Be sure to head to www.chuckoliver.net to read all about the Urban Meyer retirement news. Hopefully this piece will be up soon under the Georgia section
With Urban Meyer's second retirement announcement in as many years (though this one is more likely to stick), Georgia coach Mark Richt will be able to sit back and think about how he already has one win checked off on the schedule for the 2011 season. No, not JUST the Georgia Tech game, but either the Mississippi State game or the Boise State game. With Meyer leaving, the short list to replace the two-time champion coach has been drawn up and at the top of the list seems to be Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen as well as Boise State head man Chris Petersen. The Bronco coach just signed an extension that might make it tricky for him to leave the blue turf for the likes of Gainesville, but Mullen's deal is a friendly one for Gator Nation that could mean the former Florida offensive coordinator could be back on the sidelines as the head coach for 2011.
If Dan Mullen (or Petersen) does take the job, Florida will still be Florida and the Gators will still give Georgia fits. However whichever team loses its coach will be down for the count for AT LEAST 2011 if not 2012 as well. With Mark Richt on the hot seat entering next year after going 8-5 in '09 and 6-6 with a bowl berth to come in '10, he'll need all of the wins he can get. Mullen's playcalling was the ONLY reason the Georgia Bulldogs lost to the other SEC Bulldogs earlier this year, and if Mullen isn't there next year, Georgia should cruise to a victory between the Hedges. If Petersen isn't at Boise State for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game, with all due respect Kellen Moore, the Broncos are going to meet a similar fate as the 2005 BSU squad did in Athens. These two coaching candidates are THAT good and that is why Florida is thinking about them, assuming these short lists all over the net are correct.
What happened today is good news for Georgia for the simple fact that Florida is going to be good with whomever is coaching there; now potentially another team on the schedule will be without its great coach. I also wouldn't underestimate the impact this will have on recruiting as well. Meyer can say all he wants that he'll call all of the recruits to help the new coach, and perhaps if Mullen IS the choice, he can keep MOST of the recruits because he is off of the Meyer-Tree, but some will leave, no doubt. Some players on campus may decide to pack up the wagons and leave as well. In the SEC, the recruiting roads are tough and Saban, Chizik, Dooley, Spurrier and especially Richt will hit hard on the fact that ANY new coach means transition, which could mean early struggles to adjust to a new way. That could sway enough of the undecideds as well as some pledges right into the arms of FSU, Georgia, Alabama and Auburn.
Georgia just picked up a win today with Meyer leaving: either Miss State or Boise State. And Richt may have saved his job thanks to Urban Meyer.
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