The University of Georgia hired Mark Richt in December of 2000, and since then, every SEC head coaching job has turned over at least once. Richt became the dean of SEC coaches in 2008 when Tennessee pushed Phillip Fulmer out the door.
Going into his 10th season, some folks are wondering how much time is left for him in Athens. I personally am wondering if that is more a reflection of his record (unlikely) or just the fact that we're not used to SEC coaches sticking around for that long. Here's a look at all the other guys that Richt has outlasted during his tenure at UGA.
TOTAL COACHES: 31
If you include the 11 other present head coaches, the non-Georgia SEC schools have gone through 31 coaches since Richt was hired. That's nearly three per school, and you know that somehow, someway, we're likely to see that number rise this off season. Only two of the ten calendar years since Richt's hiring have gone without a coach leaving a job in some manner: 2005 and 2009.
FIRED/RESIGNED: 10
An even 10 coaches have either been fired or resigned under duress:
- Hal Mumme, Kentucky, 2001
- Woody Widenhofer, Vanderbilt, 2001
- Mike Price, Alabama, 2003
- Ron Zook, Florida, 2004
- David Cutcliffe, Ole Miss, 2004
- Mike Shula, Alabama, 2006
- Ed Orgeron, Ole Miss, 2007
- Phillip Fulmer, Tennessee, 2008
- Sylvester Croom, Mississippi State, 2008
- Tommy Tuberville, Auburn, 2008
RETIRED: 4
Four coaches ended their careers while at SEC schools in the past decade, though it figures that the first two on the list left just before NCAA investigators began to show up.
- Jackie Sherrill, Mississippi State, 2003
- Lou Holtz, South Carolina, 2004
- Rich Brooks, Kentucky, 2010
- Bobby Johnson, Vanderbilt, 2010
LEFT FOR A COLLEGE JOB: 4
Four coaches left for other college jobs, with varying degrees of success. It should be noted that while Houston Nutt officially left Arkansas for Ole Miss, it's unlikely that Arkansas would have welcomed him back had he not.
- Dennis Franchione, left Alabama for Texas A&M, 2002
- Guy Morriss, left Kentucky for Baylor, 2002
- Houston Nutt, left Arkansas for Ole Miss, 2007
- Lane Kiffin, left Tennessee for USC, 2010
LEFT FOR THE NFL: 2
Just two SEC coaches jumped to the pro league, in large part because the NFL has become more and more reluctant to hire college coaches in recent years.
- Steve Spurrier, Florida, 2002
- Nick Saban, LSU, 2004
IN TOTAL
Again: 31 coaches, 10 firings, and yet Mark Richt continues on. That's impressive.