The Firing of Mark Richt

It's not quite been 24 hours and the UGA fan base is still buzzing over "mutual decision" of the university and their head coach, Mark Richt to part ways (at least as head coach of the football team). Make no mistake about the wording of the document, Coach Richt was relieved of his duties. the fact that the university will allow him to stay on is a nice gesture but shouldn't blur the fact that he was let go as head coach.

The reasoning for his firing has been analyzed and re-analyzed ad nauseum at this point. It's clear, the brass at UGA had lost faith in Coach Richt to win the 'big game.' All of the numbers that support this have been touted so there's no real need to rehash them here. The truth is, Greg McGarity had been teetering on this decision for a couple of years. Some fans have spouted off that they don't agree with McGarity's decision and I've even seen the #FireMcGarity. The truth is, McGarity has given Coach Richt every opportunity to get over the hump.

He had every right to fire Coach Richt after that dreadful 6-7 campaign. But he held off. He could have fired Richt after the 0-2 start the next year but held his ground. 2012 seemed to be the turning point and if Chris Conley hadn't have instinctively caught that pass on the 5 yard line rather than letting it fall to the ground, perhaps we aren't having this conversation today. But it wasn't meant to be and rather than a National Championship that season is remembered for what could have been. Just like 2002. Just like 2007. Once again, McGarity could have pulled the trigger on Richt after a disappointing end to last year (and the rumor is that he wanted to), but once again Richt was given a chance to get over the hump.

But the team laid an egg against Alabama. Blew a lead against Tennessee. And then Coach Richt made the decision that I feel ultimately lost him his job. In a game that was effectively the SEC Championship game, he started Faton Bauta. This may not have been a problem had the offensive game plan changed, but it didn't and the team didn't play to Bauta's strengths. Give the University of Florida credit because they took advantage of every UGA mistake that day. But in a division where there were only 3 teams with winning records, Florida scored their most decisive victory over the only other team that had a chance to win the division. Coach Richt's fate was finally sealed.

Even I, who for years have touted the incredible poor luck UGA had encountered in 2002, 2007, and 2012 questioned whether Coach Richt was the right man for the job. Florida's coach was in their first year and he managed to field a team that didn't make mistakes. Meanwhile, UGA fumbles a punt on the 4 yard line by committing a blunder that I learned not to make when I was playing peewee football.

So when the news broke yesterday about Coach Richt, I was saddened. I truly wanted UGA to win a championship with Coach Richt at the helm. He embodies all of the characteristics I think a coach should have and that includes being a winner. Bad coaches do not average 10 wins a year in any league, let alone the rough and tumble SEC.

On top of being a very successful coach, Richt is a builder of young men. This seems to be the biggest concern with Coach Richt supporters and one that I can't argue with. Coach Richt sets a high bar when it comes to character and other coaches who seem to win big don't seem to carry themselves in the same way. Richt isn't Urban Meyer or Jimbo Fisher and, for that we are thankful. However, that's not to say Coach Richt's replacement won't set a high precedent for character. While he might be known for it, Richt certainly isn't the only coach who values that aspect of the coaching profession.

The bottom line is, it's hard for many UGA fans to let go of Coach Richt because he did set a high bar both on and off the field. And that's completely understandable. But, what fans must also realize is the fact that the 'kids' they cheer for on Saturday no longer play amateur football. Power 5 conference college football is a giant business and one that fuels every other sport on campus. Merely being consistently good is not enough and the fans are the ones that have made it that way. Georgia fans watched as many of their rivals brought home national championships during the Richt tenure and wondered why the Dawgs weren't doing the same.

The death knell for Coach Richt's tenure came on a sunny Saturday in Jacksonville in 2015 but it was years of those fans, many of whom were Mark Richt supporters, wondering why he couldn't seem to get them over the top that cost him his job.