2010
11:30 am
3 Reasons Mark Bradley Can’t Leave the AJC. 1) Tenure. For all of us who have read his columns through the years, one thing is abundantly clear; unless he is belittling someone, he has nothing to offer. Tenure is the only reason Mark Bradley is still around because it dang sure ain’t for substance. 2) AJC management is oblivious to why their newspaper circulation continues to decline. For whatever reason, AJC management hasn’t figured out that haters like Mark Bradley are no longer in demand. The public is past the childishness of know-it-all but have never actually done anything, self absorded columnist. Remember, who, what, when, where, and why? Mark Bradley has never even heard of it. 3) Apparently, some people love to suffer through life. If Georgia athletics are so bad, what are you still doing here Mark Bradley. Go land a job in the town where you actually like the sports teams. Oh yeah, I forgot, your articles are so lame, so less than mediocre, you can’t get a job anywhere else. Putdown and smear reporters and columnist are a dime a dozen. Why does Mark Bradley, a reporter for our state legal organ, have such a vendetta against the coaches and players of our states athletic teams and universities, it is rather obvious…he is jealous. He is envious. He knows in his lifetime he will never obtain what Mark Richt has. Plain and simple, Mark Bradley is a jealous little crybaby because he can’t make it to the level he wanted in life and someone else has.
Dirty Dawg
November 30th, 2010
11:31 am
For an instant there when I read he headline of your piece Bradley, I had a thought that just maybe you were gonna say something nice about Mark Richt….but noooooo! I don’t know what had gotten into me. Maybe I thought that you were gonna practice a little objectivity, but then ‘columnists’ aren’t required to be objective, and you clearly have what was referred to above as ‘an agenda’. Then I tried to ask myself, why?
Do you just dislike the University of Georgia so much that anything you can do to undermine and criticize the institution and those associated with it is fair game?
Are you, as has also been mentioned, simply interested in ‘hits’ so you can show off for whoever pays your salary (it sure ain’t a Georgia grad – where is Jim Minter when you need him) and you know that you can easily ‘get a fight started’ by poking a stick up a Bulldog’s butt.
And speaking of that, is it that you’ve become such a Paul Johnson ‘B-Boy, that you’ll take any opportunity to find fault with Mark Richt? Is that your problem ‘bumpee’?
I suppose I could go on and come up with any number of motivations – or as you put it, ‘reasons why Mark Bradley likes to stick it to Georgia’, but I think I’ll just settle in on that you just don’t like us, or for that matter, you don’t like being in Georgia at all, do you? If so, you can go back to Kentucky anytime you like, you won’t be missed by me and a few others.
question?
November 30th, 2010
11:32 am
2011 uga schedule
Boise State
South Carolina
Coastal Carolina
@ Ole Miss
Miss St.
@ UT
@ Vandy
UF
New Mexico St.
Auburn
UK
@ Tech
Where are 9 wins? You certainly cannot pencil in a ‘W’ against Boise (even the most delusion UGA fan would have to agree). The same thing can be said for USCe, Miss St, UT, and Auburn. Florida is Florida…You have to assume UGA loses that game.
Those are 6 games alone that could all potentially be losses with or without AJ.
Richt may very well go 7-5, or 6-6 next season, in which case, he is history
WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!!!
November 30th, 2010
11:34 am
hey losers…just wanted to remind you to watch a real team with a real coach in atlanta this weekend. glad you’ll get to play in the dome next year to start the season – it will be your only chance.
ps, nick says hello and hopes you enjoyed watching him and the defense knock bama qb out of the game
G
November 30th, 2010
11:35 am
Bradley…I guess we all have to resign ourselves to the fact you are going to continue to pile on this man every week… This dude has really done something to you, huh?
sebastion
November 30th, 2010
11:38 am
Hate to break it to you Mr. Bradley, but I can tell you with a very good degree of reliability that Miami is not interested in Mark Richt. That is nothing but internet chatter.
wildbill
November 30th, 2010
11:41 am
Lets assume CMR stays on the job. Next year, Boise State and South Carolina will clean our clock. The noise will be deafening for CHANGE. Crap, I have heard that before. Now, lets assume CMR goes and the fresh start can begin now.
Tdawg money
November 30th, 2010
11:42 am
I agree with much of what M. Bradley said….save 1 comment. He referred to Damon Evans as “Richt’s former boss”. That is utterly ridiculous. Everybody with any knowledge of Damon and the athletic dept knew/knows that Damon was a token….a non-decision making lightweight…..a front boy for Pres. Michael Adams. Think about it. he NEVER negotiated a contract. He never even hired anybody save a few secretaries. When a coaching postion came available, he made one phone call…..to a professional search firm to give him a name to submit to the Dept. Sorry if this hurts anybody, but it is the absolute truth…..and people in the know, well, they know it.
Coach Cool
November 30th, 2010
11:46 am
Georgia – big name school? Really?
I don’t think they get very much run other than where they (continue) to play (Southeast U.S.)
That being said, however, the NFL loves the Bulldogs (except the Falcons.)
Pecan
November 30th, 2010
11:49 am
Mark, what did CMR do to tick you off so badly?
GTBob
November 30th, 2010
11:49 am
I think Mark is right. Richt isn’t going anywhere. He will ride it out until he gets canned and then find another job. Nobody throws away that much money regardless of how hot their seat is.
OkefenokeeDawg
November 30th, 2010
11:50 am
You may be too optimistic with 7 or 6 wins in ‘11, “question?”.
Assuming our D will be better because Saban’s 2nd D at Bama was better, I ask, who’s replacing Houston, and where’s our Mt Cody?
Anybody who thinks our O will be as good next year, without AJ, Durham, and 3 OL, and Bobo still in charge of the offense, is in denial.
Pecan
November 30th, 2010
11:51 am
War D— Eagle, a little giddy after beating the Dawgs for the first time in a while, aren’t you?
Where o Where
November 30th, 2010
11:52 am
Ah, War Damn Eagle…we cleaned your damn clock four years in a row. See you again next year and let’s hear you talk then. Enjoy Scam and the whole delusional world you are in right now….the probation and forfeits are coming.
Matt the Brave
November 30th, 2010
11:53 am
Mark, I don’t think that this staff stays intact, though. Who do you think will get the blame for a 6-6 regular season? What happens if we lose the bowl game (a distinct possibility)?
Dontavius Supremo
November 30th, 2010
11:55 am
Very well written, Mr. B. You are spot on.
OkefenokeeDawg
November 30th, 2010
11:57 am
WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!!!,
You are as bad as the Clemson fans back in the 80s when Charley Pell and Danny Ford got the Tigers on major probation. Fans brought signs that read, “Best Team Money Can Buy!” and they brought a huge banner that read, “On Probation But Still Kicking Ass.”
Be loud. Be proud, WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!!!
Dawg Fan
November 30th, 2010
12:01 pm
You and Jeff are negative to the core. The two of your can’t write any thing positive abour UGA or CMR. I am sick and tired of the AJC and their negative writings about a great school and a great program.
DawginTX
November 30th, 2010
12:03 pm
Enter your comments here
producewiz
November 30th, 2010
12:04 pm
think Richt and Uhhban ought to get together on how to hire compentent assistants?Dan Mullen and Charlie Strong have not been replaced at Florida, at 25% of their ability.Both hired D.Cs. from the NFL where they had assistant jobs. Might have been a reason..
Steve Johnson
November 30th, 2010
12:08 pm
It’s all God’s fault.