The Mark Richt Victory Watch

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to present to you the season-ending edition of the Mark Richt Victory Watch, in which we count down the wins to Mark Richt’s inevitable---all right, probable, pending the hiring of the new defensive coordinator (although it’s looking better on the evening of December 28 than it looked on the morning of November 28)---overtaking of Vince Dooley as the all-time winningest coach in the history of the Georgia Bulldogs.

Following the Red and Black’s win over the Texas A&M Aggies in the Independence Bowl, the Mark Richt Victory Watch stands at 90. Coach Richt needs 111 more wins to tie Coach Dooley for the school record.

Mark Richt’s 90-27 record after 117 games on the Sanford Stadium sideline gives him the best winning percentage (.769) of any head honcho in Bulldog history at the same juncture. Wally Butts’s record of 82-32-3 (.714) and Vince Dooley’s ledger of 78-34-5 (.688) trailed Mark Richt’s present resume of career achievement.

By leading the Classic City Canines to victory in four of their last five outings, Coach Richt carded his 90th victory in the final game of his ninth season. I don’t have a degree from a vocational school across the street from the Varsity or anything, but I believe that averages out to ten wins a year. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that ain’t bad. (Also, I’d be willing to bet that Mark Richt doesn’t use questions about his cardiovascular fitness as an excuse for playing April Fool’s Day jokes on his wife and children at Christmas, either.)

For what it’s worth, the last time Georgia beat Texas A&M, the Bulldogs proceeded to go 48-5-1 with a national championship and three straight SEC titles over the course of their next 54 games. I’m just saying.

Go ‘Dawgs!