Daniel Shirley: Preaching patience for Georgia's fan base
It sounds a little hypocritical (and maybe a lot hypocritical) to say Georgia's fan base needs to be patient after the program fired a head coach who won nine games this season.
But that's going to be the key for Georgia fans in 2016.
Mark Richt was let go after yet another good season, but the school's leadership wants more than good, so it made a change. That led to a terrific hire with Kirby Smart, a former Georgia player and strong defensive coordinator at Alabama, taking over. It was a hire that just made too much sense to not happen, and it eventually will prove to be the right move for the Bulldogs and Smart, alike.
This week, the first big get (or keep) for Smart took place on the recruiting trail as Washington high school quarterback Jacob Eason stuck with his commitment to the Bulldogs. Eason, widely considered the top quarterback in this year's class, will enroll in January and will be able to compete right away for the starting spot. And anyone who saw Georgia's quarterback putrid quarterback play this season understands just how much Georgia needs him to be ready to play.
That said, Georgia fans need to make sure to be realistic about what is coming up next.
The Bulldogs have talent issues all over their roster, and a first-year quarterback just out of high school isn't going to solve all of those problems. As good as Eason can be, he can't catch his own passes, block for himself or hand the ball off to himself and make some moves down the field. And he certainly can't make any tackles to stop anyone, especially good offenses, on defense.
Those roster issues and depth problems aren't going to be settled in one recruiting class. Smart is a good recruiter, but he's not a miracle worker, and he is going to need time to get the kind of players he wants for his program and to run his systems.
Eason is going to be a good player, but he's going to make mistakes, especially as a true freshman starting against college defenses if he wins the job. Those things are expected, and they're going to happen, and Georgia fans need to be prepared for that and not attack him when they do.
Those fans also need to be prepared for losses. Smart is going to be a terrific head coach, and he will get the Bulldogs' program going in the right direction, but that is going to take time. Remember, he's not a miracle worker, and the 2016 Georgia team is not going to be in the hunt for a national title or an undefeated season, no matter how much Georgia fans want that to happen. An SEC East title should be a goal, but anything beyond that is just not realistic.
Yes, Georgia is coming off a nine-win season, but how many of those wins were actually good wins? Again, there are roster issues moving forward, and the schedule is also much tougher next season, so the short-term results might not be exactly what Georgia fans would want.
When the Bulldogs suffer their first loss in 2016, Georgia fans shouldn't start with the, "See, Mark Richt wouldn't have lost that game" talk. That's just silly and short-sighted and lacks focus on what should be expected for this team next season and what is best for for this program moving forward. Certainly, every fan wants his or her team to be good in the short term, but Smart and his new staff will be building for long-term success and championships and not just next season.
There might be some bumps along the road, but Smart will get this team headed down the right path ... with some patience.
Contact Daniel Shirley at 744-4227 or dshirley@macon.com
This story was originally published December 18, 2015 at 7:48 PM with the headline "Daniel Shirley: Preaching patience for Georgia's fan base ."