http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2010/12-questions-georgia-bulldogs/
Is Mark Richt On The Hot Seat?
Fewer coaches in the SEC are more respected and beloved than Georgia’s Mark Richt. Respect and love don’t translate to wins, however, and in the SEC where winning is what matters first, asking the question whether Mark Richt is on the hot seat is very reasonable. Turnover at the head coach position is very common in college football and currently Richt is the longest-tenured active coach in the SEC. Interestingly, it is also worth noting that Richt has the highest winning percentage (.769) of any of the 25 Bulldog head coaches, with a record of 90-27.
In 2009, Georgia was transitioning from a team led by studs Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford. Despite a disappointing opening with a loss against out-of-conference Oklahoma State, Georgia rebounded to win the next three games against South Carolina, Arkansas and Arizona State. Despite a solid in-conference start, Georgia went on to drop games LSU, Tennessee, Florida and Kentucky. With possible discontent directed at Richt, he responded by winning impressive out-of-conference victories against in-state rival Georgia Tech and Texas A&M to close out the season on a positive note. Still, the Bulldogs finished 8-5 with a 4-4 SEC record. Hardly, something for Bulldog fans to be happy about.
In my opinion, Richt is not on the hot seat. 2009 was a down year, but the talent drop-off was fairly significant and he still managed to win some impressive victories with a no-name quarterback. As mentioned above, Richt’s winning percentage is excellent and Richt would need multiple seasons of mediocrity in order to be officially on the hot seat.
Saturdaydownsouth.com
6/29/10
