Richt not on the hot seat, Adams and Evans say (UPDATED)
DESTIN, Fla. — Is Georgia football coach Mark Richt on the hot seat?
Yes, according to several media-conceived lists of coaches whose jobs could be in jeopardy after the 2010 season.
No, according to Richt’s bosses.
In separate interviews at the SEC spring meetings here Wednesday, UGA President Michael Adams and athletics director Damon Evans rejected speculation that Richt will enter the season with the heat turned up on his job security.
“I don’t pay that stuff any attention,” Evans said. “Mark is a good football coach. I’m glad he’s our football coach. He’s had a great track record here.
“I think when they see a little adversity, people want to jump on it and attack it,” Evans said. “There is no need for that because he’s not on a hot seat. Mark is in a good place with us.”
Said Adams: “I don’t know whose hot seat he is on. He’s got a pretty nice long-term contract, seems to have the AD’s support, and I don’t have any reason to know where a hot seat would be.”
Adams acknowledged, though, that Georgia’s 2009 football season (8-5) was substandard and noted that all UGA coaches face high expectations.
“Did anybody think last year was a great year in football? No,” Adams said. “But most people would say I’ve had a year or two that weren’t too hot, too.”
Among the publications and Web sites that have put Richt on off-season lists of coaches who are believed — at least by those making the lists — to be on the proverbial hot seat are the Orlando Sentinel and the Mobile Press-Register. CBSSports.com gave Richt a “hot seat rating” of 3.0, meaning “on the bubble — you never know.” ESPN has weighed in about the topic on various platforms.
On Tuesday, Richt professed not to be aware of any of this, saying he didn’t know his name had appeared on such lists. “Is that true?” he asked. On Wednesday, he declined to delve into the issue, saying cheerfully: “I’m just doing my job.”
Georgia has averaged 10 wins per season in nine years under Richt, going 90-27 and winning two SEC championships. On the other hand, the Bulldogs’ most recent SEC title was in 2005, and they are 2-7 vs. Florida under Richt.
Although rejecting the hot-seat tag, Adams referred to comments Evans made at last week’s UGA Athletic Association board of directors meeting in which he expressed disappointment with the school’s all-around sports year.
“There are very high expectations at the University of Georgia,” Adams said. “We feel like we have the fan base, we have the financial resources, we have the facilities, we have the capacity to recruit. … Here we finished second in the SEC [all-sports standings], and nobody was satisfied because we did feel like it was a year where several teams underperformed. And I think if you asked any of those coaches they would say the same thing.
“I think people need not lose sight of the pressures that are on all of these folks to compete, just by nature of the expectations. And that’s fairly characteristic now of the whole university. We expect business professors and physics professors to publish and to teach well. … I don’t know of anybody who thinks we’ve not made adjustments as were needed [in football], and we’ve made adjustments through the years in other sports and we will again if they don’t perform at a high level. But I don’t think characterizing Mark as being on the hot seat from my standpoint is fair.”
Asked if that would change with another football season like last fall’s, Adams passed.
“You know me well enough [to know] I don’t deal in … hypotheticals,” he said. “I think we’re going to have a good year. I think we have a good, solid team. I think the defense is going to be improved. We’ll just have to wait and see, but let’s also not forget that this is by any measure the most competitive football league in America. … We want and expect to win, but you’re just not always going to win.”
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364 comments Add your comment
gdawginkalamazoo
June 2nd, 2010
1:23 pm
Mobile, yes that UT game cost us big time. Can’t say that we should have won but we should have been competitive which we haven’t against weak UT teams the past few years. Get off the damn bus for these games.
Do we really need to have this discussion? « The Chapel Bell
June 2nd, 2010
1:25 pm
[...] thing Damon Evans quelled the latest specualtion, via Tim Tucker’s blog entry. “I don’t pay that stuff any attention,” Evans said at the SEC spring meetings. “People [...]
LukeBrocheous
June 2nd, 2010
1:25 pm
Mark Richt currently is UNDERACHIEVING as far his coaching abilities are concerned. Since Richt has been coaching at Georgia, Richt’s teams should have won at least THREE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. They certainly had the talent, but Richt couldnt motivate his teams to get the job done. Richt came close but without a playoff system, I’d say its not entirely all his fault.
NON STORY
June 2nd, 2010
1:31 pm
JESUS… How is this even a fuhken story? Who is the genius from the sports media that thinks he should be on the hot seat?? Whomever he is is a fuhken MORON.
SSIgator
June 2nd, 2010
1:32 pm
Richt is the perfect example of The Peter Principle in action.
Mobile Dawg
June 2nd, 2010
1:34 pm
My comments weren’t intended to fire up the masses, only get some acknowledgement from the legitimate fans that we need to improve or CMR isn’t untouchable. I can’t or won’t argue with CMR’s long term record at UGA, the numbers are among the best in the business. That’s where I disagree with the blind loyalist, you have to look a little further than just the numbers for an honest indication of how he’s performed as our HC. As fans and supporters however we need to support our players and coaches, CMR will have the chance to quiet his critics. Myself included.
gdawginkalamazoo
June 2nd, 2010
1:46 pm
SSIgator, how many “great” teams did Spurrier have during the 90’s? With all those great teams he has 1 NC. How many great teams did Pete Carroll have this decade? 1 NC. How many teams have more than 1 NC this decade? LSU, UF. Were either of those teams undefeated? It takes a combination of being consistent and lucky. Richt has been consistent on the winning part. Sure there have been some let down games and last season was prett much dismal from a fan standpoint.
I can understand an opponents view that you don’t want Richt to get the NC because that means that your team didn’t win it. Richt knows how to win he has been there before with Miami and FSU. He has been very close with Buffalo and UGA.
jerry
June 2nd, 2010
1:47 pm
When you don’t shoot for the moon, and your boy doesn’t hit the moon, that’s a.o.k.
SSIgator
June 2nd, 2010
1:54 pm
gdawginkalamazoo -
Do you know what The Peter Principle is?
Fair and Balanced
June 2nd, 2010
2:02 pm
It took Dooley 17 years to win a NC and he did it with a whole lot of luck and the greatest running back ever to play college football. Richt may never win a NC. It is much more difficult than you think and you gotta have some luck. I’m as mad as anybody when GA plays stupidly and below their ability and I curse the high salary of a coach that can’t win against inferior talent. BUT, while GA just had a mediocre season we ought to be a bit more patient and thankful for an average of 10 wins per year. A lot of schools would love to have what we’ve got.
HOT DIGGITY DAWG
June 2nd, 2010
2:06 pm
Richt should be on the hot seat……they are losing top recruits and SEC Ground to Bama and the Gay-tors….need I say more?
Florida Tennessee Alabama Kentucky
June 2nd, 2010
2:12 pm
Thank God!
Jorts
June 2nd, 2010
2:14 pm
Not sure what the Peter Principle is but if it has any negative connotations to Meyers and Tebows personal life then I would rather not know.
GermanShepperd
June 2nd, 2010
2:14 pm
Mark Richt has AVERAGED 10 wins in 9 years (90 total wins). The only three other coaches who have done that are Bobby Bowden, Steve Spurrier and Joe Paterno. In my opinion thats an exclusive company of great coaches. Think of this: before Richt got to Georgia, were the bulldogs AVERAGING 10 WINS? No. How about 6 wins? No. Whatever number of wins the bulldogs were averaging they will go back to average that number as soon as Richt gets fired. Keep Richt on at Georgia. Most schools would absolutely love to average 10 wins per year. That gets you a bowl berth each and every year.
NoGaGator
June 2nd, 2010
2:16 pm
I believe the issue with Richt is “what have you done for me lately?”
Richt came in and succeeded very well – early. The other SEC schools at the time didn’t have the caliber of coaches they now have. Then the competition stepped up. Other SEC schools made some great hires. The SEC probably has the top coaches in the country. Recruiting at other SEC improved as well.
Richt hasn’t kept up with the competition, as MobileDawg notes. Other posters have noted his .500 record in the SEC the last 3-4 yrs.
While his overall record is still good (largely from his first few years) his recent record – not so much.
gdawginkalamazoo
June 2nd, 2010
2:16 pm
SSIgator, yes I know what it is and I don’t see that it applies to Richt. If he consistently won 8 games a year then yes I would say that it applies. He has averaged 10 wins a year and finished 2nd & 3rd in the country along with 2 SEC (2 more than we have had in the past 25 yrs). You have to understand that our defense has been declining the past 2-3 years. Sure he should have demoted Willie before last year but I just didn’t see Joe Cox winning and NC during his only starting season. So he gave WM an extra year. Didn’t work. Made the changes and got in a solid D staff. Especially with the secondary coach from UCONN. I don’t subscribe to the “what have you done for me lately” principle when you have a very good coach in there that would be hired at a top tier school the day after he was released. And we all know that would happen. Keep hoping for that though because we know it concerns opposing fans for a good reason.
sogadog
June 2nd, 2010
2:21 pm
CMR is the most successful football coach UGA has ever had and he is not on the “hot seat”. This hot seat talk is designed to hurt UGA’s recruiting efforts and attract attention to the media by the media. Coach Dooley had a great four year run from 1980 to 1983, but he also had a LOT of seasons equal to or worse than 8-5. CMR’s first nine years are much better than CVD’s first nine and given time and support, CMR will win a national championship just as CVD did. (Dont get me wrong, CVD was a great coach as well.) People are far too short sighted these days. A coach has one or two off seasons and he is on the “hot seat”. That is just wrong to imply a coach is on the hot seat to sell newspapers.
ugaexpert
June 2nd, 2010
2:22 pm
i think that CMR will have a better footall season this year. whith a new and better quaterback, a.j green at wide reciver, washon eleay as tailback and a better defense we sould hav a pretty good season might even make it to a better bowl. so what ya think about that GT? Got anything else to say?
gdawginkalamazoo
June 2nd, 2010
2:25 pm
NoGaGator, and the past three years we have lacked a defensive scheme capable of stopping the likes of Vandy and Kentucky. We all know the reason for that and the tough decision Richt had to make to correct it. With the exception of last years recruiting class he still have some talent on campus. And even last years class has some players coming in that will fill in some important roles.
dogbiscuit
June 2nd, 2010
2:28 pm
can’t beat the big schools few SEC championships, no National Titles…. Bowl games every year ar ok but won’t do it alone… With all of the great recruiting classes Ga has had since Ricth has been there UGA should have 2 or 3 more SEC titles and at least one NC…..
He Should be on the Hot Seat!!!
Old Dawg
June 2nd, 2010
2:29 pm
This a non-story. End of story. What does it take to move on to real journalism?
CLEVON LITTLE
June 2nd, 2010
2:36 pm
TIM, WHO is asking if Richt is on the ‘Hot Seat’??? YOU??? If it is you, YOU should stop being a lazy reporter & go after a REAL story. If it’s not you then you should tell whomever it is the same.
Geeeezzzzzz……And they wonder why people HATE the media!!!!!!!!
Hmmm...
June 2nd, 2010
2:37 pm
UGA finishes 8-4. They will get blown out in one game and then pull an upset out of their arse here and there to salvage the season. This 10-2 or 11-1 talk is silly, then again so is the 5-7 pessimism. 8 wins is where this team will land. Not great, but good. That is what UGA is, a good program that averages 8-9 wins most seasons. The same was true when Dooley was there. Take away 3 years of Herschel, and the guy averaged 8 wins most seasons and the same is true with Richt. The mid-2000’s are over. The days where Richt went 13-1 or 11-2 are over.
Gen Neyland
June 2nd, 2010
2:46 pm
zoodawg : Back in the days of Goff and Donnan, the hurdle those HC’s rarely cleared were Florida and Tennessee. They might have been great guys but they couldn’t get past two of their biggest adversaries. Times have changed and the rules of winning the SEC have too but believe me, BuLLdawg won’t be alone slamming on CMR if he doesn’t crack the doorstep of the Dome in the coming years…For UGA’s sake, I hope your new DC can fix the discipline problems on the D side. They’ve been costly.
FLA DAWG
June 2nd, 2010
2:57 pm
Hmmm,
I too believe this season will be 8-4 or 7-5. With Bobo still onboard, a new D (I like the coach), a QB with no experience and Richts seemingly unable to win the big ones his seat will be hot at seasonend. If Richt is canned in a year or two he’ll go on to be an excellent coach and winner because he’ll have learned to lead his players and not buddy up with them.
I hope I’m wrong about all of the above and The Dawgs win big this season!
gdawginkalamazoo
June 2nd, 2010
2:59 pm
General, I get the feeling that we will crack the doorstep of the dome in the coming years. As I mentioned above we all know the problems the program has had. It happens. The new DC will make a difference.
How many quality teams do you think would contact Richt if he were fired?
Richt would have more offers than a #1 recruit. I can see his press conference right now. Standing in front of the cameras with 6 hats on the table. Picking up one, putting it down, sliding another on his head then off again. Then he finally puts a Kennesaw State hat.
From 11-3 to 14-0
June 2nd, 2010
3:16 pm
………………………………..
NESBITT for HEISMAN
——————————
How2fish
June 2nd, 2010
3:28 pm
We have a winner !! LukeBrocheous come on down and claim your “Moron of the Day ” prize a truly remarkable feat due to the sheer numbers of Morons competing today. Congrats!
NoAxeToGrind
June 2nd, 2010
3:49 pm
Just let him have a couple more seasons like 2009 and see whether or not he is on the “hot seat”. In the final analysis, it won’t be Adams or his “glorified assistant” Damon Evans who ultimately decides. It will be the donors who shell out the big money. I suspect most of them would like to see, at least, an SEC-east title every now and then. Let’s face it, 2.9 million a year is a lot of money for 2nd or 3rd in the division. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Hunkerdown
June 2nd, 2010
4:17 pm
Lasker sounds like a techie to me.
SOOHSO
June 2nd, 2010
4:26 pm
The “hot seat” belongs to Adams and Evans.
Tide Rising
June 2nd, 2010
4:33 pm
Richt is now the most tenured coach in the sec and long term has an excellent record. The only issue I see with Richt is that at any head coaching job you have to have some success against your biggest one or two rivals and obviously UF is certainly their biggest conference rival.
Richt’s teams have to start beating Florida or at least competing with them. If the dawgs lost several close games that could have gone either way then that would be okay. But not competing against the gators and getting blown out 41-17 and 49-10 is unacceptable. His teams have to at least be able to compete with UF.
Beating Tech is important also but I think the only thing that could really hurt Richt other than an obvious disaster of a season like 7-5 would be continued blowout losses to UF.
Hunkerdown
June 2nd, 2010
4:36 pm
NO AXE,
Let any coach have an off season in the SEC and I don’t care who you are, Saban, Meyer, Spurrier and if you continue on with the trend then supporters will wain. But CMR is a far cry better than his immediate predeccessors and wil win a NC in due time. The doom and gloomers can go back to Coach Goff and Donnovan if they like but my bet is with CMR. He has proven that he is capable. The negative 17 turnovers last year were humbling and not something that is typical of a CMR team. I think the D will be more accountable and cut out the silly penalties and mistakes and we can play with anyone.
Tide Rising
June 2nd, 2010
4:38 pm
How2fish,
I don’t know about Lukebrocheus getting the moron of the day award. The moron of the day award should be some blogger over on Tony’s blog today. I just looked at it to get my football fix for the day and some jackass is stealing everyone’s handle and just making a series of childish comments. The idiot basically just hijacked the whole blog. Had to come over here and read about what’s going on with the dawgs just have something to read about football for the day.
2010--The Year
June 2nd, 2010
4:44 pm
UGA wins the SEC east in 2010—ending all this noise—mark it down! The Dawgs are loaded on D and O, with the best running game in the conference. Grantham’s 3-4 D will shut florida down cold-bank on it. Dawgs go 11-1, play bama for the SEC title.
1eyedJack
June 2nd, 2010
4:47 pm
Adams is a carpetbagger and thus he cannot be trusted. Damon is a damn good dawg so I can believe what he says. Richt is NOT on the hot seat THIS season.
It’s gratifying to see the numbers of opposing team’s fans that want to fire our coach….and a little disappointing to see the number of our fans that are in their camp.
You cannot criticize the soup until it has been cooked. It hasn’t even started to simmer yet. We’ve changed some of the major ingredients, took some out and added some more and some have gained some flavor with age. Now only time and the process can tell us if it will satisfy or give us heart burn. Personally I like the aroma.
Let’s not fire our coach before the season has even started.
1eyedJack
June 2nd, 2010
4:52 pm
Tide Rising
I’m not going to gaurantee victories over UF but I will say I don’t think we’re going to see blowouts the next couple of years…on either side.
"Home of Mediocrity"
June 2nd, 2010
4:58 pm
Hmmm, a defense that ranked 7th last year, an offense that ranked 8th and is starting a Freshman QB this year, a DC that was either a 3rd or 4th choice, an OL that according to Georgia fans was the best in the country for the last four games of the season and the best kicking game in the country. No doubt about it, they’ ll be playing in Atlanta. See Chic-Fil-A Bowl.
Remarkable
June 2nd, 2010
4:59 pm
Only sports writers and idiots ever thought Richt was on the hot seat. Look at his recruiting. Look at the crowds who come to hear him speak and seek his autograph. Listen to the students, players, and any fan who has a clue.
Sunny Day
June 2nd, 2010
5:11 pm
Richt played 4-four- top 10 ranked teams last year. He lost 4 of those games and beat Ga Tech. He also played 2 other top 25 teams, and beat both.
4, top 10 teams, 2 more top 25 teams, in 1 year.
8-5 for any coach in America.
HunkerDown27
June 2nd, 2010
5:19 pm
Great job Adams and Damon! Now maybe the AJC will blog less about this topic! It was BS in the first place!
Pi$$onaDawg
June 2nd, 2010
5:19 pm
can BOBO coach a HEISMAN WINNER like Richt did twice? Richt was so great to have 2 Heisman QB’s when he was teaching them how to play the game.
Do you expect Evans & Adams say
June 2nd, 2010
5:20 pm
Yes Mark is on the hot seat. Mutts lose will lose 5 games again in 2010 . mark it down all you dumb rednecks it’s going to be a long season for ya.
Sunny Day
June 2nd, 2010
5:20 pm
Georgia’s schedule last season (thanks Damon Evans) included 4, top 10 ranked teams, in the regular season:
#1 Florida
#4 LSU
#7 Ga Tech
#9 Ok St.
Georgia lost future #1 NFL Draft Pick QB (Stafford)
top rusher future NFL star (Moreno), and top WR from previous season (Massoquia).
Contrast that to Florida who returned 19 starters, Sr. QB, seasoned TE and WR, and one of best runnign backfields in nation.
Also, Florida played:
1 top 25 ranked team (LSU) in the regular season
MVP
June 2nd, 2010
5:23 pm
Richt will never be a threat to beat UF,TN or will a national crown. Yall can keep the chump.
One, two, free, fo, fi, them der Gator don't take no jive!
June 2nd, 2010
5:29 pm
Ric Flair is a HUGE GATOR FAN! I’ve seen him at many UF games in Gainesville. Nice try though!
Sunny Day
June 2nd, 2010
5:30 pm
Richt also had a defensive coordinator who gave up over 28 points a game.
Meyer had a defense who gave only 13 a game.
Strong’s gone, Grantham is on board.
Georgia’s defense was top 20 2001-2007, so 2 year slide hurt and lost a lot of games.
that’s NOT on Richt.
The tables turn.
Darkjuice4u
June 2nd, 2010
5:31 pm
choke. the offical drink of the georgia bulldawgs.
Dave
June 2nd, 2010
5:31 pm
Richt has already beaten Meyer.
Meyer has never beaten Auburn, and never will.
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
5:32 pm
win it all???
.
2002… 12-1 and a SEC title, a number 3 ranking and needed a team (tOSU) to lose to get in.
.
2006….12-1 and a SEC title and a number 4 ranking needing Mich and USC to lose to get in.
.
I fail to see how Meyer did anything different than Richt.
.
Oh I know….Meyer used the Jedi mind trick on USC on Dec 2nd 2006 (after Fla won its SECCG on Dec 2nd 2006 and then sat around hoping USC lost). Yep Meyer is soooo much better because USC lost and tOSU didnt.
.