The Future of Coach Richt: Takes After Florida Debacle

This past weekend was hard to take for Georgia fans. Prior to the game, the Mark Richt criticism was pretty mild this season, especially given losing Gurley for 4 games due to suspension. After the Florida debacle, the Richt rioters have started back up again. Both Jeremy and Brian of GRH analyze the extent to which criticism is warranted. 

Jeremy's Take

I texted my dad from section 416 high above EverBank Field in Jacksonville on Saturday at 3:30. The text simply read: "There are no Florida fans here." And it was true. Florida fans were quite casual about filling into the stadium prior to kickoff against the Dawgs. And though it filled in by the end of the first quarter, they didn't miss anything. Florida looked like they were supposed to for the first 15 minutes. But something was awry. I just couldn't help but have the feeling that we were letting them hang around. I guess the truth is, they were letting us hang around.

UGA lined up for a field goal into the wind as time was about to expire in the 1st quarter. To that point UGA had held the ball for 11 minutes, ran for over 100 yards, and recovered a Gator fumble near midfield. However, with the kick they would've only been up 10-0. The problem is that it never got to that score. I wondered why we kicked into the wind but I guess it might not have mattered. The kick apparently missed, though I didn't have a vantage point to tell. The UGA kicker thought it was good but I guess he didn't either. Florida had life and though their next drive was stopped at about the same place on the field, rather than miss a kick on 4th down, Florida faked it and not only managed to pick up the 1st down but a TD. Things took a dramatic turn and Florida dominated the rest of the game.

It was a familiar story line for us Georgia fans. I've been to Jacksonville for just about every one of the last 25 editions of the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party and have been on the losing end of more than I have the winning side. But this wasn't about losing to Florida. It was about losing to a team that was, up to this point in the season, inferior. It was about being befuddled on another fake kick when you know the other team has nothing to lose. It was about being completely dominated on the line of scrimmage. It was about getting away from your bread and butter too quickly. It was about "Georgia-ing" away another opportunity to make a run.

The call-in shows are lighting up with the Fire Richt and Bobo is an idiot talk. I can't rightly condone that. Richt has won an average of 9.7 games a year in his 13 years at the helm of UGA. He's won 2 SEC titles and played in the SEC Championship game 5 times. The 2012 edition of the team was 5 yards away from playing for the National Championship. The 2007 team was jobbed by voters because it didn't play for it's conference title (something pollsters didn't mind when Alabama didn't do in 2011. The 2002 team finished #3 in the country with one loss (again to the rival Gators). That's three times that UGA was a legitimate title contender in 14 years. It just has managed to not have that break every team that wins a NC gets. Additionally, I think UGA fans (because of their SEC brethren's recent success) forget just how difficult it is to win a National Championship.

With that being said, I wonder if UGA is at a point where change is good just for change sake. That is, has Coach Richt gotten stale. And the answer is, I don't know. That usually isn't a solution in college football like it is in the pros. The kids turn over more regularly so it's hard to get stale unless it's with a fan base. And I think the UGA fanbase is squarely divided. There are those who feel as if Coach Richt is an exemplary when it comes producing young men of high character. Hard to argue. UGA is the epitome of doing things the "right way." There is something to be said for that in today's "win at all cost mentality." Other teams have profited off of UGA's stringent policy's. However, the UGA team has suffered because of that too and ultimately as a coach, you are judged on your wins and losses. Actually, let's be honest. You are judged on your losses. People quickly forget the wins. Just ask Phil Fulmer.

Coach Richt has been the right person at the right time for UGA after the Goff debacle of the early 1990's and the Jim Donnan era of beating everyone but your rivals. Richt has put UGA in position to compete on a national stage by bring talent and stability to the program. He routinely beats rival. He wins on the road. UGA is no stranger to the SEC Championship. I guess the question is: Can he be the one that gets them over the top? Or will he eternally be Charlie Brown trying to kick the football only to have Lucy (aka Steve Spurrier, Florida, or Nick Saban) pull it away at the last second?

It's hard not overreacting to a poor performance in a football game. And let me stress, I'm not calling for Coach Richt's head. In fact, I am unsure there are many coaches who are obvious upgrades to Coach Richt. But I'd be lying if I said I was 100% sure he hasn't become Jim Donnan and reached his ceiling.



I certainly hope not.


Brian's Take

Over time, my views on Mark Richt have changed about as much as the weather in Georgia during the fall, which is a lot. 

However, in the past year or so, as I have begun a career myself, I have slightly altered my views on Mark Richt. Let me explain my progression:

2001-2006: During this time period, there was little reason to criticize Mark Richt. Most coaches receive a bye during their first year. In 2002, Richt won the SEC Championship in his second year and returned in 2003 even though Georgia lost to LSU. In 2004, UGA failed to make the SEC Championship, but posted a solid 10-2 record, only losing to Tennessee and undefeated Auburn. In 2005, Richt led the Dawgs to another SEC title.

2006-2009: 2006 was a transition year for UGA. No David Greene or DJ Shockley. Georgia struggled in 2006, starting Joe Tereshinski during the beginning of the year, and ending the year behind Matthew Stafford. Even though UGA went 9-4 in 2006, the team clearly progressed and fans had a lot of optimism surrounding Matthew Stafford. In 2007, UGA finished the season as the 2nd best team in the country (according to the AP Poll) and won the Sugar Bowl. 2008 represented the first year I actually started to question Richt as a head coach. UGA began the year ranked #1, largely due to having Stafford at QB, Knowhson Moreno at RB, and freshman phenom, AJ Green, at WR. Looking at the record book, a 10-3 season in 2008 doesn't seem all that bad. However, if you actually watched UGA, given all the NFL talent, the team heavily under performed. After being physically dominated by Alabama, UGA was destroyed by Urban Meyer's Gators. And, UGA ended the regular season blowing a sizable lead to Georgia Tech at home. 2009 was another transition year, with no Stafford and no Moreno. UGA managed to go 8-5, which was respectable enough given the loss in talent. Richt fired Willie Martinez at the end of this season due to defensive issues. I further began wondering if UGA should fire Richt at this point. When head coaches start firing coordinators, it's not usually a good sign. 

2010-2013: 2010 started with yet another new starting QB. Add in a 4 game suspension to AJ Green, and the 2010 squad barely made a bowl game. However, freshman QB Aaron Murray looked promising enough to wait and see how the 2011 squad would perform. Further, I wanted to hold judgment at least a year to see how Georgia's defense progressed under Todd Grantham and his 3-4 scheme. Despite opening 2011 with 2 losses (Boise St and South Carolina), Georgia reeled off 10 wins in a row and went to the SEC Championship. Even though the Bulldogs lost to LSU, most were happy with the progression of the team and the defense. Thus, I was still satisfied with Mark Richt being head coach at this point. 2012 started with a bang, as fans quickly saw how good the team could be with the Gurshall RB monster. With the exception of the South Carolina blowout, the 2012 team was a play away from competing in the national championship. Mark Richt was definitely safe at the end of the 2013 season. It is hard for me to assess how much Mark Richt should be blamed for the 2013 season. Georgia finished 8-5, but faced injuries (some were season-ending) to Todd Gurley, Aaron Murray, Keith Marshall, Michael Bennett, Malcolm Mitchell, Justin Scott-Wesley, and the list goes on. When healthy, this Georgia team was rolling. So, Richt got another mulligan for 2013. 

2014: Bulldogs fans knew life without Aaron Murray would be difficult, but Gurley would be healthy and the defense should be improved under Jeremy Pruitt, right? The opener vs. Clemson encouraged many fans. For once, Georgia physically dominated another team in the 4th quarter. Maybe this team would be different...After a week off, it was the same story for UGA against South Carolina - missed opportunities, strange play calls, and no defense. Ok, hit the re-set button. Todd Gurley gets suspended in early October, and Georgia reels off two impressive road victories behind Nick Chubb and a resurgent defense - or so we thought. Fast forward to the Florida game. After another bye week, the defense played awful and the team got physically manhandled by Florida. Now, many are left wondering again about Mark Richt. 

My conclusion...There are several things that really bother me about teams under Mark Richt. I will list these frustrations below, followed by a "but..."

1. Georgia doesn't seem to hit the gas pedal and keep it down. Have you ever noticed that Richt teams often play very conservative with a lead (or without one), fall behind, and wait until very late (when it's too late) to hit the gas pedal again?

2. Georgia consistently loses 1-2 games per year where they just don't show up. Even though Georgia lost to South Carolina this year, they showed up. They just didn't play well. That game was painful, but I can accept it. The team flat out did not show up against Florida. There was no energy or leadership. UGA got punched in the face and laid down. In 2013, they didn't show up vs. Vanderbilt and lost. In 2012, UGA got smacked by South Carolina in Columbia. And the list goes on...

3. Some people consider Gus Malzahn or Les Miles lucky and Mark Richt unlucky. I'm not gonna sit here and act like Auburn didn't have some miracles last season, but Les Miles and Gus Malzahn consistently do things that put their teams in position to have miracles: THEY ARE AGGRESSIVE ALMOST ALL THE TIME. Les Miles draws up trick plays frequently, whether they are fake FGs or punts. Do they fail sometimes? Of course. But, I like his mentality of let's keep other teams on their heels and make them STOP US. Let's consider the Georgia-Auburn game from 2013. Yes, it took a convenient bounce for Ricardo Louis to catch the go-ahead TD for Auburn. But, at least Auburn threw the ball down field and gave themselves a chance to win!  How many times have you seen Georgia concede a down with a 3rd and long RB draw? How many times have you seen Georgia run 4 plays inside the 20 yard line, without ever throwing the ball to end zone? It's almost like Georgia doesn't even give themselves a chance sometimes, settling for a field goal that ends up being missed. In other words, whereas Miles and Malzahn take the mentality of make them stop us, Georgia takes the mentality of stopping themselves. Further, in 2013, before Alabama kicked the final field goal in regulation against Auburn, Malzahn called a timeout to substitute in Chris Davis and blockers, should Alabama miss a FG short. Sure, it took some great blocking and a great returner for Auburn to win, but the strategy employed by Malzahn put them in a position to win.

4. Mark Richt recruits extremely well. This works both ways. Yes, UGA gets blue chip talent every year and is in the top 5 for college teams with active players on NFL rosters. However, guess who the only top 5 college team is without a recent national championship? Georgia. 

5. Georgia doesn't scare anybody anymore. Todd Gurley scares people, but Georgia as a team doesn't. People are scared of Alabama. People are scared of Death Valley and LSU. People are scared of Malzahn's offenses at Auburn. Unfortunately, Georgia just doesn't strike fear in opponents the way that such a talented team should. 

But, despite these frustrations, I do not remotely think Georgia should fire Mark Richt. During my first year in the workplace (outside of graduate school), even more than before, I have learned the importance of integrity, people, and relationships. There are many things I cannot control. However, I can largely control how I treat other people and love them. Investing in others and treating them with love and respect often comes with a sacrifice - myself. There are times in which I must put the interests of others above myself. 

There are countless stories online about how Mark Richt has invested in players, former or current, and how much he truly cares about developing young men. Even though I do not personally know Richt, I have the sense that he truly adheres to the Christian values that he preaches. His family has adopted several children from Eastern Europe, and the Richts have always been involved in the Athens community. Do Richt's extracurriculars and work-life balance detract from Georgia's winning percentage and his personal trophies? Possibly so. But, in the end, is life only about winning? Or, is it about using our positions on Earth to build relationships, invest in others, provide opportunities, and ultimately create a better place? 

While Mark Richt may have not brought a National Championship to Georgia (and may never), I think Mark Richt has undoubtedly made Georgia a better place for student-athletes. Does that give him a free pass to be a mediocre coach? Absolutely not. Does that mean fans shouldn't be frustrated? Not at all. But, in looking at the entire body of work, Richt has won close to 75% of his games and has impacted countless young athletes for their lifetime. You just cannot fire a guy like this. 

What is your take?