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.”
Please follow @ajcuga on Twitter for the latest UGA news and notes.
364 comments Add your comment
Oh My
June 2nd, 2010
5:33 pm
Richt loses 2 players (1 four star and a 2 star) from his worst recruiting class #15 nationally. With the 2 loses the Georgia class is an embarrassing #26th nationally,
which is Georgia’s worst class ever.
Yea, the dawgs are going to kick Florida #1 class’ butt for the next 4 years—-get real.
Things aren’t going to change until Georgia gets a great HC not just a good HC. Richt is good, but he is not in the league of Meyer, Saban, Miles, Nutt, Peterno and the Auburn HC.
In a few years Dooley will be kicking Richt’s butt if he is still here.
Ralph
June 2nd, 2010
5:33 pm
90 in 9 years, official snack of Georgia dogs.
Kitchin
June 2nd, 2010
5:34 pm
Poor Florida fans, obsess on the Georgia blogs, hoping against hope.
SEC Observor
June 2nd, 2010
5:34 pm
2010-The year,
The dogs have the best running game in the conference? Ealey and King who combined for 1400 yards last year? That must be news to Heisman winner Mark Ingram 1658 yards and his backup Trent Richardson 750 yards. Georgia’s running game will be decent but to say its the best running game in the conference over two Alabama tailbacks that will both be 1st round draft picks as juniors is a little nutty.
Auburn War Chickens
June 2nd, 2010
5:35 pm
has never ever won a national title….or ever will.
Pi$$onaDawg
June 2nd, 2010
5:35 pm
SUNNY D the kids that left UGA knew where the money was. RICHT and BoZo didn’t have a QB that could read a road map to his own BUTT is a COACHING PROBLEM. I mean Richt made Charlie Ward a Heisman winner and a NBA point guard. ahhahhahha. Wienke came to Richt with a MLB players ARM and 26+ years old. Richt was GOD because BOBBY BOWDEN and Mickey ANDREWS covered his BUTT.
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
5:35 pm
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.
=========================
yep here is another moron…….
.
2002 he was closer than Meyer to an invite needing only OSU to lose…Fla needed Number 3 mich and number 2 USC to lose…no not a threat at all.
.
Its also interesting to note that UGA had ther exact same record when they won the SEC in 2005 that LSU did in 2007 to get invited.
.
nope not a threat at all. Mororn
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not to even mention 2007 when UGA finished 2nd in the nation….nope no threat at all
Sunny Day
June 2nd, 2010
5:38 pm
How Richt adjusted mid-way through the season, and got Cox to stop throwing so many interceptions, and pumped up the rushing game, might have been his best coaching job yet. I was really impressed after he finished with wins over Auburn, Ga Tech, and Texas A & M. Simply the best in the land folks, no one else is close. All 90 wins in 9 seasons were in teh SEC. Nobody does it better. Nobody.
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
5:38 pm
Oh My
June 2nd, 2010
5:33 pm
Richt loses 2 players (1 four star and a 2 star) from his worst recruiting class #15 nationally. With the 2 loses the Georgia class is an embarrassing #26th nationally,
which is Georgia’s worst class ever.
Yea, the dawgs are going to kick Florida #1 class’ butt for the next 4 years—-get real.
Things aren’t going to change until Georgia gets a great HC not just a good HC. Richt is good, but he is not in the league of Meyer, Saban, Miles, Nutt, Peterno and the Auburn HC.
In a few years Dooley will be kicking Richt’s butt if he is still here.
===========================
another idiot….
.
last 200 recruits for UGA
5 Star = 9 or 04.5 %
4 Star = 105 or 52.5 %
3 Star = 79 or 39.5 %
2 Star = 7 or 03.5 %
1 Star = 3 or 01.5 %
.
Thats better than any SEC school moron
Oh My
June 2nd, 2010
5:39 pm
Hey Kitchin
Winning 17 out of 20 is not hope against hope—————it’s reality and you better get use to it.
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
5:39 pm
Auburn War Chickens
June 2nd, 2010
5:35 pm
has never ever won a national title….or ever will.
==========================
another idiot….no one has EVER won a National championship….there have been National POLL champions and BCS champions but never National championships in D1A.
One, two, free, fo, fi, them der Gator don't take no jive!
June 2nd, 2010
5:41 pm
Richt should be fine. I think he just waited a year (or two) too long to make a move with Willie. It will probably take another year or so, but I think they’ll be much more competitve moving forward. Hope so for his sake and UGA’s. How many coaches are out there that are better that are looking for a job?
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
5:42 pm
you want to talk about how great a coach he is?
.
In 2008 prior to game three UGA lost 18 scholly players to season ending injury. He still won 10 games, got a top ten ranking and won a bowl. Name another coach in history that lost 18 scholly players and had that success?
Al
June 2nd, 2010
5:42 pm
Florida fans on our blog, think they know more than Phil Steele, nope, he’s the most accurate. And he projects Georgia to be very good, and Athlon does too. #1 & #2 most accurate, both saying Georgia will be back to normal in 2010. Guess that’s why the Gator fans like to hang out here, I mean, why waste time here, if Georgia’s going to be so bad, right?
Phil Steele knows, Georgia going on a run in 2010.
MVP
June 2nd, 2010
5:42 pm
Hi There =Moron ….30 years of failure for your mutts and still counting…..keep playing that same broken record you mutt fans been playing for 30 years. That Florida coach knows how to win titles and Richt……he just talks ……..
Oh My
June 2nd, 2010
5:43 pm
Patrick, aka “hi there”
Look pal I didn’t say Richt hasn’t recruited good classes, all I said is this is his worst one.
Spurrier said along time ago,
Georgia get all the top classes but we win all the games—COACHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
5:45 pm
Patrick, aka “hi there”
Look pal I didn’t say Richt hasn’t recruited good classes, all I said is this is his worst one.
Spurrier said along time ago,
Georgia get all the top classes but we win all the games—COACHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
===============================
wins? UGA has 90 in nine years…Fla has 90 in nine years….not sure how 90 is more than 90. Moron
Einsteindawg
June 2nd, 2010
5:47 pm
Folks, get real…the only hot seat is with the big $$$ alumni and boosters. Adams and Evans have nothing to do with it. It’s all about the money! If CMR can’t beat UF, UT, and GT on a consistent basis, then he’s gone, regardless of what the administration says. I am encouraged that CMR finally realized that friendship is friendship, but coaching is business. Go Dawgs!
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
5:48 pm
MVP
June 2nd, 2010
5:42 pm
Hi There =Moron ….30 years of failure for your mutts and still counting…..keep playing that same broken record you mutt fans been playing for 30 years. That Florida coach knows how to win titles and Richt……he just talks ……
===============================
UGA has 12 SEC titles…Fla has 8
.
UGA has 6th best winning percentage in bowls in history….Fla has losing record
.
UGA leads Fla in head to head meetings
.
UGA leads in wins
.
UGA leads in bowl appearances
.
UGA has been ranked top ten 6 of last nine years…Fla 3
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Yep Fla is sooo much better…moron
GaGator
June 2nd, 2010
5:48 pm
Patrick,
You can change your name to anything, but we will always recognize you
with your same BS posts.
When will UGA will nc?
June 2nd, 2010
5:49 pm
If CMR is sooooo great why can’t he win one? Saban,Miles and Meyers done it less time that CMR!!
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
5:50 pm
GaGator
June 2nd, 2010
5:48 pm
Patrick,
You can change your name to anything, but we will always recognize you
with your same BS posts.
=====================
point to a single error if they are BS
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
5:52 pm
When will UGA will nc?
June 2nd, 2010
5:49 pm
If CMR is sooooo great why can’t he win one? Saban,Miles and Meyers done it less time that CMR!!
===============================
Richt has had the exact same record in 2002 as Fla in 2006…both needed a team ahead of them to lose…Fla got it (they had nothing to do with it) and UGA didnt
.
What did Fla do more than UGA? Nothing
.
LSU and UGA had the exact same record the years (2005 UGA and 2007 LSU) they won a SEC title and both needed teams ahead of them to lose..LSU got it(nothing they did to get it) UGA didnt.
.
THATS not coaching moron thats LUCK
GaGator
June 2nd, 2010
5:53 pm
Patrick(hi there)
When you resort to name calling, you have already lost the arguement.
Grow up or go take your pills.
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
5:55 pm
2002 #3 UGA 12-1 and a SEC title needing tOSU to lose its last game (didnt happen)
.
2006 #4 Fla 12-1 and a SEC title needing Mich and USC to lose its last game (did happen)
.
Did Meyer use the jedi mind trick but Richt forgot to?
.
One, two, free, fo, fi, them der Gator don't take no jive!
June 2nd, 2010
5:55 pm
Patrick,
Your error is in comparing a 2 time BCS Title winner to a 2 time SEC championship winner. One has won 2 NC’s in 5 years. The other has -0- in nine years. One just posted back to back 13-1 seasons. The other was pre-season #1 in 2008 and lost 3 games and posted an 8-5 season in 2009.
There lies your “single error”, my friend!
PS…..Glad to see you’re back!!!
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
5:55 pm
GaGator
June 2nd, 2010
5:53 pm
Patrick(hi there)
When you resort to name calling, you have already lost the arguement.
Grow up or go take your pills.
=========================
the error please?
hi there needs some cheese with that whine
June 2nd, 2010
5:56 pm
keep crying.
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
5:57 pm
Patrick,
Your error is in comparing a 2 time BCS Title winner to a 2 time SEC championship winner. One has won 2 NC’s in 5 years. The other has -0- in nine years. One just posted back to back 13-1 seasons. The other was pre-season #1 in 2008 and lost 3 games and posted an 8-5 season in 2009.
There lies your “single error”, my friend!
PS…..Glad to see you’re back!!!
========================================
1. No one has “won” an NC.
.
2. Never said anything about 13-1 …no error
.
3. Thanks, I am glad to be back
.
4. Point to an error I made..not one you made up about me making
GaGator
June 2nd, 2010
5:57 pm
Ok, Patrick you always say Richt is so great because he has 90 win in 9 years and is much better than Meyer. Well Patrick ol pal, Meyer is 96-18 for his first 9 years
and 57-10 for his first 5 in the SEC—–Richt can’t touch either one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One, two, free, fo, fi, them der Gator don't take no jive!
June 2nd, 2010
5:58 pm
Maybe Richt needs to learn the “Jedi Mind Trick”. He certainly needs to do something to beat Florida doesn’t he?
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
5:58 pm
Meyer didnt do anything to make USC lose in 2006 or 2008. Same as Richt couldnt make tOSU lose…thats not Meyer being better…its Meyer being luckier
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
6:00 pm
GaGator
June 2nd, 2010
5:57 pm
Ok, Patrick you always say Richt is so great because he has 90 win in 9 years and is much better than Meyer. Well Patrick ol pal, Meyer is 96-18 for his first 9 years
and 57-10 for his first 5 in the SEC—–Richt can’t touch either one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
———————————–
97 wins against Northern Ill for the first 4 years as HC is hardly impressive….97 in nine years with half being against mid majors is no where near as good as 90 against SEC quality opponents. You know it…I know it
One, two, free, fo, fi, them der Gator don't take no jive!
June 2nd, 2010
6:01 pm
One thing is for sure. If Richt ever does get fired it will be because of his inability to compete with UF. He’s done well against everyone else.
GaGator
June 2nd, 2010
6:01 pm
Patrick, it’s ok to use your real name, you fool no with all your aliases.
everybody hates THUGA
June 2nd, 2010
6:01 pm
God and Ref’s Too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One, two, free, fo, fi, them der Gator don't take no jive!
June 2nd, 2010
6:02 pm
Patrick,
He also did not have the talent at Utah and Bowling Green that Richt has at UGA, so it is all relative. Keep trying though!
GaGator
June 2nd, 2010
6:03 pm
Patrick, where did you learn that 4 is half of 9???????????????????
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
6:04 pm
9 wins in season 1 for Richt
13 in season 2
11 in season 3
12 in season 4
10 in season 5
.
so Richt has 55 and Meyer has 57…yes really soooo much better considering UGA played much harder OOC than Fla
What do you call a team without a QB?
June 2nd, 2010
6:05 pm
A team with the HC on the “hot-seat”…especially if your “no experience, previously prone to be injured” guy is not as good as you daugs think.
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
6:05 pm
GaGator
June 2nd, 2010
6:03 pm
Patrick, where did you learn that 4 is half of 9???????????????????
===========================
dude 4 is as close as you can get to half in a nine year span…duh
everybody hates THUGA
June 2nd, 2010
6:06 pm
damn Hypocrite Richt got all those wins with no BCS crown and only beat Florida twice and Meyer once. BAHHHHHHHHHH
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
6:08 pm
so your argument is Meyer is better because USC lost and that Meyer has 7 more wins (5 against mid majors) in nine years?
.
Mark has finished top ten 6 times to meyers 4
ron zook....aka the zooker
June 2nd, 2010
6:09 pm
I beat Mark Richt too.
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
6:09 pm
everybody hates THUGA
June 2nd, 2010
6:06 pm
damn Hypocrite Richt got all those wins with no BCS crown and only beat Florida twice and Meyer once. BAHHHHHHHHHH
===========================
and Meyer has not beaten Auburn and only got his crown due to USC losing its last game. UGA has beaten Auburn 4 in a row.
One, two, free, fo, fi, them der Gator don't take no jive!
June 2nd, 2010
6:10 pm
Patrick,
Richt is a good coach….but he is NOT as good as Meyer. Maybe one day, but not yet. You can argue all day long, but that’s not going to change anytime soon.
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
6:11 pm
Richt has been to 9 str8 bowls
.
Meyer has been to only 7
.
Richt has 7 bowl wins
.
Meyer has 6
One, two, free, fo, fi, them der Gator don't take no jive!
June 2nd, 2010
6:12 pm
What does Auburn have to do with this?
Was Richt secretly coaching them?
Don’t make me go to the head to head on you again!
hi there
June 2nd, 2010
6:12 pm
One, two, free, fo, fi, them der Gator don’t take no jive!
June 2nd, 2010
6:10 pm
Patrick,
Richt is a good coach….but he is NOT as good as Meyer. Maybe one day, but not yet. You can argue all day long, but that’s not going to change anytime soon.
=================================
what EXACTLY did Meyer do to make USC lose to get in the BCSNC that Richt didnt do for OSU to lose? Answer that please.
GaGator
June 2nd, 2010
6:12 pm
Patrick,
It’s nice that your stats make you feel so warm and fuzzy, for me I enjoy
winning 17 out of 20. And it looks like it will be 4 for 4 over the next four years with
your #26 class playing the #1 class in the country. But you just keep looking at your stat book.