Mark Richt is a Winner

I am a Georgia Bulldog fan.  Not because I went to the school, but because I live nearby.  I also support the other teams in our state (except when they play Georgia) and hope for the best from each of these teams that represent our state schools.

Lately, Georgia has hit a really bad slump.  Many people have already written them off for this year.  Many people already have Mark Richt dusting off his resume.  Many are sour.  But do they have a right to be?

Okay, we all have our opinions.  We all believe we can coach a team better than the real coach.  We all would never have called that play, and if it had been our team, we would have had them ready for the other play...So much pressure from a bunch of people who cannot see the bigger picture.

So I will chime in.  Mark Richt your Twitter account hasn't been twittered since 2009 and the blog link takes me to an empty blog.  How's that for critique?  You see, I am not a college football coach.  I am not in the daily coaches' meeting.  I do not live in the Richt household.  I am not personal friends with Coach Richt (though if you are reading this Mark, I would love to meet you - I have a lot of respect of you - Maybe a chance to do a motivational speech to your team or part of the team or to the B team or to the hedges...).

I wonder if Coach Richt could be considered a Level 5 leader as outlined by Jim Collins in Good to Great?  Let me analyze it:

• I think Coach Richt loves his job.  If he did not, he would not be coaching in the SEC and especially among such a bandwagon crowd as the Georgia fans can be from time to time (many who quickly jump to the other wagon if they like the song better).  Not all Georgia fans are like this.  I think Richt is working hard "to do whatever must be done to produce the best long-term results" (even letting the team choose some unorthodox uniforms if that is what motivates them to play harder).

• I think he is a winner.  Richt is doing his best to create "superb results."  Coach Richt has a 96-36 record as the Georgia head coach and a 7-3 record in bowl games.  He has been at the helm for 2 SEC Titles and 3 Eastern Division Titles (neither of which could be achieved by his two predecessors).  In 24 years as the Georgia head coach, Vince Dooley may have won one national title but he was only 8-10-2 in bowl games.  I am by no means belittling the fantastic career of Coach Dooley, but comparatively, what can happen if fans just be fans and let Coach Richt coach?

• I think he does look in the mirror and takes the blame.  The two current loses have not found Richt looking for others to blame.  Have blocks been missed and tackles been missed and other opportunities been missed?  Yes, but Richt is humble enough to admit his failures.

• I think he has ethics. Richt's faith and competitiveness have kept him in line and away from taking the easy shortcuts that send many teams to the NCAA doghouse.  He "sets the standard of building an enduring" team and "will settle for nothing less."  I know these losses are eating at him.

• I think he is humble in that he doesn't go out looking to garner more attention than his team

• I think he is humble in that he does act with "a quiet and calm determination" Ever seen him throw his visor or chew on a towel?  Okay, he can get upset, that's natural.  However, his emotions do not drive him.

•  I think he is humble in that he is setting the team up to continue to be a force to be dealt with in the SEC.  He sticks by coaches when everyone else gives up on them.  He has seen the right people get on the bus and the wrong people moved off the bus.

• I think he is humble in that he looks out the window and gives credit where credit is due.  Over and over he will taut the job of his coaching staff and the players.

Okay, so I am trying to prepare for a paper due on Saturday and have to pick a leader to compare to the standards from the Good to Great book.  I could have chosen leaders from numerous areas but I think I will stick to Coach Richt.  So thanks for letting me get the preliminaries of my paper in order.  I will let you know what grade I get.

I will leave you with this.  Don't give up on a leader just because they have a downturn.  In the downturn is where they need to be supported the most.  In those moments they can find the "Hedgehog Concepts" needed to launch the organization to the next level.  If anything, true fans will pour into the stadium and remind the team they love them.  And, yes, Coach Richt is a part of the team.  Keep up the good work, Coach.  Don't lose sight of the goal, press on, and we will see where this train takes us.

Go DAWGS!  And Panthers.  And Yellow Jackets.  And all you other Georgia teams!