The Georgia Bulldogs nearly suffered another disappointing loss, avoiding an upset at the hands of Georgia Southern. The Bulldogs are now 8-3, but that's a game that Georgia should never need overtime to win. The Bulldogs just barely avoided an embarrasing upset. With no SEC East title in their future, it's also another season in which Richt and the Bulldogs have failed to live up to expectations. It's Richt 15th season at Georgia, and he hasn't produced the results he should. Here are Three Reasons Why Mark Richt Era and Georgia need to part ways.
3. Disappointing Seasons
Each season, Georgia is expected to win or at least compete for the SEC East. The East hasn't been a great division in recent years, and Georgia has had the talent to take the crown. Two years ago, Georgia was ranked No. 5 in the preseason and finished the year unranked. This year, the Bulldogs started the year No. 9 and are again unranked. Sure, the Bulldogs might very well beat Georgia Tech and finish with nine wins, but that's still a disappointment for the team. With all the talent Georgia has, nine wins is a mark many coaches could reach. Richt was supposed to at least deliver an SEC East title this season, but he failed to do so once again.
2. Lack Of SEC Titles
The SEC is a difficult conference, but that doesn't excuse the Bulldogs' lack of SEC titles under Richt. They recruit consistently well, but haven't produced an SEC title in a decade. Georgia doesn't need to win an SEC title every year, but Richt did win two early in his career. He's failed in recent seasons and that simply can't happen at Georgia. Winning double-digit games each season is great, but it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things when there is no conference title to go along with it. UGA wants to win SEC titles and Richt might not be the man to deliver those anymore.
1. Richt Can Have Success Elsewhere
Richt is still a good coach. While he may not be the right man for the job at Georgia anymore, he can still be a quality coach at many, many programs. Richt can leave and go have success at a different program, likely one that doesn't demand as much as Georgia does. He'll certainly have his suitors and will end up with a good job if he ever leaves. So rather than continue to stay on the hot seat at a program that will always have expectations that might be too high, Richt can take a different job and have success. This will allow UGA to search for a replacement that will satisfy its fans. Richt might not be the problem at Georgia, but it doesn't look like he's the answer either.