Mark Richt to Macon Bulldog Club: ‘I know what the hell I’m doing, OK?’
I was in Augusta Wednesday night for the Georgia Bulldog Club tour stop there and found coach Mark Richt to be calm and typically laid back. Other than his pointed comments on Washaun Ealey, the meeting was generally warm and fuzzy and it came and went without much controversy.
That wasn’t the case in Macon last night. According to my old friend Michael Lough, who covered the meeting for the Macon Telegraph, Richt got a little feisty with one particularly whiny fan. In the question-and-answer session, one man apparently droned on and on about Georgia’s poor running game last season and his apparent dissatisfaction with offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and running backs coach Bryan McClendon.
That apparently lit a fire under Richt.
“I see your frustration, I understand your frustration,” Lough quoted Richt as saying.“I wasn’t born yesterday, I’ve coached football for 25 years, so I know what the hell I’m doing, OK? . . . I appreciate your passion, I appreciate your support for this football team. Everybody can just calm down and know that we’re in good hands. . . . And Bryan McClendon is a hell of a coach, he’s a hell of a recruiter. And I’m glad we got Bryan McClendon.”
Richt’s remarks, Lough reported, elicited a strong ovation from the crowd gathered at the Walnut Creek Shooting Preserve.
Not surprisingly, the normally-chaste Richt apologized a short time later for using the word “hell.” But he also reiterated his disappointment in the tailback situation and the fact that none of the lettermen have stepped up and seized the position in anticipation of Isaiah Crowell’s arrival later this summer.
So what do you think? Glad to hear such passion come out Georgia’s sometimes staid head coach? Disappointed with his word choice?
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595 comments Add your comment
Lowcountry Bulldawg
April 29th, 2011
11:28 am
The comment about CMR coaching with an edge this year may be very true. Last night was a sign of it. He knows the pressure has mounted and he is trying to instill a sense of urgency in the program. I hope the players take the call to act on his behalf this fall.
D-Dawg
April 29th, 2011
11:29 am
Thanks Beebee…I take back what I was thinking about your mom.
1eyedJack
April 29th, 2011
11:29 am
What Coach should have done to that fan was “punch ‘em in the face”.
ColumbDawg
April 29th, 2011
11:29 am
When a coach starts acting out of character its a tell-tale sign that the pressure of the job is getting to him. We should have cut him lose last year. Tennessee waited too long for Fulmer and look at their program for the last 5 years. UGA is headed there if we don’t make a change soon.
I never understood the support of our fan base for a very mediocre coach. We never go to the SEC championship game anymore much less win it? WAKE UP!
KR
April 29th, 2011
11:30 am
Can’t blame Richt for his response, but he has to realize that people all across the state and the country are his “customers.” It is a fact that many of them are not happy with the recent performances and take out their frustrations by trying to back him into a corner.
Richt and UGA might be better served if he directed that passionate response towards Bobo, McLendon and the UGA running backs.
DIT
April 29th, 2011
11:30 am
@ Joe – GOOD FOR COACH RICHT…..maybe some of these idiots that think they know everything will shut up
How I wish that were true Joe. Unfortunatley some of our so-called fans on here have no clue and spout off drivel that embarrasses the majority of us. Being an Alumnus I have to say that I cringe at some of the posts on here by UGA fans. Makes me wonder sometimes about what people from other colleges say about the stupidity of some of our fan base.
Right now that team just needs to focus on conditioning and Boise St. I look forward to the fall to see if this can be a year that we are back in the hunt. Questions will be answered the 1st 2 games.
ColumbDawg
April 29th, 2011
11:31 am
I’d rather cheer for Great Teams than a Great Guy!
beebee
April 29th, 2011
11:31 am
It just cracks me up to see grown men talk in terms of “us” and “we” when discussing a group of transient college athletes. No problem in pulling for your team, but it’s silly to get so wrapped up in a team of 20 year olds that have absolutely no connection to you. Suggestion: stop trying to re-live your pasts, get a life, and spend some time with your families.
Cracked up: Oh man now go preach to the folks that watch, live and breathe NFL to the neglect of their own health and families.
AthensDawg
April 29th, 2011
11:32 am
You go CMR. I am excited about this upcoming year!!
goodness gracious
April 29th, 2011
11:32 am
Hallelujah! I love it!
Same Song, Same Dance
April 29th, 2011
11:33 am
Unfortunately, I am afraid, CMR and his staff do not know ‘what the hell they are doing.’ As evidenced by past recruiting classes, and total lack of production, what makes next year different? oh, Richt now has more time to focus on Football related activities?…sure! Or, Richt has a new strength and conditioned coach/program?…even better! How about taking your team to the Ramsey Center and doing Swan dives together…that will show em’ some team unity!
@ D-dawg 11:16
April 29th, 2011
11:33 am
From the pounding your backside takes each night from the Alabama Offensive line.
re: beebee
April 29th, 2011
11:35 am
I agree with you- getting overly wrapped up in any sport (or pastime) is weird
DawginLex
April 29th, 2011
11:36 am
and same song,same dance wins the idiot of the day award……….
Darwin
April 29th, 2011
11:36 am
Funny how southern rednecks will support a losing coach. But won’t support a Democratic president, no matter what.
Finchdawg
April 29th, 2011
11:36 am
Chip, in response to your questions, I would say–Both.
Dawglasville
April 29th, 2011
11:37 am
Maybe we can get a couple more crazed fans to rally the base behind the man we should have been supporting all along. A lot of nice posts today from the other schools as well.
LawDawg
April 29th, 2011
11:37 am
Captain Cool needs to show every once in a while that 1) he is aware of the criticism; 2) that he takes issue with it; and 3) that he is going to do something to silence his critics. I like that we finally see a little break in the calm demeanor. Hopefully it is evidence that he is serious about turning the program around.
Buckeye
April 29th, 2011
11:37 am
Great. He went toe to toe with a redneck fan from Macon. Win With 1, Redneck Macon Fan 0.
Reminds me of Tim McCarver’s famous quote, “you’re a real man, Deion”.
Can’t wait til he takes on Boise and Lattimore.
@ Darwin
April 29th, 2011
11:38 am
Funny- we have a president who is a Dem AND a loser! A twofer!
ToccoaDawg
April 29th, 2011
11:38 am
Glad to see Coach Richt has a little fire in him.
D-Dawg
April 29th, 2011
11:38 am
That has beat Georgia once in four attemps under Richt? Nope…no burning backside from them @D-dawg…or should I say Tide Roll
Tom
April 29th, 2011
11:38 am
That is the passion we’ve been wanting to see! Way to go Richt! Unfortunately I did not see passion from the team as a whole last year, except for Aaron Murray. I don’t know what more its going to take to get Caleb King and Washaun motivated.
dawgfacedboy
April 29th, 2011
11:38 am
Disappointed he used the word hell???? Uhhhh no. If he had done what Roger McDowell did then yeah I’d be disappointed. Good for him though. It’s about time we see a little fire going on in Athens.
AltamahaDawg
April 29th, 2011
11:38 am
Oh to have seen the look on the face of that whiny fan, during the ovation.
dawgfacedboy
April 29th, 2011
11:39 am
Altamaha- thought the same thing.
Birrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrd Man
April 29th, 2011
11:39 am
Hell yeah!
DIT
April 29th, 2011
11:40 am
“Oh to have seen the look on the face of that whiny fan, during the ovation.”
That would have been priceless
FinanceBuzz
April 29th, 2011
11:42 am
Richt sounds like he is losing his cool and getting frustrated. Definitely does not seem like he can handle the heat like Paul Johnson. Another advantage to CPJ over CMR – mental toughness. Now, if we can stop turning the dang ball over we’ll be fine and we will hammer in the last nail on the Richt UGA coffin come Thanksgiving! GO JACKETS!!
Stinkin' Dog
April 29th, 2011
11:42 am
I’d curse too if my opponents from the SEC have won the last 5 BCS national championships and the best my team could muster was 3rd place in SEC East in 2010, and is likely to finish no better this coming 2011.
DawginLex
April 29th, 2011
11:43 am
evidently, the fan manned up and stuck around and asked another question according to the article
npgator
April 29th, 2011
11:44 am
This will be his final year.
scotty22
April 29th, 2011
11:44 am
WOW.. He is starting to sound like a SEC coach!
DawginLex
April 29th, 2011
11:44 am
Yeah Coach Johnson displayed cool and class when he said punch’em in the face………..
DIT
April 29th, 2011
11:44 am
@FinanceBuzz
Now, that was hilarious…. Thanks for the comic relief. It was getting a little tense. CPJ over CMR. I can’t stop laughing…
Ken Parker
April 29th, 2011
11:45 am
Glad to see the coach show some fire. How about showing some fire during the games.
Mike
April 29th, 2011
11:46 am
I’m going to disagree with Richt. I don’t think he has a clue what he’s doing. If you look at the last 4 National Champs, they all averaged between 215 to 284 rushing the football, all were in the SEC, LSU, Florida, Alabama, and Auburn. It’s not a passing league. Spurrier ate Richt’s lunch last year by ramming the ball down his throat with Lattimore for 188 yards and went on to win the SEC East. Everybody has changed, except Richt. Richt’s stubborn, doesn’t learn from his mistakes, is absolutely clueless as to how to win a National Championship in the SEC today. This isn’t FSU in 90’s. If Richt’s way works so well, why did he go 7-5 in 2009 & 6-6 in 2010? We need to get Richt out, he’s not going to change, Murray will chuck it 50 times a game in 2011, let’s get somebody in who can play smashmouth football, enough of this finesse offense.
Luanne Bailey
April 29th, 2011
11:46 am
Kudos to you Coach! I totally agree and GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fletcher Helms
April 29th, 2011
11:46 am
Glad to see finally that Richt has some “fire” in him, as that has long been my disappointment, along with a non-chalant attitude of last season. We’ll see if he will get after it during the season.
UGASlobberknocker
April 29th, 2011
11:46 am
Is the Macon Bulldog gathering at that preserve still for males only? When I lived in Macon the 1980s it was common knowledge that wives were not welcome at that event. In fact the year I went, Ray Goff was an asst coach at the time and he was the main speaker, He looked at the crowd and saw the one woman in attendance and said..”well, every year down here somebody screws up and brings their wife”.
I had intended to bring mine but had been warned. Last night it was at the same location. just wondering
Vince Lombardi
April 29th, 2011
11:46 am
What the hell’s going on out here?
jaydawg
April 29th, 2011
11:47 am
3 pages over one quick episode. Yes, the Dawgs own this state. Can you say “WINNNNNNINNNNGGGGG”?
GT BBall Fan
April 29th, 2011
11:47 am
I thought the meetings were always at Piggly Wiggly???
GIVE ME A BREAK
April 29th, 2011
11:47 am
When a man has to tell people that he knows what the hell he’s doing, it’s because he knows that they don’t believe he does know what the hell he’s doing. LMAOA
1eyedJack
April 29th, 2011
11:48 am
“Funny how southern rednecks will support a losing coach. But won’t support a Democratic president, no matter what.”
Our coach ain’t a marxist/socialist bent on destroying the constitution.
Mike
April 29th, 2011
11:48 am
We averaged 142 yards rushing last season.
Auburn averaged 284 yards rushing.
Joe
April 29th, 2011
11:49 am
Why can’t Richt figure out how to beat Florida? The only 2 times he beat Florida was when he got a 100 yards rusher. Quit throwing the ball.
WDE
April 29th, 2011
11:50 am
FinanceBuzz your 1-9 in case you have forgotten CPJ has a lot more heat to take coming after this year.. Stinkin’ Dog troll on little fella troll on…love it last couple of days CMR has held players accountable and now shows some real fire…and the haters keep hating. Buckeye I can’t wait for Boise and Lattimore either..of course half your team will still be sitting so you turn to UGA for something to watch….
Eric
April 29th, 2011
11:51 am
If Richt knows what he’s doing then
WHY DO HIS TEAMS LOSE MORE GAMES THAN THE YEAR BEFORE
7 OUT OF THE LAST 8 SEASONS, 88%?
WHY CAN’T RICHT FIGURE THIS OUT?
DawginLex
April 29th, 2011
11:51 am
Mike,
Can I go ahead and predict your next post and save you some time MR TROLL??
Murray didn’t beat a team with a winning record
Richt shows favoritism
Gray transferred because of it. He should have started at QB
Mett transferred
Murray last in SEC in 4th quarter pass efficiency during games where the wind was blowing in a northeast direction when UGA lost the coin toss and had to drive into the wind.