Is Georgia coach Mark Richt intense enough?
An interesting question was posed to Pete Fiutak of CollegeFootballNews.com recently on their feature called “Ask CFN.” Someone going only by “DJ” asked Pete whether he thought Georgia coach Mark Richt needed to become a “more intense” coach for the Bulldogs to ever be in serious contention for a national title.
You can read it for yourself by clicking the link above but, for the record, Pete answers that he doesn’t think there is anything wrong with Richt’s coaching style. Plenty of others like him have won big on every level. But, Pete adds, the SEC is entering into an era where it’s going to be harder and harder for the Bulldogs to contend.
I tend to share Pete’s point of view. I don’t think there is anything about Richt’s coaching or management style or personality, for that matter, that would prevent Georgia from competing on the highest level. In fact, I think they already are. With a few breaks here and there they may have achieved even greater heights than they have to date, which is nothing to scoff at.
People tend to gloss over Georgia’s 13-1 season in 2002. Except for a couple of fluke plays in the Florida game, Georgia could have run the table that year. An untimely injury to D.J. Shockley knocked the Dogs slightly off course in 2005 and they finished second in the nation in 2007 after some major midseason adjustments. That’s getting real close.
Yes the competition has only intensified with Florida’ re-emergence under Urban Meyer and Nick Saban’s presence at Alabama. But I don’t think precludes Georgia from staying in the hunt. On the contrary. Step up and knock those guys off once in a while and you’re right in the thick of things.
Just ask USC’s Pete Carroll: It takes a considerable amount of good breaks, schedule-wise, injury-wise, ball-bouncing-wise, to get into the big game. Florida and LSU have gotten those breaks in recent years. Georgia hasn’t. But I’m not so sure it won’t at some point.
Am I wrong?
Some links:
Hope you got to see my story on Georgia’s world-class freshman sprinter Torrin Lawrence. If you didn’t I highly recommend you read it. And if you consider yourself a die-hard Dawg, you’ll want to watch the video at the bottom of the story to witness his incredible come-from-behind anchor leg to beat Florida in the 4×400-meter relay in the Tyson Invitational. . . .
Did you see that Georgia freshman outfielder Johnathan Taylor was named SEC Freshman of the Week? All he did was hit .800 in his first collegiate series. But that was against Youngstown State. I’ll be interested in seeing how the kid does against Pac-10 pitching out in Arizona this weekend. . . .
How Georgia plans to utilize its tight ends going forward was on my list of stories to get to between now and spring practice. But David Hale of the Macon Telegraph beat me to the punch so I’ll go ahead and link you to his story. . . .
I told you last week about Georgia’s Ricardo Crawford heading to Oxford in England but the Athens Banner-Herald did a nice a little write-up on it in today’s paper. . . .
The folks in Albany where legendary Georgia football player Bill Stanfill lives are establishing a UGA scholarship in his name, according to a story in the Albany Herald.
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176 comments Add your comment
Music City Dawg
February 24th, 2009
12:38 pm
I think of all the things that Georgia needs to worry about, intensity is pretty far down on the list of priorities. Let’s first work on personal fouls, proper tackling, special team issues, red zone offense, red zone defense, and a FG kicker who can make it inside the ten. When we’ve overcome all of these issues, then we’ll worry about intensity.
Atlanta Gator
February 24th, 2009
12:41 pm
Alta~Dawg—-If your point about Charlie Strong is that the Dawgs might have gone 9-4 with a defense composed of one previous starter and 10 freshman and sophomores coached by Strong, I will agree. Otherwise, your point requires some further explanation.
FalconUGAFan
February 24th, 2009
12:45 pm
I think that Mark Richt is a fine coach and represents UGA well. Its obvious he has experimented with some motivating tactics and some of them worked and some didn’t. The only issue that I can see are the penalties. He has acknowledged that himself and appears to be working on fixing it. No intensity issues, IMHO which I’m sure he will be very interested in hearing.
Richt is the Man
February 24th, 2009
12:46 pm
Brew,
I don’t know if I would call Fulmer loyal, considering the way he back stabbed Majors to get the job in the first place. But, yes, there are some comparisons. However, the main problem Fulmer had was his recruiting became incosistent. In the 1990’s Fulmer had top 5 recruiting classes every year. This decade, way too inconsistent. They follow a a top 10 class with #40 recruiting class. Not surprisingly, Tenn has not been as successful this decade.
Atlanta Gator
February 24th, 2009
12:47 pm
Cuz—-Apocalyptic predictions are over-rated. Let’s see what happens this coming season first.
By all accounts, Tebow’s back-up, Brantley is pretty darn solid for Meyer’s offense. If Tebow is the perfect “10″ for Meyer’s version of the Spread, then Brantley is an “8.” Frankly, I would be more worried about an NFL exodus of the Gators’ star seniors and juniors on defense after the 2009 season.
dap01
February 24th, 2009
12:53 pm
CMR is successful. Apparently his style is one of the best in the nation. Look at the stats? Shouldn’t this blog be questioning some other coach?
BugKiller
February 24th, 2009
1:06 pm
Again, SI.com scoops the AJC right in the AJC’s “home” area.
First, those of us stunned that Dimitroff would allow a “great leader” like Lawyer Milloy get away without even trying to keep him have it all explained to us by a short blurb in Peter King’s MMQB column in which Peter King says it wasn’t a surprise because Milloy is a bit of a pain in the butt locker-room lawyer (kind of like Tiki Barber) who doesn’t mesh with Mike Smith’s all-for-one approach.
Yep, true story.
Now, SI.com is reporting that Mark Richt has informed Philip Simms (Phil Simms youngest son and top-rated QB in the 2010 recruiting class) that Zach Mettenberger will be moved to tight-end, opening up a slot for Philip Simms to come in and play at Georgia, who has offered him an early scholarship.
And the editors at the AJC wonder why they are losing money hand over fist.
Jennifer
February 24th, 2009
1:08 pm
I think in today’s world of values, when it comes to sports, respect is underrated. Coach Mark Richt in my opinion is a great coach who IS respected, unlike Meyers and a few others. Yes they may get the breaks but look at how they get them, by getting calls against UGA that are so obvious! After our celebration in the end zone, which I loved it, I think the officials were tougher on UGA and calling penalties that were ridiculous just to prove a point. CMR is great, he is poised on the field, I have never seen him panic and as far as intensity, I would not know because I do not play for him. That is something the players need to respond to, not us fans. We are here to support them no matter how good or bad of a season we may have had.
GO DAWGS, we will be back!!!!!
williebkind
February 24th, 2009
1:11 pm
CMR is fine!! You guys have digressed! The problem is the MARTINEZ FACTOR!!!!! GET an intense Defensive coach WHO KNOWS HOW TO DEFEND against better than average teams and watch the Dawgs be a challenger for any title. FIRE MARTINEZ!!!
Chip Towers
February 24th, 2009
1:15 pm
BugKiller: Richt shot down that rumor of Mettenberger to tight end two weeks ago. . . . And why would Georgia need another tight end when they already have four on scholarship, five if Orson Charles signs? . . .
MurfDawg: Tony Barnhart is on permanent vacation . . . from us. Actually I’m not sure whether he is going to resurrect “Mr. College Football” for us next fall and I’ll check on that. But he took early retirement from us last year.
AltamahaDawg
February 24th, 2009
1:21 pm
If Coach Richt was a “CEO” and managed one of the most profitable companies in the industries and had an 80% close rate, believe me, he’d be highly compensated.
AG, my point was that ANY defensive Co-Ordinator is subject to disappointing thier fans, due to a number of reasons. I would consider CS having to break in a bunch of younguns a pretty good “excuse”. But he could have a full set of returning seniors and if he lost a large number of them to the point of “walking through” the practises, I’m guessing, it would affect his approval ratings just a tad. Obviously he is a fine coach, capable of getting his squad to play at championship caliber. Which makes 2007 the illustration of my point.
BugKiller
February 24th, 2009
1:24 pm
That’s fine if it’s a rumor, then someone might want to tell a top Georgia recruit to stop telling people Mark Richt told him that.
Recruiting is a very dirty business, and as upfront and moral as even Richt is, I don’t think there’s a college coach out there who wouldn’t sell his soul for the “next big thing.”
So if the recruit says the coach told him something, I’m sorry, but I’m more inclined to believe the kid.
Because coaches lie. Even those we couldn’t imagine doing so.
austindog
February 24th, 2009
1:35 pm
If Barhart is gone then take down the “Bad News…Florida’s Getting Started” post already. Or are we going to have to look at that for another full year just like “I spit the steak I was chewing when Vandy roughed the punter…”
DirtyDawg
February 24th, 2009
1:36 pm
Don’t know if the earlier post comparing Mark Richt to Tom Osborne was accurate, but I like it. I’ll never forget one of the all-time great coach comments Osborne made that year his Nebraska Cornhuskers demolished Florida in the NC game. Headed to the locker-room following a first half where Nebraska had beaten the snot out of Florida throughout the first 30 minutes – and led by thirty or more – a sideline babe stuck a mic in Osborne’s face and commented that his team seemed to be handling Florida’s offensive ’schemes’ pretty well (going into the game all you heard was the Evil Genius’ offensive formations and strategies)…all Osborne said was ‘It’s not about schemes, it’s about athletes.’…and walked away. That’s exactly what it has always been about – getting the right people and coaching ‘em up. If we keep doing that we’ll get our breaks and we’ll win our share and more. Remember, Mr. Tebow has been beaten by us and by others, and he will again – my money’s on us again this year.
By the way, if you haven’t seen the video of Georgia’s 4X400 relay win over Florida and the creme of the college crop (all of which were from the SEC), you need to. Young Mr. Lawrence, our freshman sensation, made up 10-15 meters on Florida’s Calvin Smith (Olympian and 400 meter champion) in the anchor leg and beat him by at least that many…thirty meters over 400 against a top runner…my God a freshman! (seems to me I’ve heard that before).
I don’t ever take any crap off anybody when it comes to the Dogs – not a Gator, not an ‘effin’ YellowJacket, nobody – and I damn sure ain’t gonna start this year.
Chip Towers
February 24th, 2009
1:38 pm
Austindog: Good point. I’ll see if they’ll consider taking that one down.
BugKiller
February 24th, 2009
1:38 pm
AltamahaDawg, the question you should be asking yourself is if you are okay that Mark Richt the CEO is managing a company like Chik-Fil-A, while Urban Meyer is managing Microsoft, Nick Saban is managing Coca-Cola, and Les Miles is managing IBM.
The thing is, Mark Richt’s Chik-Fil-A makes money every year, put’s out a fairly reliable product, and is family friendly and wholesome.
But unlike Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and IBM, it’s regional and there really isn’t any chance to be more than it is.
And that’s what the guy said at the bottom of his answer to the question about Mark Richt having the “fire.”
There is going to come a point where Georgia has to decide whether being Chik-Fil-A is okay, or if we want to be Apple.
I happen to think Mark Richt can make Georgia like Apple.
But Mark Richt himself is holding his program back with his illogical and misplaced loyalty in people like Willie Martinez and our just-retired former wide-receivers coach.
Urban Meyer, Pete Carrol, Nick Saban, and Les Miles will not let emotion stand in the way of elevating their programs to the levels of an IBM, Coca-Cola, or Microsoft.
Unfortunately, Coach Richt seems to be very unwilling to make the necessary tough decisions to expand his brand beyond the region because of his emotional attatchments to the underperforming coaches on his staff.
You know, now that we see that Bobby Cox cannot take average and mediocre baseball teams and make them better, the shine has worn off of his “great” status. We see Bobby Cox for what he is: a push-button manager whose horrible decisions have led to some great teams flaming out in October.
With Richt refusing to dump his coaching dead-weight, we may start to see him for what he is: happy to be Chik-Fil-A, unwilling to make the hard decisions needed to become Apple.
Forrest
February 24th, 2009
1:39 pm
Coach Bryant was a smart football man. He just told me to run and pointed and that’s what I did.
Forrest
February 24th, 2009
1:41 pm
I scored 2 touchdowns when I played Georgia.
Forrest
February 24th, 2009
1:42 pm
Football was a confusing game. Figuring out when to stop running was tricky.
Nice Guy
February 24th, 2009
1:43 pm
Coach Mark Richt in 8 seasons at UGA.
6 10 win seasons
5 times finished in the top 10
2 times finished in the top 3
3 SEC Championship Appearances
2 SEC Titles
3 BCS Bowls
2 Sugar Bowl wins
27-4 on the road in the SEC over 8 seasons
82-22 record over 8 seasons – 79% winning percentage
No Probations
Is that intense enough for you?
Forrest
February 24th, 2009
1:45 pm
I like running almost as much as I like choc-o-late
gdawginkalamazoo
February 24th, 2009
1:46 pm
How long did it take Mack Brown to get his NC? Pete Carroll has one NC for all they hype and talent that has run through USC this decade. USC is generally considered one of the best pro teams in college football. IMO you have to build the program to win and win on a consistent basis. Richt has done that. He knows what it takes to win via his Miami days, FSU time and now leading the Dawgs. He has done it the right way too. No major embarrassments to the program. Great recruiting classes. Developes that talent for their NFL future. Don’t believe for one minute that he has been happy about a single one of the losses the past few seasons, lopsided or not. And yes it is about the breaks and the way the ball bounces sometimes. Regardless an L is an L. If you lose a game you can’t complain about the BCS selections or where your team ends up in the post season. Proud to have Richt as our coach, win or lose, the man has integrity and class unmatched by few in his profession.
Forrest
February 24th, 2009
1:46 pm
I was an All-American.
JohnInJax
February 24th, 2009
1:47 pm
This subject is ridiculous! Is this the best we could do at this time of the year? The proof is in the numbers. CMR has averaged 10 plus wins a season. I am getting very tired of all this complaining. We sound like a bunch of ungrateful teenagers. Geez!
Cuz
February 24th, 2009
1:50 pm
Run Forrest. Sorry couldn’t help myself.
BugKiller, who is managing Pepsi, Pete Carrol?
Charlie Weiss at AIG.
Cuz
February 24th, 2009
1:53 pm
Zoo your profundity just astounds me. Preach on brother.
Cuz
February 24th, 2009
1:54 pm
Hey Chip, do you make the Master’s rotation this year?
BugKiller
February 24th, 2009
2:00 pm
Nice Guy,
Again… Chik-Fil-A.
Chik-Fil-A in a world (the SEC) of Coca-Cola, IBM, and Microsoft.
Chik-Fil-A is good, and I love Chik-Fil-A.
But is it going to be enough in the long-haul.
Coaches who win National Championships don’t “wait” to get the good bounces, “wait” for good luck.
They make their own good luck, they make their own good breaks.
Too long at Georgia, we’ve seen all of the teams we play get the good bounces, have the good luck. We don’t make any of it ourselves.
I blame Mark Richt for one thing: his stubborn refusal to hold under-performing coaches accountable and a willingness to blame his players for not performing without asking the question, “Who’s coaching the players.”
How long have our wide receivers underachieved as a unit in Richt’s regime? Who was the lone variable that never changed in that equation?
In four years under Willie Martinez, the defense has regressed EVERY YEAR! Who is the lone variable that hasn’t changed in this equation?
Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, and Les Miles have no qualms with firing under-performing coaches.
Coach Richt does. He downright refuses to do it. We had to hope and pray Miami would hire away Willie to give us a chance next year, but Miami looked at Willie’s body of work and said, “No way in hell, and we don’t care that he’s an alumni!”
People wanted to hire Coach Van Gorder away from us.
No one wants to hire Willie Martinez away from us.
That should tell ANYONE all they need to know about his performance as DC.
Coach Richt’s emotionality for his coaches is holding us back from becoming Apple. He seems quite happy with being Chik-Fil-A, otherwise, he’d make the tough decisions by removing emotion out of the equation, but he can’t do it.
Thomas Dimitroff is going to bring the Falcons a Super Bowl far sooner than the Dawgs will win a MNC under Mark Richt. Why? He refuses to let emotion to cloud his judgment.
I hate Urban Meyer, loathe Nick Saban, and grudgingly respect Les Miles. And I wish to hell that Mark Richt possessed a little of their ability to make the tough decisions it takes to push a football program over the edge.
But he just doesn’t have it in him.
And eventually, Damon Evans is going to have to decide whether being Chik-Fil-A is enough for him, or if he wants to be Apple.
UGAfraid
February 24th, 2009
2:01 pm
Mark Richt is in danger of becoming irrelevant. You can’t consistently have top 10 recruiting classes and not win a NC. When UGA takes its place as 3rd in the SEC East behind UF and UT, the fans will start to call for a regime change.
RealityYech
February 24th, 2009
2:06 pm
I think Preacher Richt is plenty intense. Have you seen him in the Carpets of Dalton commercials? He is ready to bust on someone in those commercials. He is our man to match wits with meyer, saban and johnson for years to come and it makes me tingle inside knowing it!!! wuff wuff…lets get em dogs! wuff wuff wuff
Bil
February 24th, 2009
2:06 pm
The reason Richt gets questioned so much is he doesn’t win the big one despite outrecruiting everyone. Good coach? No doubt. Great coach? No way. Leave that to Meyer, Spurrier and Saban. Richt has had the athletes but hasn’t quite put it together.
Cuz
February 24th, 2009
2:06 pm
Regime change? Give me one of whatever you are having.
gdawginkalamazoo
February 24th, 2009
2:14 pm
Thanks Cuz, I hope your health troubles are behind you.
bugkiller, Chick-Fil-A has a location in Mishawaka, Indiana. Did you know that? Not quite the southeast but expanding farther north. Maybe we can get Coach Richt to put a location in Portage, Michigan near the mall there.
Music City Dawg
February 24th, 2009
2:20 pm
You’d think beating Florida would be important to a guy who played at Miami, coached at FSU, and now coaches at UGA. Nobody loves Mark Richt like the Florida Gators. That game isn’t even a rivalry. They own us. Period. I realize that we’re winning in the overall record, but let’s talk about what’s relevant — those wins in the 80s are no longer relevant. Beating Florida is the name of the game. If Richt can’t do it, we’ll always be second banana to Florida. In the East, we’ve got Urban Meyer who is basically a genius, Lane Kiffin who is cooking up God-knows-what, and Spurrier can pull something out of his hat at any given moment. I like CMR as a person, but sometimes I wonder if he’s not three steps behind everyone else. I’ve got my fingers crossed for a great 2009…but I won’t hold my breath.
SSI gator
February 24th, 2009
2:20 pm
Nice Guy -
I see you also buy the story line that the UF/UGA game is not an “away game” that should be counted. Count those and it is a little different won/loss percentage.
BugKiller
February 24th, 2009
2:21 pm
Kalamazoo… he can’t… Willie Martinez holds him back like a stone around his neck.
williebkind
February 24th, 2009
2:22 pm
Bugkiller:
I agree with your assessment!!!
Music City Dawg
February 24th, 2009
2:25 pm
Yeah, I love the people who think it would be ‘more fair’ to move the GA/FLA game to Atlanta. We could play Florida on the friggin moon, and it wouldn’t change the fact that they are going to beat us.
No Ax(e) To Grind
February 24th, 2009
2:28 pm
There is a vast difference between ten-win seasons and a National Championship. One opinion expressed above regarding Richt is to the point. The basic question is not whether Richt is intense enough, or smart enough, or tall enough, for that matter. The basic question is whether Richt has desire enough to win a NC. More specifically, does he have the intestinal fortitude to fire those underperformers he has on his staff? At this point the question remains unanswered. There is no doubt that there were certain areas that needed vast improvement last season…i.e. special teams for instance. I am unaware that any staff changes were made. Somehow, I think that if their teams had underperformed last year to the same degree, Meyer and Saban may have made changes. Both have at least one NC to their credit. Spurrier, in his halcyon years, made changes. Chalk up a NC to him. Hopefully,for Georgia fans’ sake, Richt does have the “guts/desire”. Otherwise ten win seasons and the Citrus Bowl will be about the best they can hope for.
Sissy Dawg
February 24th, 2009
2:40 pm
Mark Richt is a nice guy and a great person. His weakness as a coach is not intensity, but lack of discipline. His players don’t fear him. They know they can get by with anything on or off the field. It show up in the number of players arrested every year and the the stupid unnecessary penalties on the field. Whatever they do, they just get to sit out for a meaningless game. His player like him, but don’t respect him because they see him as weak. They are headed down hill in the SEC and nationally.
uga_b
February 24th, 2009
2:42 pm
As has been stated before, where the intensity seems to lack is on the defensive side. I think we can all appreciate BVG a little better after his year with the Falcons. We havent bad a real big hitter since Greg Blue. Well, Rennie is close for his size. I just want our team to get out and hit some people. I don’t know if that is the athelete or the coach. Maybe it has been the focus on a more speedy finesse defense.
gdawginkalamazoo
February 24th, 2009
2:43 pm
bugkiller, then Willie has to go. Can’t be holding up the Chick-Fil-A expansion to my hood.
Nice Guy
February 24th, 2009
2:44 pm
BugKiller and the rest of you, you guys are missing the point. Forget about this Chick-fil-A whatever comparison. First of all, you cannot control National Championships. Everybody knows that UGA should have been in the NC last year or at least in the Rose Bowl playing USC, which would have been a great game by the way. But that’s my point, UGA couldn’t control that situation. Always focus on what you can control.
The SEC is like the NFL, you win in the SEC, you’re a great coach, period. Second, consistantcy is the key to everything you do in life. How long did it take Bobby Bowden to win his first NC. The point is, how do you measure success, winning a NC or winning every year and give yourself a chance to win SEC titles. Anybody can win the lottory and end of up losing it all without balance and proper management but not everyone can manage there money well and build success consistantly.
OK, so he’s not the best coach in College Football or even the SEC but he wins. That’s all that matters. They hired the guy to win and beat UT, GT, and UF. WE may not do it every year but he gives UGA the best chance to win and help these kids in the real world. This is not about just sports and winning NC. Yes, it would be great to win one but focus on winning and keep improving on what it is being built rather than focusing on winning NC.
Say you get rid of the guy and bring someone else in here, then what? You’ve broken the trend and system of winning and being in the hunt every year. You guys are too caught up in the hype of winning national championships and all these great athletes that UGA bring in every year and you compare this coach with that coach.
there are 2 types of coaches you can choose from. One who curses his players and hopefully win national championships, or a coach who brings balance to a football program and prepares these kids for making tough decisions in the real world.
Mark Richt is the guy I want coaching my son. Teaching a college athlete about Balance in life, making quality and tough decisions, developing a relationship with God, staying focused and compete on the field is intensity in my book.
SSI gator
February 24th, 2009
2:54 pm
Nice Guy -
By “preparing them for the real world” I guess you mean how to go through the police department processing after arrest and how to get your bail posted?
Give me a break. Until he puts his foot down with some control over these thugs, it will be the same story each year.
Ray Goff
February 24th, 2009
2:56 pm
Florida without Tebow?
Well, they owned the Pups for 15 years before Tebow and will own the Pups after Tebow leaves. Hell, Zook won 2 of 3 against Georgia and Richt.
Harvin? Don’t think he played in the SEC game against Alabama and they had no problems. Florida is loaded and will be that way for years.
Meyer did not have a Tebow like QB at Bowling Green when he won. He did not have a Tebow or Harvin at Utah when he ran the table. He is just head and shoulders over Richt and now that he has a loaded team and superior coaches, he will dominate the Leg Humpers for as long as he is there.
Tide rising
February 24th, 2009
2:57 pm
Run Forrest Run! Actually Forrest was scoring against Tennessee and not Georgia. Unless Georgia just happened to be wearing orange that day.
Mark Richt is a fine coach. Everyone has their own unique style and as long as CMR continues to be successful I don’t understand why the questions about his intensity. The only knock I see on CMR is his inability to beat the Gators. Florida is the odds on favorite to win the sec again and is absolutely loaded so its almost a certainty he will lose to UF this year as will most if not all of us. But if he loses to the gators for another year or 2 after Tebow leaves then I think his seat may be real, real hot at that point.
A man’s greatness is measured by the strength of his enemies and how in turn he responds to his greatest enemies.
CMR is a loser
February 24th, 2009
3:00 pm
Yep, can’t motivate at the highest levels. Will always be beaten by Meyer, Saban, Miles and Spurrier and probably Kiffin and Paul Johnson.
Ray Goff
February 24th, 2009
3:01 pm
He will lose to the Gators after Tebow leaves. Ron Zook was 2-1 against Richt.
BugKiller
February 24th, 2009
3:02 pm
NiceGuy…
… then basically, you’re okay with Chik-Fil-A.
You’re okay with Georgia being a regional program that wins the SEC every now and again, and that’s about it.
Florida, LSU, and Alabama are not okay with that. They are Microsoft, IBM, and Coca-Cola. They’re world-wide, baby. Their coaches are willing to do what it takes to keep their teams world-wide and winning Nat’l Championships.
Mark Richt is not willing to do what it takes. He is not willing to make tough decisions, but to have tough decisions made for him.
I guarantee, when Willie’s defenses fall flat AGAIN, and we get declining results from Willie for the fifth year in a row, Mark Richt will still defend the indefensible, and Damon Evans will either have to step in and make the hard decision for Mark Richt, or be okay with being Chik-Fil-A.
Being Chik-Fil-A was okay for the first 7 or 8 years of Richt because we were the Flowery Branch Cafe under Donnan and Goff.
But I refuse to accept that Chik-Fil-A is our ceiling as a program residing in the 3rd best state for high school football players, better than Texas even.
I want to be Apple, dammit. And the more I see from Richt, his inability to keep emotion out of decisions, his inability to fire underwhelming coaches, I’m seeing a coach who is never going to get our program over the hump.
I’m sick and tired of being Stew Mandel’s whipping dog. I’m tired of guys like Colin Cowherd and Rece Davis and Mark May and Chris Fowler denigrating our program on national television and radio.
I’m sick of unfulfilled promise.
I’m sick of settling for ten wins a year when so much more is expected.
There was a time when Coach Richt talked about “knocking the lid off.”
And he’ll never knock off this new lid if he’s content to keep giving underwhelming coaches like Willie Martinez around.
2-8 vs. Florida. And I’m sorry, but 1-2 vs. Ron Zook is INEXCUSABLE.
UnderDog
February 24th, 2009
3:05 pm
We won a title in 1980 with Dooley, who had an on-field persona much like Mark Richt. I don’t think UGA needs a coach that will make an a$$ of himself in public. We can leave that to the Dennis Green’s and the Mike Ditka’s of the coaching world.