Saturday, June 25, 2011

Ranking the SEC coaches

Barrett Sallee ranks the SEC coaches again. Richt's down three spots from last year. Do you think that's enough?
6. Mark Richt - Georgia Bulldogs (Last season: 3)
There's no other coach in the conference with as much pressure riding on 2011 than Mark Richt. Now in his 11th season between the hedges, Richt has to improve dramatically from last season’s 6-7 debacle, otherwise he'll be looking for work this winter. The good news for Richt is that, as Georgia’s head coach, he’s 55-11 with a returning starting quarterback – and he’s got a pretty darn good one this year in redshirt sophomore Aaron Murray. Richt’s two SEC Championships are the only two won by UGA in the post-Dooley era. He has to get his program turned around ASAP to stay employed, but no matter what his future holds, Mark Richt’s legacy in Athens is set in stone.

Why he could be higher: He brought a sustained level of success to Georgia that Steve Spurrier has yet to acheive at South Carolina.
Why he could be lower: You can’t ignore the downward direction the program is heading.
In case you haven't clicked over, Saban, Miles, Chizik, Petrino and Spurrier are ahead of CMR. The order behind him is Mullen, Dooley, Nutt, Phillips, Muschamp and Franklin.


I think Sallee has Richt in the right place, especially given his explanation for why he could be higher/lower. The conundrum is Gene Chizik. He's hot right now as opposed to Richt being hot a few years ago. But like many, I still have trouble believing much of Auburn's success had anything to do with its head coach.


Regardless, I think #6 is a good place for Richt. He should be top five three. Let him earn his way back.

3 comments:

William said...

I think that's a good ranking for him. The only thing holding him back is his over friendly nature. I think that is the reason behind him waiting to the last minute to make changes in staff members. If it were my job on the line I would hire an OC and let Bobo do what he does best train QB's. I hope Bobo does a good job this year and keeps CMR employed. CMR's personality comes in real handy on the recruiting trail.

Bernie said...

I agree. Bobo can be a good OC. He just doesn't know it yet.

BuLLdawg said...

The difference in Gene Chizik and Mark Richt is that Gene Chizik has gone out and hired a coaching staff who knows more about football than he does.

Mark Richt has gone out and proven that he lacks this ability to hire a coaching staff and put them as the position coach which they would fit naturally.

In fact, Mark Richt has proven this for 11 consecutive years here; and whatever is etched in stone about Mark Richt at his next gig will read : Learn the # 1 job of the college head football coach is to go out and hire the absolute best coaching staff he can possibly muster.

I like Mark Richt. I don't care for any of his "coaching staff" not this season, and not ever. He should never have been allowed to make any of his staff's decisions this off-season - not with his track record on that.

3-9 vs teams finishing in AP Poll Top 10 in 10 years

10 Losses in 10 years to teams even with their win over him who did not finish in the AP Poll Top 25, even.

2002, The SEC had only 1 other team who finished in the Coaches' Poll Top 25 Auburn # 14.

2005, we Lost Three (3) games because of the bone-headed decisions when DJ Shockley got injured.

2007, we didn't even play in The SEC Championship Game, while LSU beat Two (2) teams who finished in the AP Poll Top 10.

I am not convinced what is etched in stone about Mark Richt, other than he is a Christian.

That and he has never learned in 11 years now how to hire a coaching staff, as has already now for example, Gene Chizik.