Mark Bradley keeps bringing up the subject that John Jancek was named co-defensive coordinator in the offseason. I thought the title was granted for compensation purposes, but Bradley seems to hint that there’s something else behind the move.
Anybody know if there’s something to that, or is Bradley simply talking out of his derriere?
Get The Picture 
I think he is just following the AJC formula: Poorly written articles including thinly veiled jabs = page click$. Maybe I’m missing something. Wouldn’t be the first time for either.
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It is a bit of pot stirring of course, but the main point of the article is in the picture – nice guy vs killer instinct (which I take as Bradley’s link to Janeck – that Richt is just too nice to fire Willie).
Look, I appreciate that we run a clean program and compete at high levels and loved every minute of the 02, 05 and 07 seasons. But I fall into that camp that thinks while CMR is a fine coach and a good man, I won’t be surprised if he doesn’t win a NC. I worry that he doesn’t have the killer instinct to win it all and that was Mark Bradley’s point (again why the particular picture and caption were used). It’s fine to believe that if we just play the games, eventually all will fall into place. Sure, over the course of the next 25 years, he’ll continue to average 10 wins, win an SEC every couple of years and we’ll be a perinnial top 10 program. Would I fire him if that’s all that happens over the next 25 years? Nope. Like you said, Senator. We are an impatient lot, but not stupid. And I do hope that that consistency will be met with all the right things falling into place one year (or many). But at this point, would I trade him for Carroll, Stoops, Tressel or Meyer? Yes. I don’t want to “hope”, I want the Evil Richt of late 2007 that went out and stepped on people’s throats. Yeah, yeah, I hear all the “luck in 02, luck in 07, etc., etc.” I want him to make our luck rather than wait for it to fall our way. Notice the slightly recurring theme in that list with the exception of Tressel? Prickliness (both in being a douche and in being an “evil” coach who steps on people’s throats). Or another “jerk” of a coach – compare Richt’s and Saban’s win % / 10 win seasons is more proof – Richt isn’t talked about in near the same light despite a better %. Why? Because Saban won a NC.
No matter how long he’s here, until UGA wins a NC (fair or not), the national perception will be nice guy, good coach of a top 10 program that coughs up the inexplicable loss and can’t win the big one.
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Even Bradley acknowledges that MR been a victim of bad timing once or twice this decade (although he doesn’t acknowledge that Michael Elkon blogged about that point first), so I do think that “killer instinct” stuff is a tad overblown.
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With all due respect, I wouldn’t trade Richt for Stoops even if Oklahoma agreed to pay Stoops’ salary for the rest of his life.
Stoops is a “nice guy, good coach of a top 10 program that coughs up the inexplicable loss and can’t win the big one.” If that’s how Richt is perceived (and I’m not arguing that he’s not), then we have our Stoops. The only difference is that Richt hasn’t made it to the big one… yet.
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Of course they’ve all coughed up losses (that’s said thru each team’s perspective). But Stoops has won a NC and played for others as have the other coaches.
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Yeah, but only because the media put them there. They didn’t deserve to be in last year’s game. OU keeps getting the benefit of the doubt – like Ohio State – and it’s making me crazy.
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I most definitely would not trade Richt for Stoops. I’d prefer a coach that can lead the team and beat WAC teams in BCS bowls games, thanks. I wouldn’t take him over Tressel, either because Tressel can’t beat teams from the SEC. At least Richt’s coached his team to wins over LSU and UF in the past.
I most definitely wouldn’t want Saban because the flashes of brilliance are preceded by losses to UAB and ULM at home and followed by lackluster seasons of 7 or 8 wins.
Richt has the killer instinct, it just doesn’t show. But look at the record: at Tennessee in ’01. at Florida in ’07. at Auburn in ’02. vs Tech in ’02. That’s just four off the top of my head.
Now, I would rather us score at the end of the Arizona State game than take a knee on the 1. Things like that are a bit irritating. I hated leaving there without the huge margin of victory.
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Richt gave Jancek that title because he got a sniff from another school (USF?), but unlike all the other coaches who attracted attention from other schools, he didn’t get a significant pay bump. He makes less than everybody on the staff except Bryan McClendon, and he was a GA last year. That should tell you how much validity there is to Mark’s column.
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I may be old school, but I’d rather have a honest, non-douche, non-prick, keeps his word, family man of a coach that wins 10 year in and year out….than a deceptive, douche, prick, who steps on people and throats to win games. I like being proud of “who” my team’s coach is.
Just my opinion….
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So I take it you disagreed with the “Celebration” against UF in 07? And yes, I know he didn’t order the whole team to go. But he did order an unsportsman penalty (which I completely agreed with). It was totally necessary to change the psychology. That is what I mean by “killer instinct” or “stepping on people’s throats”
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CMR is Tom Osborne. They are almost the same. Stoic, Christian, powerhouse program, perennial thorn in side (OU/Fla.). Nebraska couldn’t win the big one. Osborne started in ’73 at Nebraska. In his 11th year, they finally made the big game, only to lose to Miami on a failed 2 point conversion. 10 more years, in his 21st season, they made it again and lost to FSU. But in his 22nd year, they finally did it in ’94 and again in ’95 and were a miracle from Texas away in ’96 from playing FSU in the Sugar, and did it again in ’97. After being perennial top 10-15 team that couldn’t win the big one, Mr. No Killer Instinct Osborne wone 3 out his last 5 years in coaching, and was a gnats hair from winning 5 in a row. It’s a simple formula: stay at the top, recruit Herschel Walker or Tommy Frazier or Matt Leinhart or Vince Young or Tim Tebow. Richt will be just fine.
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Thank you!
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Agreed. Richt and UGA will be fine. I hope we do win a NC. I won’t ever call for him to be fired. I feel confident he’s going to average 10 wins a season for as long as he stays. I just won’t be surprised if he doesn’t win a NC.
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Richt redshirted his Walker/Frazier/etc. in 2006.
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Not hardly, Hobnail. Those kinds of players aren’t affected much by a redshirt. They impact for a number of years. Walker went 21-0 in SEC play and led us to two MNC game apperances. Frazier won 2 straight MNC titles. Leinhart was redshirted, won an AP title, a Crystal Football, and was 4th & 2 away from being the QB on the best team in history. Young won 2 Rose Bowls and a MNC. Tebow…well, you know the story. Those players are flashes in the pan, as KM’s 2 years will be remembered. He was a DGD, but there’s something better out there. Me thinks he might be wearing #11 and getting redshirted this year. And 2010-2013 could be fun to watch.
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I like your optimism. Of course, I also think Murray won’t start until 2011 after Logan Gray graduates.
Moreno was a SCU Bobo brainfart away from leading us to an MNC in 2007. Not his fault.
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I think I agree about Logan. I want to start redshirt juniors every 2 years. Unless you get a special one that comes along. Just sayin’.
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