Richt on ‘hot seat’ talk; recruit Fields not admitted; more from SEC meetings (UPDATED)
DESTIN, Fla. – Quickly, some news, notes and quotes from Mark Richt at the SEC meetings:
- It didn’t take long for a reporter to ask Richt what he thinks when his name appears on media lists of coaches supposedly on the hot seat. Replied Richt with a smile: “I didn’t know it had. Is that true?”
- Earlier in a chat with reporters, Richt discussed his approach to the job: “My mindset has always been, let’s do what I think we need to do to succeed and try not to be influenced by anything other than the people who are closest to the program. And quite frankly my goal has always been to try to conduct myself in a way so that the university would be proud and my Lord and Savior would be proud too. So I’m trying to do things . . . with a lot of integrity and a lot of character. And hopefully we’re winning games and we’re still educating young men. . . . Of course you want to win. Absolutely. But also we still want these guys to get their degrees; we want these guys to be preparing for life after football. We think you can have it all.”
- Richt said he doesn’t buy into the notion espoused by some that it’s hard for coaches to have success in the same job for more than 10-12 years: “I came from Florida State. I was with Coach Bowden, who had been there forever. And that was sort of the model that I saw and that I really aspired to have.”
- Dalton defensive end Jalen Fields, a member of Georgia’s 2010 signing class, apparently will not qualify academically. Richt said Fields has not been admitted to Georgia yet, adding that he doesn’t expect him to enroll this year. Richt said he doesn’t know where Fields will go to school this fall, whether Georgia Military College or elsewhere. All other UGA signees except WR Lonnie Outlaw, who was known to be GMC-bound, have qualified, Richt said.
- Richt confirmed that cornerback Vance Cuff was, indeed, timed at 4.24 seconds in the 40-yard dash this spring, the fastest ever by a Georgia football player. More on that is here.
- On the “Dream Team” concept that Georgia coaches are pitching in recruiting the 2011 class, Richt said: “I think some [recruits] think it is pretty cool.”
- Richt expects much chatter this week about conference expansion but doesn’t expect anything to come of it, at least not soon.
- Richt reiterated Georgia’s QB situation entering preseason. Logan Gray is the No. 2 QB even though Gray will work more at WR than QB. Freshman Hutson Mason will work more than Gray at QB but won’t be considered No. 2 until he proves himself. And Richt said again that Aaron Murray would have been the No.1 QB at end of spring practice regardless of the Zach Mettenberger situation.
- Scratch the rumors about CB Sanders Commings and WR Israel Troupe possibly playing baseball for a local amateur team, the Athens Pirates, this summer. They won’t, Richt said.
Follow @ajcuga on Twitter for more news, notes and anecdotes from the SEC meetings.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
214 comments Add your comment
UGAY TOO SCARED TO PLAY BAMA& LSU
June 1st, 2010
5:41 pm
UGAY HAS A CUPCAKE SCHEDULE..
Jamey
June 1st, 2010
5:42 pm
Phil Steele is the most accurate predictor in pre-seaon in college football. When he says, Georgia might go on a run, that’s as close to the turth as you can get.
http://preseason.stassen.com/prediction-accuracy/2009-10yr.html
bad brad
June 1st, 2010
5:44 pm
Who is the Alabama idiot that lists his post name as some recruit and then copies and pastes a story about him?? Hey moron, go away.
Huh??
June 1st, 2010
5:45 pm
I love these “drill baby drill” crowd who are criticizing the government for not getting involved. Two months ago, they would have stuck an oil rig in your bathtub if you had let them. Besides, I thought they were against government involvement and control. Look at them now that its spill baby spill and kill baby kill and it’s politically convienent. Funny., I didn’t see any of those Tea Party people burning their Medicare cards either. Sorry about the political diversion but I’m a little confused.
DDPO
June 1st, 2010
5:46 pm
Richt List:
Please provide us the link that shows where Richt was the Head Coach of 2 Heisman Trophy winners….
I believe that Pete Carroll was the Head Coach of 2 QB’s and 3 Heisman Winners in his tenure yet. But typical UGA sidewalk fan, CMR is still the best!
But you guys have that state championship thing going, right? Just like Kentucky has over Louisville!
48-17….
One, two, free, fo, fi, them der Gator don't take no jive!
June 1st, 2010
5:51 pm
Jamey,
He predicted UGA to be #19. He said UGA was his “darkhorse”. Don’t jump the gun. He has 18 schools projected to finish ahead of UGA. Really don’t see an SEC team making it through undefeated this year and I think you’ll have several others that do (OU, OSA, BSU). That’s probably gonna leave us all out of the title game.
One, two, free, fo, fi, them der Gator don't take no jive!
June 1st, 2010
5:53 pm
Should have been OSU…..not OSA. Duh!
Rod
June 1st, 2010
5:53 pm
Richt and Saban faced off twice at while Saban was at alabama. Richt beat saban on his own field too. Some of you act like the black jerseys back fired which is bs. The black jerseys haaven’t made us lose or win one single game. We would have lost those same games in the red jerseys. Obviuosly fans that think coaches should not use things to motivate and fireup a team have never played organized sports.
Inspector Cluezoe
June 1st, 2010
5:53 pm
Are Alabama fans the most obnoxious toothless bunch of rednecks on the planet. They actually make Vol fans look decent. I guess they forgot about all those Shula years and the debacle prior to Shula’s arrival. They act like Saban will be there for eternity. Wake up numb nuts, Saban never stays anywhere beyond 5 years. If Pete Carroll has any kind of success at Seattle, Saban will be bolting for the NFL quicker than you can say, “I like my cousin as much as my crack pipe.”
Jamey
June 1st, 2010
5:57 pm
One, two, free:
Thanks for your predictions, I’ll go with the guy that ranks #1 over the last 5 & 10 years, Phil Steele.
Urban Meyer
June 1st, 2010
5:58 pm
When Tech lose 5 or 6 games this year..and they will…will Johnson be on the hot seat? Yeah ..you bet!
One, two, free, fo, fi, them der Gator don't take no jive!
June 1st, 2010
6:02 pm
Jamey,
Then you agree that UGA will finish #19?
That IS what he predicted.
Bobbi Dudr
June 1st, 2010
6:03 pm
Huh?? Confused…yeah you must be a Democrat! How’s that hope and change working for you??
Jamey
June 1st, 2010
6:07 pm
Phil Steele says Georgia could go on a run, and Athlon, most accurate over last 3 years, says Georgia Florida game is the de facto SEC Championship this year.
Nice write up by Athlon, who is quite high on the Georgia team:
http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/18972/no-15-georgia-bulldogs
dogfan
June 1st, 2010
6:15 pm
Georgia will be competitive this year. The coaches know what needs to be done. Bad year last year, not so this year.
SECRealist
June 1st, 2010
6:26 pm
Didn’t UGA get destroyed by both UF and UT last year? I don’t get the over confidence? In recruiting, the best Receiver and player in the state of Georgia signed with UT. Same with the best lineman. The best RB in Georgia signed with UF. Yet somehow UGA is the team to beat with a new QB and defensive staff? Instead of worrying about a dream team, you should worry about keeping your best players from signing out of state.
The east will probably look something like this. Again!
1)UF – Team to beat even with the departures. Too much talent! Nothing else to say!
2)UT – Inside track on 2nd(Played Bama and UF really close last year. Destroyed UGA and USCeast. Doubt they are as far behind as most people think)
3tie)UGA – Inside track for 3rd but will get challenged by USCeast
3tie)USCeast – Could finish 3rd with a victory over UGA
5UK – Basketball
6Vandy – Scholastic Bowl champs
West
1Bama
2LSU
Everyone else
Any other predictions are just homers hyping their favorite team! Like the AGC does yearly with UGA although Richt has yet to win a championship! Haven’t even been to the SEC championship game in years? But because you are so good of a guy that seat isn’t hot?
HugoStiglitz
June 1st, 2010
6:53 pm
No CMR you arent on the hot seat. You took the most talented team in the country, finished 13th, and didnt even play for the SEC title. Then you went 7-5 and went to a terrible bowl game. Your team is one of the worst in the country in penalties and turnovers. It took you 4 or 5 tries to convince a DC to come coach with you. You have had to kick several people off your team because they cant behave themselves and you really havent come that close to a MNC. No, you are doing just great. Keep it up. UGA fans always wonder what is holding them back when the answer is right in front of their faces.
bob
June 1st, 2010
7:08 pm
I hope someone has a plan B before Richt is fired. Three years ago #2 in the nation, now on the hot seat.
BIG BEE
June 1st, 2010
7:12 pm
SPORTING NEWS TOP 100, Wow, two high school offense,NAVY and GT, ranked above UGA. That is something!!!
play ball
June 1st, 2010
7:22 pm
When he loses 2, you fans on here singing his praises now will blow a gasket..remember no Bama or LSU…
Jamey
June 1st, 2010
7:25 pm
Unless QB play is solid, then yes, Georgia will finish #15 according to Athlon.
But, as Athlon said, with the O-Line and RB’s as loaded as Georgia, if the QB play is good, then Georgia wins the SEC East.
See what they wrote in the brief paragraph about the 1 thing Georgia needs to do to win the SEC East:
http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/18907/2010-preseason-top-25
I don’t know what they mean by “good at QB”, I guess that means not turning the ball over, and scoring some td’s.
I’ll look at the QB td to int ratio after 1st 3 games. If it’s +4, we’re good. If it’s not, we’re finish around 18.
Also, TO Margin. If +3 after 1st 3 games, we’ll go on a run, if -3 after 1st 3 games, gonna be a long year.
Red State Dawg
June 1st, 2010
7:35 pm
HUH must be a left wing Democrat. But eventually HUH may come to his senses just like it took Tipper Gore to figure out her hubby is a left wing loon after 40 years. HUH put down the kool aid along with the rest of these guys who think UGA will run the table rhis fall.
Dara in Westville
June 1st, 2010
7:36 pm
We have very low standards. Win a SEC title every ten years and it’s all good cuz.
And that’s the central problem right there. The majority of dawg fans have accepted the long slide into mediocrity and irrelevance. This includes Mark Richt and Damon Evans.
When you look at it this way, Richt is not on the hotseat. And the number of dawg fans who accept mediocrity will continue to steadily increase until no one even cares. It’s happened at many other former powerhouse schools, then it took a total house-cleaning to restart things.
Tawny Port
June 1st, 2010
7:43 pm
Jalen Fields must be world class dumbass if UGA won’t admit him. Either that or the registrar checked his arrest record.
Delbert D.
June 1st, 2010
7:46 pm
Buddist, out of luck. Jewish, out of luck. Muslim, out of luck. Hindu, out of luck. Could Coach Richt have made it more clear than that? HIS is the One.
Huh??
June 1st, 2010
7:54 pm
Bobbi Dudr…that is exactly the problem with you people…you want to politically label everyone and point fingers instead of finding solutions and solving problems. That’s why our country just can’t to get it right anymore. That’s being brutally honest, which is what we need right now. To put it in a football perspective, we are falling out of the elite status and getting passed by. THAT should NEVER happen. Too many people with an political agenda but nothing of substance to offer. And while it’s none of your freakin business what I “am”, FYI I’ve been a registered Independent for over 30 years.
Gunny
June 1st, 2010
7:55 pm
ok and os hmm how many times does the SEC have to beat these slugs before they stop ranking them so high.os doesnt play anyone , the big 10 is still a joke, ok maybe 1-2 decent teams. Richt has to stop recruting thugs and no academic types. You only have to get a 700 to qualify for football and they give you 400 for signing your name on the sat , there are some dumb hs kids out there
Joe Momma Angie Daddy
June 1st, 2010
8:02 pm
I was falling in love with bamabelle til she said roll tide. Oh well, she’s probably a guy anyway. GO DAWGS!!!!
Big L
June 1st, 2010
8:13 pm
I’ve been saying for a while now. If Richt pulls it off in 2002 or one more win in 2007 , he would not be dealing with this. Of course, if if’s and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a merry damn christmas.
Big L
June 1st, 2010
8:15 pm
Preston, that dude is full of crap. Sounds like a tech hater.
Tide Roll
June 1st, 2010
8:16 pm
Time to quit messing around Richt; LT- STURDIVANT LG-GLENN C-BURNETTE RG-BEAN ANDERSON RT-JOSH DAVIS. You and Bobo can go back to playing your GWHs next year. This year is no year to mess around. Hey, I don’t think that big OT from Moultrie can pick up the system. Don’t offer so he can play opposite James Carpenter next year. Roll Tide!
NOBODYYOUKNOW
June 1st, 2010
8:17 pm
If CMR can remember this phrase and abide by it 100%, his job will be safe. JUST WIN BABY!!!!
Long Way Home Dawg
June 1st, 2010
8:20 pm
Richt will win it all for us one day
Buckhead Bulldog
June 1st, 2010
8:24 pm
Good luck, Coach Richt. I’m 100% behind you, the coaches, the team, and the University of Georgia.
Sic’ ‘em Dogs!
GoDOGS1
June 1st, 2010
8:32 pm
to “ME” : STFU ya frickin loser! You come to a UGA blog, talk crap to us, then call us classless? Well FU, and your boyfriend too.
SECFAN
June 1st, 2010
8:33 pm
Anyone that believes the Dogs may run the table is an idiot. If Phil Steele said that then I have lost all respect for him.
You have a new QB, a crappy defense and a 4th choice DC. If I was a Dawg fan I’d be worried about the 2nd game. Right now USC has to be a slight favorite.
I have never seen fans that tout their club so much during the offseason as UGa fans do. And you do it even though you are consistantly 2nd fiddle in your division.
Heaven forbid if the Dawgs ever won it all as we’d never hear the end of it.
dagnabit
June 1st, 2010
8:59 pm
Sure Mark Richt is on the HOT seat. When donkeys fly.
Kasey
June 1st, 2010
9:01 pm
Since phil Steele is the most accurate pre-season college football predictor, and since he said the dogs could run the table, anyone who doesn’t agree with that lacks common sense.
bruce 12
June 1st, 2010
9:01 pm
yes if we win out you will never hear the end of it just like you all
plax go
June 1st, 2010
9:07 pm
Found out who asked the “hot seat’ question.
That would be Andy Staples of si.com, yep, THAT Andy, the one who doesn’t have Georgia in his pre-season top 25 poll, the one who thought Notre Dame would be stellar last year, yep, THAT Andy Staples.
the way Andy asked that question:
what do you think of your name being associated with ‘hotseat’?
Me
June 1st, 2010
9:21 pm
GoDOGS1. Two words. Anger management.
Dunston
June 1st, 2010
9:24 pm
Concensus from tese pre-season analyzers is an inexperienced QB will throw a lot of interceptions, working through the learning curve.
Over the 3 scrimmages this Spring, Murray’s int to pass ratio was WORSE than Joe Cox. Murray threw 3 ints in less than 54 passes, and only produced 2 td’s.
The recruiting boards said a downside of Murray is he’s a risktaker, gunslinger. If he goes all “Brett Favre” on us, the season will be a bust.
Hopefully, Richt will bench Murray if he throw more than 1 int per game and give Gray or Mason a shot.
The bench is the best way to cut down on penalities & turnovers.
GloryYearsGrad
June 1st, 2010
9:32 pm
To the guy who posted today as “SEC coaches rankings by SI mag”. Why don’t you provide a link to that article? I checked SI online and found nothing. Any writer that would rank Mark Richt 11th in the SEC needs a dunce cap. I am never suprised by the level of childishness and idiocy on these blogs. It’s almost pathetic. Grown men acting like children.
Vedia
June 1st, 2010
9:36 pm
I guess the nerd squad over on North Avenue are big-time scared now.
Not exactly, you moron. We’re just waiting for the usual doggy meltdown followed by the beating from Florida (hobnail boots and all that crap
).
You Dawg fans who keep repeating “30-24″ like a mantra enjoy yourselves all you want. The thing is… Tech alumni and fans have lives that don’t depend entirely on what a bunch of kids does on Saturday afternoons. College sports are fun to follow, but the biggest reason for going to college is to get an education.
UGA fans don’t seem to care about anything but football, and they don’t care if their players are enrolled in silly majors that no parents who are paying the bills would send their kids to UGA for. The very few football and basketball players who graduate have no job opportunities and end up unemployed or working in menial jobs that hardly require a college degree.
Georgia Tech is a real school with serious academic standards, and that includes scholarshipped athletes. UGA has a long history of being a party school, where parents send their kids for an easy degree, even if the degree itself is practically worthless.
Jan Kemp exposed the crap going on at UGA with athletes being enrolled in courses a ten-year-old kid could pass. That was almost three decades ago, and nothing has changed. If anything, the abuses are more blatant today. Way too many illiterate morons are being recruited, and the very high arrest rate shows clearly that Richt does not care if his players have any morals or self-discipline.
The bottom line is that most Tech fans have very good jobs and productive lives that don’t depend on Tech’s football record for their happiness in life. It would be great to beat UGA more often, but when you put scholar-athletes up against dummy-athletes, it’s usually no contest.
It’s pretty pathetic to see UGA fans who typically have never been within miles of a college classroom and who live or die with UGA’s weekly results on the football field.
So keep on posting your “30-24″ all you want, especially since you’re home with plenty of time on your hands. I wish you well, maybe you’ll get lucky and get your old job back at the Waffle House before your unemployment checks stop coming.
Dunston
June 1st, 2010
10:01 pm
Kosar wona National Championship with Miami. Great at ball protection.
In fact, Kosar set an NFL record that still stands, completing over 300 passes without a single interception.
Very intelligent QB when it came to risk.
We’ll see if Murray can do the same.
Urban Meyer
June 1st, 2010
10:35 pm
Ah Georgia fans, Lithium it’s what’s for supper!
delbert d
June 1st, 2010
10:38 pm
Delbert D.
May 27th, 2010
7:00 pm
Jim Donnan’s last 4 years:
10-2
9-3
9-3
8-4
36-12
Mark Richt’s last 4 years:
9-4
11-2
10-3
8-5
38-14
Delbert D.
May 27th, 2010
7:16 pm
Jim Donnan’s SEC record, last 4 years:
6-2
6-2
5-3
5-3
22-10
Mark Richt’s SEC record, last 4 years:
4-4
6-2
6-2
4-4
20-12
Jim Donnan lost 13 games his last 4 years here
and we fired him for it.
Coach Richt has lost 14 games his last 4 years here
Jim Donnan lost 13 games his last 4 years here
and we fired him for it.
Coach Richt has lost 14 games his last 4 years here
AltamahaDawg
June 1st, 2010
10:38 pm
Vedia, seriously re-posting that for the ninth time, seriously? At this point it’s clear you are just trying to make fun of the sanctimonious tech fans.
Thanks a Pantload Mark!
June 1st, 2010
10:48 pm
Mark Richt does it again! He is being absurd and not living in the real world. He acts like he is not aware of being on the hotseat. He speaks absurdly about his character, integrity and the lord. Then, at the end (at last) he says:”And hopefully we’re winning games and we’re still educating young men”. Well thanks a pantload Mark for finally getting around to “winning”! This guy is getting paid $2.8 million a year plus bonuses and endorsements and he says “hopefully we’re winning games” ??????? “hopefully” !!!! Somebody please get the net and put this guy out of his misery! He is not in touch with reality.
Get the Powerchair!
June 1st, 2010
10:54 pm
His remarks concerning Bowden indicate he thinks he has attained “Figurehead” status.The Dawg Nation is not looking for a “figurehead” like Paterno or Bowden. The Dawg Nation is looking for “Championships Plural”! The last 5 years have been a disappointment and a failure for the fans. If Richt were at Alabama, LSU or Florida, he would be gone! Why should the Dawg Nation expect less from a head coach paid $2.8 million plus endorsements. Could Kirby Smart or Will Muschamp do any worse?