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Health & Fitness

Damn Good Dawg

Some of the events that have transpired this year in the world of college athletics have made me realize how lucky we are to have Coach Mark Richt representing UGA as its most visible employee.

I hate to admit this but I've never been one of Coach Mark Richt's biggest fans.

In fact, I've been very vocal in my disappointment over the amount of underachievement going on between the hedges the past few seasons. So much talent, such mediocre results. I thought Richt was too soft, better suited for the pulpit than the sideline. I was wrong.

Some of the events that have transpired this year in the world of college athletics have made me realize how lucky we are to have CMR representing UGA as it's most visible employee. Coach Richt is a man of unquestioned integrity. This is evident both in his professionalism and the way he conducts his personal life.

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But this is something that every Georgia fan has known for a long time. In fact many have felt that Richt's inherent “goodness” has held him back from making some tough decisions within his coaching staff that ultimately may have cost us a shot at an SEC Title or two, perhaps even a National Championship. While this makes for some great hot stove chatter, the truth is that Richt is perhaps on his way to becoming the winningest football coach in UGA history.

In 10 seasons at Georgia CMR has compiled a .746 winning percentage. Only three Bowl Subdivision coaches with 10 or more seasons have better records; OSU's Urban Meyer (.819), Oklahoma's Bob Stoops (.803) and TCU's Gary Patterson (.783). That winning percentage, by the way, is the best of any Georgia coach, including Dooley (.715), Stegeman (.714), Mehre (.626) and Butts (.615). That's some pretty heady company. Richt's 106 victories is third among UGA coaches behind Vince Dooley's 201 and Wally Butt's 142.

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It's hard to imagine that folks were calling for Richt's job just a few short months ago. Dooley's teams went 5-6 in 1977 and 6-5 in 1979. Had he been fired there might have been no Herschel Walker, no National Championship, no “sugar falling from the sky”. I was wrong about Mark Richt, so were a lot of Georgia fans. I won't make that mistake again.

AD Greg McGarity is currently involved in negotiations to extend Richt's contract, which currently runs through 2013. Coach Richt has long made it known that Georgia is where he wants to finish his coaching career. Here's hoping he gets his wish.

Read more from Brian at ... And The Horse They Rode In On.

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