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
gdawginkalamazoo
February 24th, 2009
6:20 pm
Tide, what? a little defensive there. I didn’t say anything about $aban paying players, that’s what the boosters are for silly. I called him $uitcase $aban because of his traveling nature (MSU, LSU, Miami, and soon to be Bama) and his demand for 4 mil a year. Nothing not true there. Flat out lying through your teeth is offensive (to some) and classless. Remember his statements before he left Miami? Lot of different ways he could have worded that and still have some respect from the fans. I also spell Charlie Wei$$ the same way. It just isn’t working out for him as well as it is for Nicky.
gdawginkalamazoo
February 24th, 2009
6:22 pm
I might have left Booby Petrino off that list. Sorry Booby.
AltamahaDawg
February 24th, 2009
6:31 pm
ssi let me respond as follows.. Since you are so familiar with the history of ALL teams and thier abilities to recover from injuries, how about name one team that lived up to its billing , with 2 dozen season ending injuries to many of its better players. How hard could it be, since they “all” have em. Name One, Ever? Then explain to me how UF lost 4 games last year. Did the coaches not do a very good job with those players then?
As far as backups, I think its pretty damn good to be able to win as many games at we did with back up. Not many teams could have. They are called back ups for a reason.
BTW all that was proven was that UGA could win more games than most of the country playing
AltamahaDawg
February 24th, 2009
6:33 pm
deep into the roster…
Jeff
February 24th, 2009
6:44 pm
UF didn’t lose 4 games last year………NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! Dig a DEEPER hole.
Hell hath no fury like a scorned Richt « The Hobnail Boot
February 24th, 2009
6:58 pm
[...] 24, 2009 · No Comments Chip Towers over at the AJC poses an interesting question in response to Pete Fiutak’s mailbag over at College Football News. Is Mark [...]
Dumb Atlamaha Dawg
February 24th, 2009
7:15 pm
Another dumb mutt fan….Gators didn’t lose 4 games in 08….Gators won the BCS National Title In 08,something the mutts have not done in almost thirty years.
Johnny DangerDawg
February 24th, 2009
7:18 pm
dawgdan,
Good call. That was David Pollock who vouched for Richt’s intensity in 2007.
Choke! the offical drink for the UGA Dawgs
February 24th, 2009
7:22 pm
Right mutts?
AltamahaDawg
February 24th, 2009
8:00 pm
Gee really nailed me there (and so much easier than answering a real question).
I stand corrected. The only games the gators actually lost in the Calendar year of 2008 was the on the very first day. And then Ole’Miss.
I could say that your NC game was actually played in the calendar year of 2009, but why split hairs, right.
icedawg
February 24th, 2009
8:06 pm
Intense? Define it. I hardly see how something like this guarantees the credibility and effectiveness of a coach. Irk Russell was intense and was a great coach. Coach Dooley was not as intense as Russell but was no less a good coach. There are more factors that make a man an effective coach but an emotional intensity is not necessarily one of them. Intensity usually reflects the emotional level and raw emotions do not always have good outcomes. I think that the “intensity” is overvalued. Give me a smart, respectable, steady, evenly tempered coach any day of the week instead of some hot dog.
FLDAWG
February 24th, 2009
8:09 pm
On Topic, Richts instensity is fine. What we see on Fall Saturdays is not the entire week. In an interview he even stated that as a head coach he wanted to remain on an even keel in an effort to make better decisions and even more so as a play caller (back in the day).
Off topic: CWM does deserve criticism as the defensive numbers have declined over the last four years. Therefore, so does Richt as head coach. Bobo is a young play caller and OC. He still deserves a little time to develop. He has called some good games. He will get better. The problem for Richt is this, he needs to get into the D side of the ball more yet he has a young coordinator in Bobo that he needs to continue to develop. Regardless of what any of us would like or think, CWM has at least one more year. There are some good leaders in place (Jeff Owens, Curran) and that should help CWM. As a dawg fan I am pulling for CWM and Bobo.
Richt isn’t done winning and still has plenty of opportunities ahead of him. He just has to make the right moves with his coaches and players. Good luck to Richt and all of the dawgs.
coachgb
February 24th, 2009
8:25 pm
Will we ever stop hearing this stupid question? Is Richt tough enough? Its his management style, its his way of doing thing. He’s too quiet. Ahhh! give me a break! I know one of the team trainers. He says you should see Richt when he gets cranked up at practice. He has no problem getting his message across whether it is to a player or an assistant coach! The guy’s a winner both on and more importantly off the field.
Jimmy
February 24th, 2009
8:31 pm
Who’s to say Richt isn’t intense?? Just because he doesn’t “look” intense giving interviews, such as the ‘Hat’ at LSU, Tricky Nicky or CUM over at Florida?? These guys look the part more than CMR does. This doesn’t mean he’s not intense during the week at practice. Besides, he is who he is. If he all of a sudden changes his coaching style(not withstanding the stunt at last year’s WLOCP), his players will see right through that.
brenda
February 24th, 2009
8:37 pm
Altamahadawg keep drinking the Kool Aid Scooter!
Army Vet
February 24th, 2009
8:38 pm
Intense? I recall seeing CMR with that “What just happened” look when UGA played Bama, Florida, and GT. I bet we’ll see that “Look” about 6 or 7 times this year.
TCM
February 25th, 2009
4:44 am
CMR is a good coach and UGA is lucky to have him. The only drawback is his undying loyatly to his assistants who under-achieve with good talent. I personally feel like UGA won’t win a NC until CMR gets a DC who “gets it” because WM just doesn’t. He is too soft and doesn’t make ANY real adjustments on game day. I guess we can stomach Mike Bobo but WM has GOT TO GO!! Or at least move him to another position and bring in a REAL DC!!
michael
February 25th, 2009
5:21 am
Can not say about all years but last year the DOGS under achieved. Breaks here and there are excuses. When you have a school that is well supported and talented coaching is the difference. I believe he will all ways be a brides maid. Time will tell.
AltamahaDawg
February 25th, 2009
7:25 am
Brenda, care to dispute any particular points of mine?
Paul
February 25th, 2009
8:31 am
Quantum Dawg. You are an idiot. I work for a company that if we were treated like family we would work even harder than we do now. I am so tired of people like you bashing our coaches. Go support another team.
mk52
February 25th, 2009
10:18 am
Ok, I’ll give everyone a choice. Ray Goff/Jim Donnan. Both “intense” guys who shuffled assistants. 0 SEC Championships. Or, Mark Richt. Who has won 2 SEC Championships and finished in the top ten in the nation 5 or 6 times now. That’s what I thought!
Jennifer
February 25th, 2009
11:40 am
Well said Paul!
If any of you can do a better job then apply for it until then unless you are in his shoes or actually play for him you have no right to judge. As my post way earlier said, we should support them no matter what season they have, that is if you are a true fan and I bleed red and black. GO Dawgs I hope you all UGA haters eat the hedges next season.
GATORMAN 722
February 25th, 2009
6:55 pm
I hope Georgia can keep the coaching staff they have today together for a long time.
Twilb Dawg
February 26th, 2009
10:03 am
VERY GOOD ARTICLE. I have always pointed to our NEAR MISSES! All it takes is a little “luck” and we have a couple of titles. 2002, 2005, and 2007 were great teams that just didn’t catch all of the breaks. EVENTUALLY things will fall our way. CMR is the man that will lead us there!
Bulldawg Billy
February 28th, 2009
9:32 am
Those BREAKS are all arround all the time.The players must be coached to create and seize them!!!!
MiamiDawg
March 1st, 2009
4:19 pm
‘Breaks’ don’t happen. Teams that are focused and determined create their own breaks.
The dawgs had their break when they started off at the top of the pile. They earned that for their performance the previous season. What was required was that they have the drive and grit to hold on to it. The entire team failed. No excuses.
Lack of motivation starts and ends at the top. CMR failed to take advantage of a sweet shot at the title.
Georgia will have other shots but if they don’t do something with them, all that will be left to do is cry about Florida getting lucky… again.