Mark Richt’s identity crisis
The most popular punditry game this week has been pin-the-failed-coach-on Mark Richt. So far he’s been portrayed as:
I’m surprised even more people haven’t jumped on the Bobby Bowden decline given Richt’s coaching pedigree.
The comparisons with coaches who pulled out of a nosedive are much more difficult to find although there’s one within our own program. Is that because it’s relatively rare for successful coaches to recover from this position? With more dollars at stake and the pressure to produce right away, is it becoming unreasonable to expect that coaches at major programs will be given much time or latitude to see if they can turn it around?
At Georgia it seems as if the market has already corrected itself to some coaching changes after the season. That is to say that the inevitability of change is so universally accepted among fans that future expectations already take those changes into account. The resulting mood isn’t great, but it is a good more upbeat than it was on, say, Monday. There is enough faith left in Mark Richt to see how he’ll respond and see whether he’ll be able to get back the championship culture that’s been eroding for a few years.
Comments
Dawg Media
RSS 2.0
4 Responses to 'Mark Richt’s identity crisis'
Subscribe to comments with RSS
Texas_Dawg
October 15th, 2009
9:56 pm
Phil Fulmer had not one but two major meltdown seasons (both worse than even this bad year for UGA will probably be) in addition to over a decade without an SECC. He also saw his recruiting go in the tank near the end of his tenure.
Tuberville should not have been fired and wouldn’t have been anywhere but in the schizophrenic program in which he was coaching. That said, his recruiting had also slowed in recent years, and he made a gamble with a radical change to his offense… that completely backfired, resulting in a season far, far worse than any Richt has had (including this one).
And Bobby Bowden’s team has just been mediocre for nearly a decade running now.
These comparisons are unbelievably bad.
Her Loyal Sons » Friday Roundup: The “It’s Time To Stop Tilting” Edition
October 16th, 2009
9:33 am
[…] seat seems to be getting warm for Mark Richt at […]
David Jones
October 16th, 2009
1:41 pm
Another example of a coach pulling out of a rut – Joe Pa.
Penn State’s records in the 2000’s:
2000: 5-7
2001: 5-6
2002: 9-4
2003: 3-9
2004: 4-7 (I remember the “Joe Must Go” chants were furious)
Then something happened:
2005: 11-1 (Co-Big 10 Champ, Orange Bowl)
2006: 9-4
2007: 9-4
2008: 11-2 (Co-Big 10 Champ, Rose Bowl)
2009 (to date): 5-1
ZutaDawg
October 18th, 2009
10:31 am
Seems to me like the Bear had a pair of 6-5 seasons sandwiched inbetween his winning years. What would have happened at Alabama had he been ousted after those two seasons? Would they have won 9 SEC titles and 3 National Championships?