Could The Same Have Been Said About Fulmer and Tennessee?

#1
rexvol

rexvol

The Minister of Defense
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#1
Stewart Mandel was asked about UGA firing Richt and i'm sure his response will elicit some interesting responses.

I can honestly see an argument from both sides. He's playing a true frosh QB without his best playmaker and running an entirely new defensive scheme with players recruited for another. This along with him being the winningest coach in school history should allow for a grace period. I also understand the argument that he's been there for 9 years why is a frosh QB starting and why is the defense in need of a make over.


Stewart, I am a believer that a fan base must always answer the question "And hire whom?" before they talk about firing a coach. If you cannot name a better option than the current guy, forget it. I find myself teetering on the Mark Richt discussion. If he goes, who would be your hire?
-- Dave, Atlanta

I'm with you, Dave. If Georgia runs off Richt this year, it will be textbook Clemson/Ole Miss Syndrome. (Note the example cited in that link: Minnesota. How's that working out?) Historically, Georgia is more prestigious than either of those teams -- but not as much as Dawgs fans like to think. In all my travels, I'm not sure I've ever come across a fan base whose self-perception is so far from reality. Georgia fashions itself a national power in the vein of Ohio State, USC, et. al., based primarily off one glorious three-year run 30 years ago with Herschel Walker (and some kick-butt years in the 1940s). Prior to this season, the Dawgs under Richt had vastly outperformed their historical "equilibrium," and in fact Richt's career winning percentage (.752) is the highest in school history (not counting Bobby Winston's lone 5-1 season in 1894).

But in today's SEC, the goal is national championships, and three other league coaches hired by their schools more recently than Richt -- Florida's Urban Meyer, LSU's Miles and Alabama's Nick Saban -- have 'em. Richt doesn't. And at 0-3 in the SEC, winning one anytime soon probably seems a very remote possibility. But realistically, the chances of hiring another Ray Goff are higher than the school landing its own Meyer or Saban. Texas head-coach-in-waiting Will Muschamp (a UGA alum) is a realistic and enticing possibility, but beyond that, there is not a single coach out there I'd consider an upgrade from Richt (and even Muschamp is no guarantee). Let's see how the season plays out. With a light upcoming schedule, a freshman quarterback who should theoretically progress and the return of A.J. Green, my guess is the Dawgs will go on a run. If they can salvage things and win eight games, and still fire him ... well, just take a look at Tennessee for a glimpse into their immediate future.
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SM seems to think so. Honestly, I feel like if CLK had stayed the Vols recruiting would be off the charts and we would be well on our way back.
 
#3
#3
rexvol said:
SM seems to think so. Honestly, I feel like if CLK had stayed the Vols recruiting would be off the charts and we would be well on our way back.
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That is if we didn't get the NCAA Judgment Hammer brought down on us before we could get back.
 
#13
#13
I am amazed that Fulmer is mentioned in the title and Gibbs is not here to suckle off his man love for him.
 
#15
#15
rexvol said:
Honestly, I feel like if CLK had stayed the Vols recruiting would be off the charts and we would be well on our way back.
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Honestly, I feel like if CLK had stayed the Vols would be 2-2 right now with a loud mouthed dullard head coach.
 
#18
#18
The media always wrings their hands about coaches getting fired. Funny how he doesn't mention anything about the awful situation Alabama is in after firing Mike Shula, a move which everybody in the press whined about being unfair at the time.
 
#22
#22
There is some comparison for sure. I was on the fence about Fulmer, if I was a Georgia fan I would probably be in Richt's corner now.
The difference: Richt hasn't gone 10 years with no conference titles.
 
#24
#24
This was exactly the debate Tennessee fans were having after 2005 except the pro Fulmer, including myself at that time, said look at Alabama. The article's analogy to Tennessee is wrong however. In hindsight I believe the problem was Fulmer was allowed to stay on too long. He should have been gone after 2005 when we still had a decent roster and the program still respected that a better coach could have built on. Richt doesn't even have a NC to lean on like Fulmer. Richt has been there plenty long enough to prove what he can and can't do. The program would be better off changing directions.
 
#25
#25
Richt is Fulmer without the national championship in his back pocket. He's not going to get as much rope. UGA fans are going to be nowhere near as divided and emotional about it as Tennessee fans were (and still are). When you don't look like you have a prayer of ever winning your conference again, you dump your coach and start over. It's pretty simple.
 
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