Finebaum: Richt-er scale week as trouble looms for Georgia head coach

Since the demise of Damon Evans last week as Georgia's athletic director, the fate of beleaguered football coach Mark Richt has been hotly debated.

Already on the hot seat, does a new athletic director help or hurt Richt's chances of hanging on in the event of more putrefaction of his once promising head coaching career?

The answer is easy: Richt is in trouble. I'm not suggesting he start packing the fine china. However, anyone who thinks a new boss will be good for Richt has not been paying close attention to recent SEC history.

Mike Hamilton replaced Doug Dickey at Tennessee in 2003. Dickey had been Phillip Fulmer's chief enabler. It took time, but finally in 2008, Hamilton pulled the ripcord on Fulmer (who had a national championship, two SEC rings and five SEC title game appearances).

Jay Jacobs took over at Auburn in December 2004. Four years later, he fired Tommy Tuberville, despite an SEC title, a perfect 13-0 season and six straight wins over his rival. He got the ax four days after losing for the first time in seven years to Alabama.

Greg Byrne took over at Mississippi State in February 2008. By November 2008, he had fired Sylvester Croom and put in own his man, Dan Mullen.

Jeff Long was selected at Arkansas in September 2007 and Houston Nutt was gone in three months (before the new man officially even took over).

So do you think it's believable -- as some in Georgia suggest -- that a new athletic director is going to cast his or her lot with Richt, who appears headed for the proverbial iceberg.

Think again.

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