Mark Richt celebrates 50th birthday today
Happy birthday, Mark Richt.
Georgia’s football coach, born Feb. 18, 1960, in Omaha, Neb., turns 50 today.
Well, that decade flew by. Richt was 40 when named Georgia’s coach on Dec. 26, 2000.
Mark Richt (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Remember the other candidates interviewed for the job? Then-NFL assistants Chan Gailey and Ray Sherman and then-Southern Mississippi coach Jeff Bower. If my math is correct, Gailey has had four jobs while Richt has been at Georgia.
This will be a year of milestones of sorts for Richt. The 2010 season will be his 10th as the Bulldogs’ coach. He already is the dean of SEC coaches in terms of longest tenure at his current school. Check out this AJC photo gallery of Richt through the years.
My friend Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald celebrates Richt’s 50th birthday with a blog post this morning that offers 50 Richt facts picked up from covering him over the past seven seasons. Some of my favorites from Marc’s list:
4. The guy is meticulous. He will spot a piece of trash on the floor on his way out of a room and throw it away.
5. True story. Once a few years back, he noticed and pointed out that I missed a belt loop on a pair of pants. Much appreciated.
6. Sarah Palin has nothing on Richt, who is a walking post it-note. He regularly writes his own notes on his hand as a reminder.
14. Among his odd jobs before he got into coaching: bartender and selling insurance.
44. He needs 111 more wins to tie Vince Dooley’s 201 career victories.
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On a different note, click here to read about a recent Richt hire, Scott Lakatos, being ranked as the nation’s best defensive backs coach hired in this off-season.
Please follow me on Twitter for the latest UGA news and notes.
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245 comments Add your comment
robby
February 18th, 2010
11:12 am
gatorbait…no one on this post is intersted in your thoughts…please take your well wishes back to fla…
robby
February 18th, 2010
11:14 am
happy b day coach richt! hurry up and win one of those friggin bcs championships so everyone else will know exactly the kind of program youre running in athens!
Peadawg
February 18th, 2010
11:16 am
In a completely non-homosexual way…I hope I look that good/young when I hit 50!
WonderDawg
February 18th, 2010
11:17 am
Okay, Gatorbait 17-3, we’ll get the word to Coach Richt that his job is on the line. Now get back on that shovel or your job will be on the line. Moron.
DawginLex
February 18th, 2010
11:18 am
the class from the gator posters just shines through.
Happy Birthday to Coach Richt. The best coach to ever coach at UGA.
Class
Integrity
Character
Those 3 things equal being a winner in life. We are very fortunate to have him.
Now about the M&M boys playing QB this fall…………………………….
Dawg In Florida
February 18th, 2010
11:20 am
Gator Bait 17-3, 46-39. Go home and nurse your ailing coach.
Gator Nation
February 18th, 2010
11:23 am
The guy looks good for 50. Hopefully, he will have many more years in Athens. Take that the way you want to…
hsf
February 18th, 2010
11:25 am
This non-GA fan has the utmost respect for Coach Richt.
Dawg Fud
February 18th, 2010
11:28 am
Happy Birthday, Coach Richt! I wish you health and happiness.
GT Fan
February 18th, 2010
11:31 am
Happy B-day Mark Richt! I enjoy watching you coach except when we play. May the Good Lord Bless you and yours, keep up the good work. Hope to see you at FCA meetings.
Dawg In Florida
February 18th, 2010
11:34 am
Gator Nation… all jokes aside, way to be! It’s about time there was some respect shown from non-UGA fans. Appreciate your posting!
Herschel Talker
February 18th, 2010
11:36 am
DTC – yes,.I’m secretly a Tech fan, and I call myself Herschel Talker. Brilliant. You imbecile.
indianman
February 18th, 2010
11:40 am
happy birthday coach richt i hope you have many more as a bulldog
SanDiegoDawg
February 18th, 2010
11:41 am
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, brother Mark!! This is your fiftieth, a year of JUBILEE!! To quote from one of your favorite books in God’s Word, the Bible,…….
“My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.” — Proverbs 3:1,2
Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ has indeed blessed you and your family and we rejoice with you and thank Him gratefully that He has brought you to Athens and the University of Georgia. You are loved by all of us. Again, happy birthday and may God continue to bless you, brother.
Gatorbait 17-3
February 18th, 2010
11:42 am
Ya’ll are a little testy, sorry facts upset you.
Actually Mr. Dawg In Florida, Ga kicked the Gators
a$$ from 1904 to 1935 (13-2-1) kinda like we are kicking
your a$$ for the past 20 years. Since 1936, the Gators are
37-36-1(since you appear to like history). I for one like to
live in the present. The dawgs are either in the PAST (47-39-2)
or in the FUTURE ( we will get’em next year).
flagboy?
February 18th, 2010
11:42 am
Diamond Dog’s Parole Officer
February 18th, 2010
10:39 am
Who would have guessed that Coach February was born in February! Keep winning those recruitng championships and 9-10 wins per season. You’re the Wisconsin of the SEC!
_____________________________________________
Being the “Wisconsin of the SEC” is still good enough to beat the best of the ACC as last year proved.
true UGA fan
February 18th, 2010
11:43 am
did not know that me and my coach shared the same B-DAY, what a beautiful day to be born, happy b-day coach to YOU and I….Go Dawgs
bamadawg
February 18th, 2010
11:44 am
Happy B-Day CMR! Your the best!
flagboy?
February 18th, 2010
11:44 am
Thanks Coach Richt for being a stand up individual and a great respresentative of our state and university.
militaryDawgInDC
February 18th, 2010
11:47 am
Happy birthday Coach! I wouldn’t trade you for anyone. Thanks for putting God first in your life…You truly know what the most important things in life are…wishing you man more years of success and victories over tech…
militaryDawgInDC
February 18th, 2010
11:49 am
San diego Dawg..Amen Brother amen!
cantondawg
February 18th, 2010
11:50 am
Herschel Talker,
We wish you were a GT fan because you are an embarassment to UGA fans.
Bryant
February 18th, 2010
11:50 am
Happy b-day CMR from a Bama fan. When Coach Bryant passed every single former player talked of how he made them better people not better players. I see the same qualities in you good luck coach.
Gatorbait 17-3
February 18th, 2010
11:51 am
DawginLex
I’m glad you want to keep Richt, but Dooley was the best coach
ya’ll have had recently. He won a NC and owed the Gators while
he was coaching—— 44 or 49 to zip still stings from when he and Walker
put that on the Gators.
I am serious when I say I like Richt, I hope my son is half the man
he is. But we are talking about coaching and I think he was a great
Off. Coordinator, but not as good a head coach. He has won, no doubt
about, but he was much more successful his first 4 years, than in the past 5 years.
Diamond Dog's Parole Officer
February 18th, 2010
11:59 am
You’re right Flagboy, UGA has proven that it can beat its in state rival. (From another conference) Maybe you can add Georgia State and Georgia Southern to your schedule since “UGA Runs This State”, right?
Biggest success in 30 years in finishing second in the country and second in the conference in the same year. Grab that big net and catch that beautiful butterfly, flagboy!
Tropic Tanning Salon
February 18th, 2010
12:00 pm
Coach, as you have been a wonderful customer through the years we would like to give you a free tanning session on your birthday. We can also touch up the color in your hair if you like. Just let us know which color you would like this time. Come on over….we are open late.
how2fish
February 18th, 2010
12:02 pm
Happy Birthday CMR! Many more ! Thanks for leading these young men and setting a great example!
SEC East Headlines – 2/18/10 « MrSEC.com
February 18th, 2010
12:06 pm
[...] Billy Donovan’s team needs to start dropping in some threes when they host Auburn tonight.4. Happy 50th to Mark Richt… who still looks about 10 years younger than that figure.5. Here are 50 facts about Richt that you [...]
Poindexter Jugdish
February 18th, 2010
12:07 pm
Happy birthday to you Coach Richt, you are much prettier than our coach. He is fat and ugly and spits when he yells at the players and I am always afraid he is going to punch me.
If you are in the area of North Avenue today stop by the QuickTrip and I will give you a free Slurpee. Be careful not to flash your money though as there are some bad men that hang out outside. Their names are Jayrome and Loud-mouthed Bob.
how2fish
February 18th, 2010
12:09 pm
Gatorbait 17-3 have either you or Diamond Dog’s Parole Officer heard when CUM will be released from rehab ??
cantondawg
February 18th, 2010
12:10 pm
CMR is a better coach than Dooley. Dooley benefitted from a weak schedule (seldom played LSU or Alabama and Tennessee) and Florida was a down program that had never won an SEC championship during his time there.
Even with the weak schedule, Dooley had multiple 7-4 and 6-5 teams.
CMR’s downfall is the scheduling and the fact that Nick Saban and Urban Meyer coach in the same league. He has had to face the two best coaches in the nation every year.
For those who want to get rid of Richt, We better hire either Saban or Meyer or the program will be worse off.
Topp Dogg
February 18th, 2010
12:12 pm
Happy Birthday Coach and many more as a Bulldog !
Mark Richt Tan-O-Meter
February 18th, 2010
12:13 pm
Pegged
Typical Gator Fan
February 18th, 2010
12:13 pm
I lack the dignity and class of all SEC fans because of my relatively recent history of success. I cruise every article written about Georgia because I have no life and live and die with Florida football. I make comments like Coach Richt is just a “good guy”, uses spray tan and will never be as good as Urban Meyer to make myself feel better. Go Gators!!! Work ‘em, Silly Gators!!! It’s great to be a Gator!!! God Bless.
SanDiegoJacket
February 18th, 2010
12:14 pm
Happy Birthday, Coach. I can’t stand it that you’ve beaten us this many times, but I recognize you’re a professional and a good family man.
dawgrific
February 18th, 2010
12:17 pm
Happy 50th Birthday Coach!!!!
We are lucky to have such a great person as our Coach, and as a representative of all that is right in a man. I wouldn’t trade CMR for anyone, and especially not for the self-serving ego-maniacs who work in Tuscaloosa and Gainesville. We win, and with a couple of breaks we WOULD have a crystal trophy or tow, but our time is still now and in the future. One amusing note (but an overall bad memory), and it relates to one of the few times he has ever shown real anger with a camera on him. Do you all remember when the female reporter asked him a couple of stupid questions heading to the locker room for half-time of the Alabama debacle in Athens a couple of years ago. He was obviously and justifiably irritated, and he responded in a very gruff and sarcastic way. I bring that up to drive home the point that he almost always conducts himself in an incredibly controlled and dignified manner, and thus treats everyone he comes in contact with with respect. But, I thought that one instance was really funny, and you know he proably apologized to her the next day, or the next time he saw her.
Thanks Coach, for the person you are, and for the example you set, and for not letting the rigors of what you do cause you to compromise the awesome principles you represent.
GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
41 38 49 38 45 24 37 41 17 20 45 41 * 0 * 24 34 24
February 18th, 2010
12:24 pm
Happy B Day CMR !! 50 is that ole plateau #. Just like someone mentioned that your first 4 years were good but the last 5 have been a struggle which is so true. The losses to Vandy and Kentucky and even to a pathetic SC team in 2007. The continual beat downs from both Tenn. and the dreaded Gators. Now the hiring and recruiting fiasco of the this year which was so comical. Yep Happy Birthday Ole Markie boy you’ve reached your plateau for sure!
Yellow Fuzz
February 18th, 2010
12:25 pm
While watching the US speed skater win the gold medal last night (by 18-hundreths of a second) over the South Korea guy, I couldn’t help but wonder if that would have qualified as a severe “a$$ kicking” or “beat down” if he had been from uga.
Hahahahahahahahahahahhahaahhaahahhahahahaha
Yellow Fuzz
February 18th, 2010
12:27 pm
Happy Birthday coach! Wish your fan base (the dog nation) were not such AH’s. Hope you can keep ignoring them.
hobnail
February 18th, 2010
12:27 pm
Happy Birthday Coach Richt! Go Dawgs!
Typical Dog Fan
February 18th, 2010
12:28 pm
He’s our coach, he’s the best, 9 straight 10-win seasons, were going to go 14-0 the next 2 years! Sic em! woof woof woof.
Billy O
February 18th, 2010
12:29 pm
Happy B’day Coach!!!! Most of us love you and appreciate what you have done at UGA. Keep up the great work!!!!!!
Vick=Dog killing Thug
February 18th, 2010
12:29 pm
CMR class act from A to Z
Coach Richt
February 18th, 2010
12:30 pm
I’d rather have a spray on tan than a spray on a$$ like Russ
Typical Dog Fan
February 18th, 2010
12:32 pm
Love the post game quotes after the endzone celebration during the 07 game in Jax: “I am sorry about the celebration; never intended for it to happen that way, only said I wanted to offensive players to draw a penalty for celebration”. Then ESPN showed him laughing on the sideline after it happened; whoops…………….Great Man, great suntan.
Since Vince
February 18th, 2010
12:36 pm
Happy Birthday Coach ! Im afraid you wont beat ole Vince’s Win record at UGA But anyway enjoy your Birthday !
Urban Meyer
February 18th, 2010
12:40 pm
Happy Birthday Markie! I hang 50 on you and your mutts in Jacksonville this fall! We can do a birthday dance in the endzone !!!!
CMR
February 18th, 2010
12:42 pm
The only gift I want is to be hoisting the crystal ball from the coaches trophy in January 2011!
Proud UGA Fan
February 18th, 2010
12:43 pm
Happy Birthday Coach!!! I’m proud to have you as our coach not because of your won loss record (which is pretty darn good I might add) but because of your character and what you stand for. Thanks for all the great work you have done for the University of Georgia.
Ace
February 18th, 2010
12:45 pm
Tan man owned by Kiffen.