Game Day UGA/Missouri Kittins Get you some Dawgs

Had a serious, calm conversation with my brother-in-law yesterday (also a Dawgs fan). He started out the conversation "fishing" to see where I stand:

"So what's your take on Richt?" is how he put it. And we had a discussion that covered this -

1. Dooley came in and took over a HORRIBLE program and elevated it to the status of "generally above average", with a few seasons of "GREAT" sprinkled in. But he was definitely, in his day, the best coach we ever had.

2. Goff came in and restored us, backwards, to, at best, mediocrity, by lowering our achievement level. He took teams that had great potential and found ways to blow it.

3. Donnan came in and elevated us back up to about the same level of "above average-ness" that Dooley had us at. Teams generally didn't want any part of playing us, but we weren't going to win championships.

4. Richt came in and elevated us again, to the level of "competitor". We won a couple of SEC championships, but nothing more. Still, things definitely got better.

So where does that leave us now?

People (like it or not) have maximum potentials that are not necessarily equal. We agreed that Richt has hit his maximum potential, and many people will hit that point and then decline a little. I think that's where we are now. Richt has maxed out. It's not that he isn't a good football coach - he's won a couple championships and been competitive several times. But he has maxed out and is in decline. His days of "maybe going to win it all" are behind him, and us.

Then he asked me this: "but who are you going to replace him with"?

I used to take that stand as recently as last year. But remember - Saban had a first year as a head coach once. So did Urban. So did Les. So did Spurrious. Some day, some year, you have NO CHOICE - one way or another you HAVE to get a new head coach. Why not now?

We walked away in complete agreement.

Good read thriller.

Mark Richt is Jim Donnan with an ability to beat a completely different Tech program.

Period.

In fact... I may be doing Jim Donnan a disservice with that comparison because he
only failed regularly against Tech, but didn't have these issues of repeated complete humiliation and defeats by programs who have no business being on the field with us.


Mark Richt's record of achievement with his average of 9 or so wins... maybe 10
in a really great year.

Let's look at this schedule which is really no different than any other recent past year.

Luisiana Monroe, Southern, and Georgia Southern - 3 automatic wins against schools that shouldn't be on the field with us.

Kentucky and Vanderbilt - Should be 2 automatic wins 90% of the time.

7 home games

Tech - This is the one game that has probably kept Richt around... should win most of the time.

That's 6 almost automatic wins every danged season... then what happens in the
rest of the games which should always be real contests - eh, not so good result, aye?


Now let's go back and look at Donnan's career...

Give him a pass for 96 when he took over a program in bad shape.

1997: 10-2 Won his bowl game
1998: 9-3, lost a 2 point game to Tech. Won his bowl game
1999: 8-4, lost a 3 point game to Tech in OT. Won his bowl game
2000: 8-4, lost to tech, Won his bowl game


I don't see much difference between Donnan and Richt other than Richt beats
Tech more regularly and gets the benefit of his 3 gimme' and 7 home games every season. Donnan at least won his bowl games. Dooley also didn't get the benefit of
an extra game every season like they have now, or 3 games against patsy teams
coming to Athens to get a payoff.

Note again, barring a miracle we will be in our 2nd longest drought in school history without an SEC championship.

Dooley was here 25 years and won 6 SEC titles - Basically 25% of the time

Richt has been here 15 years and won 2 - Basically 13% of the time.

Look closer and I don't think Richt elevated the program all that much unless you
just want to compare him to the bumbling Ray Goff.

After reading Bill King's article below, beginning to think that some outside of this board are beginning to mention things that were unheard of not that far back.

Bill had an article about Georgia's lack of attention to rest rooms. He not only brought the subject up, he hammered those that should have taken care of the problem a long time ago. That is where the “common folks” relieve themselves. Not having the capital or whatever to sit in “special seats” and not worry about what one is walking through.

Bill King was basically saying . . . . “take care of details” when bringing up the rest room issue(s). In the article below King is also saying take care of details, just another area that has been allowed to slip, and it did not start against the Missouri Tigers, has been noticeable on this board for a very long time, meaning "coaching details".

For almost the total of 15 years, Georgia football has either been of SEC caliber on one or the other side . . . . offense or defense, not both. Check back if you care to see that point proven. Watched the same thing happen in the latter years at FSU. Realize I keep comparing, but the comparisons are mind boggling.

Pulled a paragraph from King's article, italicized. . This has also been mentioned on Dawgs.com. For the most part those of us (members) sort of set back and did not scream too loudly. New hire, give him time. Anyone that reads this board and looks back at Pruitt's first year as defensive coordinator, he was not given "any slack". Quite frankly up until JAX, did a good job in his first year. I for one believe that not only did Pruitt/Rocker and Company improve an area that was needed, believe they are laying a good base that can be built on year after year. Do not believe that the defensive group will allow or put up with the way our head coach ran the recruiting program prior to their hiring.

thriller, read your post several times, good post, know that you have been a very patient person.

Back when Schottenheimer was hired, I tried to take a positive view of his abilities, despite several folks who watch the NFL a lot more than I do telling me that he was an extremely unimaginative playcaller. Unfortunately, as this season progresses, their evaluation of him looks more and more on the money.

www.dawgnation.com/football/opinion/dawg...han-just-an-ugly-win

Allow me this . . . . was Mark Richt calling Brian Schottenheimer "out" with the need to run or do something else at certain times? Just asking, and the reason for that is this . . . . Don't like what you see called . . . . don't worry about what others under you think or do, you are the HEAD COACH.

Have to say this. There are other "successful" head coaches that step up when needed. We don't have to be "friends" . . . . we need to be on the same page. Players are much happier with wins, year after year. I said that.

Go Dawgs, feel really good about the gators in JAX this time around, that is . . . . defensively. Head coach, the gators now have a "proven" head coach that comes from the Nick Saban tree of coaches. McElwain is making serious inroads into Florida talent, going to have his program back in less than . . . . 15 years. Sorry folks, facts are facts.

Very detailed post, Buc, and spot on . . . and Wartdawg, we could argue about the definition of "improved" but I think we are on the same wavelength either way. Bottom line: we have a HC who has already maxed out on his potential and I can't say "give him one more year" without laughing at myself.