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
Pitbull
November 30th, 2010
2:46 pm
You suck, Bradley. Where’s the article criticizing CPJ after going 6-6 in the weak ACC? Oh yeah, you write for the AJC, Tech’s unofficial PR department.
Perhaps you should be registered as an official recruiter for Tech based on your previous article. The NCAA should consider it.
RussDawg
November 30th, 2010
2:46 pm
Give him till 2012 to have this team back in contention for the SEC title or hit the bricks.
I agree if Damon “red panties” Evans was there he might be gone now but I doubt the new sheriff
will put up with 10 – 11 arrest and 6-6 or 7-5 for very long.
Get to the point this program is headed in the wrong direction for the past few years. At least since that debacle in the dome against the WV hillbillies and something has to be done at the top.
Supes
November 30th, 2010
2:49 pm
Auburn will be taking a nose dive back to the middle tier of the SEC next year…FACT!
You don’t think that Newton (was money well spent?) was important to that team going to the record that it did so far this season??? If you think you can simply replace him you are DELUSIONAL. Ask any level headed FLA fan how easy it has been to replace a similar type player in TIM TEBOW.
Auburn fans…next year you are AT BEST 8 maybe 9 wins depending on how other teams do as far as replacing their own players (Bama is biggest question mark with their QB graduating)
The arrogance of Auburn fans and their refusal to see the reality of the situation has greatly changed my perception of Auburn BLOG fans on this site. I know many Auburn grads/fans personally and they aren’t nearly as arrogant and blind as you AUBURN HOMERS on this these blogs.
hatfieldgeoff
November 30th, 2010
2:49 pm
Come on, Bradley,
Can’t you stop the cheap shots on Richt. Comparing the 11 arrest (mostly driving with suspended licenses) with the uzi firing, drug dealing, Miami of the 90s is just stupid and more cheap shots. I’m sure if Miami presidents wants a clean program Richt would be at the top of her list of choices. If Richt doesn’t win he will get fired but these ridiculous comparisons just make you look bad. Your once well thought-out columns now appear to be arbitary thoughts you had while in the bathroom stall. By comparison, if you were a football coach you’d be under .500.
harold
November 30th, 2010
2:51 pm
GEORGIA HAS ACCEPTED MEDOCRITY! GREAT NEWS FOR THE REST OF THE SEC!
Supes
November 30th, 2010
2:51 pm
Any UGA fans looking at our 2011 schedule and already giving possible predictions – may wanna hold up and see what happens between now and the BOISE STATE game next year. Just a cautionary tale…preseason stuff is just that. There is no way to know how good KY will be next year or UT, or FLA or anyone else until we see them play in 2011.
Joe Cox
November 30th, 2010
2:59 pm
Some of you people are foolish. With AJ Green, Aaron Murray, Orson Charles, and Kris Durham any OC in college football could average way over 30 points. Just because UGA scored some points dosen’t mean they came anywhere close to reaching their potential. With Bobo’s undying affection for the play action pass in situations where everyone knows it is a pass is ridiculous. Simply put Bobo is the most predicdable and unimaginative OC I have ever seen on any level.
Red and Black
November 30th, 2010
3:00 pm
Very good points Sam!
KaliDogg
November 30th, 2010
3:02 pm
“I’m a Dawg fan and I support Coach Richt – he needs to make some tough decisions on his staff right away or drastically improve for that to continue.”
Uh, looks like you actually agree with Mr. Bradley. And, besides, why try to run a sportswriter out of town? To make UGA a better team? I’m aware of the “it’s not the coach, it’s the players” defense (which, by the way, Mack Brown at Texas shot full of holes yesterday), but it’s a bit of a stretch to think either the team or the program are going to improve if a writer stops writing about it.
Oh, one more thing. I have two wonderful daughters, both in their 20’s. Neither has ever had a traffic ticket or any, much less several, missed court appearances.
I’ve got a new slogan for CMR and his fans, for next Fall’s practice t-shirts (in the Erk Russell tradition — at GA Southern),…..
“No Excuses”
Has a nice “ring” to it.
takedowndawg
November 30th, 2010
3:03 pm
Wreckntech, your whole premise that Coach Richt is not similar to EX-COACH Fulmer was that we have better recruits. Wasn’t that your premise?. What I am suggesting is that because of our lack of success with the talent that WE HAVE HAD over the last 4 years, the better recruits will CONTINUE the bleed out to our other competitors in the SEC and ACC in our region. Don’t begin to say that they are not going. Because, they have over the last three years. I think the departure begin about three years ago and it will accelerate with the winning records that Coach Richt has accumulating. We have a preacher here in our town that started out great with our church, but after about 5 years tenure he and about 5 other individuals decided that we needed to build the largest, most elaborate church in county. The church had two services about 3/4 and 1/2 full. They read ONE study that 15,000 individuals would be moving into our area in a ten year period. One problem though. The 15,000 moving into the area were predominately Catholic and this was a Baptist Church! The Church that holds 3000+ is about 1/3 full for one service and 1/4 full for the second. The real problem begin when the preacher begin BELIEVING that HE was the future and HE and his close advisers were the answers, that the church begin declining. The church has lost 25% of its pre-mega church membership. I don’t want to see GEORGIA lose its talent to surrounding COMPETITORS like what we saw during the 90’s, by waiting too long and tolerating too much. Go DAWGSSSS!!!!!!
Andy in Blairsville
November 30th, 2010
3:22 pm
The program wouldn’t be so profitable if its fans quit rewarding poor performance. If you really want Richt to leave send UGA’s purse a message and stop attending games and buying overpriced apparel.
That said, UGA will be a 6 or 7 win team next season and Richt will still not be forced out.
JFKDawg
November 30th, 2010
3:35 pm
First, let me acknowledge that MB’s prime focus in writing articles such as this are based on how many hits he can create on this website and how many comments he can generate, not necessarily rational thought. Trying to equate Miami and its history of thuggery to that of UGA is laughable. A year or two of minor issues versus a multiple year legacy of “Da U” is crazy talk, even for Bradley. I would bet transgressions are more tolerated in Cape Coral than Athens. Those who are actually graduates of UGA have a different perspective than the typical yahoo who waffles from team to team based on this year’s record. Lastly, since the NCAA did away with Athletic dorms, how would you suggest Richt to keep tally of all his players? Trying to hold hands with them all as they go through their daily lives seems a bit ambitious. Each UGA player was recruited and offered by the same schools such as FL, AL and Auburn. I would suggest that these schools and their associated towns better tolerate the driving with a suspended license or other such trivial transgressions.
bill
November 30th, 2010
3:43 pm
Iv’e asked before and I’ll ask again, how are we going to be better next year loosing AJ and Durham, and our next leading receiver has 4 or 5 catches on the year.Running game alredy hurting and loosing our best blocker in the fullback, and loosing a couple of lineman. Only 2 plyers, Houston and Dent, on defense and loosing both. All the hopes and dreams in the workd wont change the facts. (Oboma) It is nice to have hope but reality is what it is as Rich likes to say. If we win 6 games next year, it will be a good year. Someone anyone please tell me how its is going to be better. When people accept what is happening at UGA this is what you will contimue to get. I know we who want better are all idiots, morons, stupid and non-fans as that is the common theme among most who want to stay the same.
td
November 30th, 2010
4:22 pm
bill
November 30th, 2010
3:43 pm
“I know we who want better are all idiots, morons, stupid and non-fans”
Could not have said it better myself. AJ and Houston (if he leaves) will be the hardest to replace. All the Freshmen and Sophomore DL and LB will be more mature, we have some depth in the OL now, the RB’s will be better, and King, Brown and maybe some Freshman WR can step into the role. CTG will have a year under his belt and the D will be better next year.
I will be the first to predict that we beat BS like a drum in the opening game next year. SC will be back to normal next year, Auburn will be way down because I think they are starting 18 seniors this year and Cam will probably be declared ineligible. Tenn has another couple of years to build because LK left their cupboards bare. I can count anywhere from 8 to 11 wins next year.
chuck powell
November 30th, 2010
5:00 pm
bradley why not make everbodys day and go jump in a pile of s*^%
former dawg fan
November 30th, 2010
6:19 pm
If that azzhole wont do the honorable thing and quit his job then I guess the fans and recruits will just have to go elsewhere.
What a loser this character is.
IlliniDawg
November 30th, 2010
7:58 pm
MB: to even mention Donna Shalala and U-Miami in the same breath as UGA and Mark Richt is astounding – and anathema! This is oil and water. The two are so completely different.
Shalala is by all accounts one of the most liberal members of Clinton’s cabinet – a woman who as Chancellor at UW-Madison instituted a hate speech code that was deemed overstepping by her colleagues and declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. No coach at UGA would fit in at U-Miami and very very few students would feel comfortable on that campus. I went there for a year and had to leave – I was literally the only person on my floor born south of the Mason-Dixon line and who did not snort coke. Absolutely true! God how I hated that place!!!
IlliniDawg
November 30th, 2010
8:04 pm
Oh, and just to add to that – four of the guys on my floor were football players (this was before they had an athletic dorm). And these guys were some of the biggest coke-snorters in the dorm! I transferred to UGA, where my cousin was on the football team and several of my friends were varsity athletes. The worst any of those guys/girls did was drink a few too many PBRs.
Glory Glory
November 30th, 2010
9:00 pm
IlliniDawg – yeah, that makes perfect sense… “every” student is a coke-snorter at Miami and the worst that Dawg players do is participate in a little too much drinking… yeah, right. You wouldn’t be a bit biased now would you?
Glory Glory
November 30th, 2010
9:06 pm
Reason #6 – Richt has a nice termination clause. Why wouldn’t he stick around until he gets dumped? It’s the best thing for his family and he gets some cushion to go into broadcasting until the next great offer comes along (which it will). Richt isn’t going anywhere folks so settle down and stick around for the ride. If he doesn’t improve the win/loss record next year things will take care of themselves… meaning he will be forced out. But you can’t expect the man to leave money on the table to go somewhere else.
mcdaviddawg
November 30th, 2010
9:22 pm
There are going to be a lot of empty seats next year. Richt is going to set the program back years. We ended this year in a tie with Tenn. How can that be with the talent avialable. Same coach same results. Richt is worse than a bad coach, he doesn’t coach at all. If it’s a preacher you folks want we can get a top one for a hundred thousand and save a lot of money and still lose.
DawgNoMore
November 30th, 2010
9:23 pm
It is unbleivable how other big names schools(Florida, LSU, Auburn, Alabama) gives their head coach a few years max to turn a program around and win a national championship otherwise “hit the road, jack”. CMR has had 10 years and with a few exceptions of a SEC championship, he has done absolutely nothing. He is satisfied every year with with a 7-4 record for such a prominent program such as UGA.
I truly respected U of Miami this weekend when they fired Shannon after only 3 years. Their philosophy: “We want to return Miami to national prominence”. Why can’t UGA adopt a similar philosophy rahter than dealing with such lackluster effort from an over-stayed coach.
Reality
November 30th, 2010
9:28 pm
This is the ONLY cycle that uga goes through….
Step 1: Our recruiting class is top 10! Go dawgs!
Step 2: We are pre-season top 10! Go dawgs!
Step 3: Off season arrests.
Step 4: Loss to Florida.
Step 5: Loss to Auburn/Alabama.
Step 6: Loss to another lower tier team (ie: Kentucky).
Step 7: Drop out of top 25.
Step 8: Beat Tech.
Step 9: Pitiful bowl.
Step 10: Wait ’till next year.
Repeat.
jerry
November 30th, 2010
9:29 pm
Just what number does Richt have to hit? 6 and he’s gone. 7 and probably gone. 8 and maybe gone-but depends on who the 8 were against. 9+ and he stays for sure.
Smiling Jack
November 30th, 2010
9:35 pm
The bloggers on this site who demand anything from CMR and who stoop to name calling and all the trash I read here are in no position to demand anything. You kow it all but have no real answers, no real solutions, only vicious name calling and charater assisnation. Get real and get a life and get some real meaning in your life. Go Bulldogs and right on with CMR!
Smiling Jack
November 30th, 2010
9:36 pm
By the way, DEMAND EXCELLENCE OF YOURSELF! What a bunch of losers.
Nahila
November 30th, 2010
9:37 pm
Lest we forget, Mark Richt had his entire immediate family eventually move to Athens. Even is brother in law moved to Athens from Tallahassee, Fl. from a multi million dollar mansion. His mother also moved to Athens and his father although divorced from his mother also moved to Athens. I have lost track if more moved in or if some moved out, but the Richt family I believe is sold on UGA, Athens and the State of Georgia and I believe that the football team with this to be determined football recruit class may well be just what the Doctor ordered and if we can get better blocking for the run and pass, add some more super sized defensive linemen, we may well run the table next year as our defense will have another year of learning the 3-4 defense and Murray is an accurate passer and furnished some more fast pass catching ends and flankers, UGA will be a scoring machine, add some bigger backs for depth and UGA is there.
With the absence of a big fullback next year and no 2011 recruit in site to fill the position, the spread offense may be where UGA is headed unless there is a big talented walk on or two in our future or someone moves from the line to fullback because they could not gain enough weight to play on the offensive or defensive lines. Of course they could run 2 quality backs in the same backfield and remain in the present offense like Auburn did several years ago..Time will soon tell.
Smiling Jack
November 30th, 2010
9:38 pm
When you are excellent…you may have a right to demand excellence of some one else. But, even than it’s debatable.
Shut down the AJC
November 30th, 2010
9:43 pm
Bradley….Reading your column is like picking up POOP off the ground. You columns have made you the second coming of Terrance Moore, with the exception you don’t blame everthing on white people.
Whats up Booboo
November 30th, 2010
9:52 pm
Who runs UGA football? C M. Bobo is married to a Dooly niece with bunch of kids to support. I just sayin……
Shut down the ajc
November 30th, 2010
9:53 pm
I miss Schlabaugh…O that’s right, I can go watch Talkin’ Football.
Whats up Booboo
November 30th, 2010
9:56 pm
McDaviddawg, you’re wrong, we can get a preacher and a priest for $100,000. Might win more games! One to bail them out and one to hear confession.
Really ?
November 30th, 2010
9:57 pm
This s h i t is contrived to make it appear that Richt has some value. Aint nobody interested in his sorry a s s .
waytogoRicht
November 30th, 2010
10:06 pm
Mark, unfortunately you pretty much nailed it with your five reasons, unfortunately. Richt certainly doesn’t deserve to stay based on recent incompetence(notably since Alabama in 2008)as manifested by no blocking for the run or the pass against competition better than La-Laf; slide off, no wrap up tackling; getting overpowered in the SEC; losing to Colorado this year-how????; just being clueless; coaching down, not up players; under Richt there is no reason to see things will be better ever.
B
November 30th, 2010
10:10 pm
I wish Mark Bradley could get an offer to go to Miami or Colorado…..or Obknoxville!
Do you get a bonus for stirring up all of this? What about something constructive?
Can You Dig It
November 30th, 2010
10:11 pm
All you Richt haters..and that includes you Bradley…are full of crap. The only thing wrong with the Georgia football program is the defense. I’m not sure we currently have the players to play a 3-4 defense…we lost five really good DL’S to graduation last year and don’t have anyone to fill the void at this time…..If Richt can get a good recruiting class put together this year…especially defensive help, the Dawgs will be just fine next year and beyond…..Let’s face it…didn’t 95% of the people on this blog …including Bradley think that Bama was going to win the SEC this year? Guess what…Bama lost three games…so much for Saban’s great coaching….sh-t happens in the SEC and always will. The teams that panic and fire their coach don’t usually turn things around right away…just ask Bama fans…until Saban they sucked for ten years….Stay the course with Richt Georgia….you’ll be glad you did in the long run!…Can You Dig It!
professor
November 30th, 2010
10:12 pm
hmmmm. Think I am going to go to Willy’s and get something to eat. Football? I think Georgia has just about forgotten what they used to made of—–those days are long gone. Food ===then sleep. Dream on————–yall————no running game in any year I can remember since Richt has been at UGA===so the better backs are going elsewhere—that King guy looks like he is afraid of his own shadow——what a joke this team is——–where is the hitting and the grinding? Never Mind. That Lattimore guy can run harder than anybody at UGA–and he is a freshman. Hello? Anybody home? Glad you guys beat Tech though—–could be worse.
Notadawgfan
November 30th, 2010
10:56 pm
Not a UGA fan but respect Coach Richt. Have a question for you Mark. Who should UGA hire? the guy from Bosie State so you can turn on him in year 3. You are awful and need to move back to Kentucky and write for a weekly. Shame you write for the paper Furman Bisher use too. You have all the answers don’t you. Please do all of us a favor and go away. The AJC only hires and keeps hacks….you are proof.
aarh
November 30th, 2010
10:57 pm
You people do not know what you were talking about. When UGa was losing earlier in the yr. without AJ…it wasn’t bc of Murray. He still had good numbers…including a lot of yrds. to Kris Durham. I know the offense played a lot better with AJ. The strength of the team was thought to be th O-Line & RBs. So, obviously with an inexperienced QB tehey were going to lean on those strengths, & not open up the play book like they did later in the yr. The team played fine at the end of last yr. even without AJ, & appeared to be playing even better. I would prefer for him to treurn, but with a more experinced QB, & some other receivers that have been pretty good when given the chance…that should be better next yr. Also, the defense should hopefully be better, bc it will be the 2nd yr. in the 3-4, hopefully we’ll get some recruits in there that fit that system better.
cooldawg
November 30th, 2010
11:02 pm
Personally, AJ owes GA some playing time, regardless of his “stakes” in the Draft. I think it would be absolutely wise for him to stay, complete his education…and knowing that this schedule, if I saw it right…is not that tough.
Richt has 5 games to work with. Better be wise stepping…if he comes out 1-4 in those games…or worse, he best look elsewhere and GA can make arrangements for a settlement.
Personally…GA needs to get back to winning ways….these past two seasons have been very inconsistent…time for more toughness instead of sermons…
Dr. Dawg
November 30th, 2010
11:11 pm
Bradley, you’re an idiot (again). The only person who needs to leave is you. Richt is one of only a handful of coaches that I would want my son to play for – and I can’t say that about many coaches these days. Write something worthwhile, will you? Cutting down our local teams is not what we, as readers, want to see. When will you get this?
bitter UGA fan
November 30th, 2010
11:17 pm
saban dropped 3 so far, crying myer 5 games, old fool at texas a whopping 7 so far, sorry he cant qualify for a bowl so he is done, lots of suffring this year yaaaaw, got to give richt 1 more year to get this program working hard to look more disipline yaaaaw, his 6 losses were as diturbing as my spelling, hahahahahahah on myself. PS you gotta love collage football, a new winner each year brings fame and fortune nobody can stay on top without hard work and a little luck, and allburns luck will fade so fast after the truth come out about SCAm watch out for that probation alburn newton, in closing this year shows clearly that recruiting can bring you a nat champ opertunity or land you on probation or in fla case 5 loses and miss st 8-4 season both who could have had scam and of course georgia wanted him as a tight end!!!!!go figure, crazy game yaaaaw, thats why it is the greatest game on the earth. yours truely BITTER always.
woofn
November 30th, 2010
11:21 pm
thanks for the words of wisdom…richt’s not going anywhere. Wow how long did it take you to come to that conclusion. You’re sounding like some of the uga bashers (in the minority may i add) that thought he’d be gone half way thru the season, but now realize he’ll be coaching at uga next year against their wishes.
Mark
November 30th, 2010
11:44 pm
Mark you are as dumb as a brick. You are a fringe writer and slanted as the typical mainstream media. I believe if you were given a gold bar, you would complain that its price would go down if dollar prices rose. I do understand you are whiping the nut ball unrealistic idiots into a frenzy and you do well/ I wonder if they know you are the writen form of Neal Bortz, The people dont realize how good they have things with coach Richt, He presides over a zoo with many fatherless thugs. He is not their father. He doed an excellent job and he is a class act. Now for the bashers, go to work tomorrow and tell the boss your failures and tell him to fire you that is what you are doing here. We are blessed to have coach Richt. Parents send 5 star recruits here for poxitive influence and so they are groomed for the nfl and future prosperity. PEOPLE GET A BRAIN.
augustadawg
November 30th, 2010
11:46 pm
Mark Bradley why don’t you go to Colorado or Miami and quit writing about our beloved UGA teams and coaches. You never have anything positive to say about them. It would be good ridance if you left I PROMISE we wouldn’t MISS YOU at all!!!!!!!!!!!.
Robert
November 30th, 2010
11:51 pm
Mark Richt is absolutely the best man for this job! Firing him would do more harm than good. He is a good coach, but his program (as all programs do) has hit a rough spot. The best thing we can do for this team is support it. I agree, that 6-6 is not acceptable, but at least this team achieved bowl eligibility. I think part of the problem is Mike Bobo. If anyone needs to go its him. His play calling is bland and predictable ( I still dont understand running on 3rd and long). But his head should roll before Richt’s does
sandy
November 30th, 2010
11:59 pm
Excuse me but one kinda bad season does not mean the best coach( mark richt) since vince dooley shoud leave. He is an awesome coach and an awesome person. He has all the qualities that I like in a person and coach. Get off of his back! He never claimed to be superman. He has put his career and faith in the other coaches that he hired so maybe they should be looked at a little closer. Leave Coach Richt alone. He is one hell of a man and coach. A big big GEORGIA FAN!!
Kelmorgan
December 1st, 2010
12:08 am
So georgiadawg thinks The UGA program is unfairly scrutinized by the AJC and Athens police. Well it matter little if the coach just gives the perps a slap on the wrist and a pat on the back…11 arrests this year??? Maybe you need to have a talk with those 3 great daughters of yours-they need to take breaking the law a little more seriously. Wise Up!
Dawgtards ruin this state
December 1st, 2010
12:13 am
Why would talented kids want to lose to Florida EVERY year by 15 points and also lose to Auburn, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tenn, Bama and LSU. Go to any other school in the nation and don’t collect garbage for a living, like most 4-5 star recruits that regress at thUGA. Play for a real coach and fans that understand football, not just shop at wal-mart in Bogart, GA and buy groceries at piggly wiggly.
mikedawg
December 1st, 2010
12:34 am
“Because I’m not sure it’s going to get significantly better for him in Athens.”- You are going to be eating those words. And why are you trying so hard to push out a great coach? Because a coaching change would create more stories to write? EVERY program goes through cycles of ups and downs (see Texas). There is absolutely no reason to panic in Athens. Firing the coach will scatter the recruits and take 5 years to recover from.