One of the more heralded high school coaches in the Southeast gives his take on the Mark Richt news, what went wrong at the University of Georgia, and where they should go from here.

Rush Propst inherited a Colquitt County program coming off a 2-8 season in 2007 and has them riding a 28-game win streak into a state-record seventh-straight semifinal matchup this week in the state's highest classification, coming off an AAAAAA state championship.

On UGA letting Richt go

Alabama head coach Nick Saban said of Mark Richt being let go "I don't know what the world's coming to in our profession. I think when you win nine games, that's a pretty good season."

Propst agreed with Saban's take.

"My first reaction was that I was a little taken back by it," Propst said. "My sentiment is similar to what Coach Saban said. I worry where football is going in general. The fact that you fire a guy that goes 9-3 on a team that I am 100% positive could not win more than eight games."

Apparently Propst had some concern that Georgia would be in for a long season several months before the opening kickoff.

"I went there in the spring and was there for three days," Propst said. "I had a conversation with Jeremy Pruitt and Kevin Sherrer. I watched practice - and in my 35 years of experience - going to Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Florida, Florida State - I have traveled as much as anyone, I never thought in a million years that Georgia would win more than eight games. And I do not think anyone on their staff thought they could. I left there extremely nervous for Coach Pruitt, Coach Sherrer, and Coach Richt."

The roster issues indicated to Propst that the deck was stacked against Richt.

"You have a quarterback not on campus until June - who if he was really good he would be playing at Virginia," Propst said. "There was youth on defense and in the secondary - and they had not one legitimate wide receiver. They have not signed a legitimate wide receiver since I can remember. When you look at those variables, I can see what Coach Saban is saying. I worry about what their thinking is."

Richt made an impact on Propst during his time in Georgia.

"Mark Richt has made me a better football coach," Propst said. "When I was in Alabama, Coach Saban was what we all looked to, and Coach Tommy Tuberville was having some success at Auburn, so we had two really good venues to visit. Mark Richt's demeanor and style taught me a lot over the years. Never one time did I ever call or text him that he did not call me back or text me immediately within a minute or two. That taught me right there what kind of person he was, and more importantly, what kind of person the other ones are that don't.

"Here we have a guy that had been there 10 years, and when he was calling me back, I had not won a state title. I did not have a bunch of recruits. He showed me that, and the others showed me they were not as high character as I thought they were."

Where Richt went wrong

Following offensive coordinator Mike Bobo's departure to become head coach at Colorado State, Richt was faced with filling some big shoes on his staff. His choice would be his undoing, according to Propst.

"The mistake Mark Richt made was hiring Brian Schottenheimer," Propst said. "It was not a good hire. That is what worries me about college football. Mark was under pressure to hire a name, so he hires a name. Was it the right fit for the University of Georgia? No. So, ultimately, that is probably what did it. I did not agree with the hire and I expressed that to Coach Pruitt and Coach Sherrer."

According to Propst, the inability of Georgia to adapt offensively cost them dearly at the quarterback position.

"No question, if Deshaun Watson was at Georgia, Mark Richt would still be the head coach at Georgia," Propst said. "Or if you decided on Brice Ramsey instead, either way, you have to simplify your offense to make your kid be successful. I think Brice was mismanaged from the first day he got there.

"In the offense Georgia had, they did not have the quarterback on campus they needed. In high school, when we do not have the quarterback to run our system, we adapt. You have to adapt to what you have. They had a system, they recruited to the system. If Deshaun Watson is at Georgia right now, we are not having this conversation right now."

What Georgia needs to do now

Now Propst sees one option for the Bulldogs moving forward.

"I wanted Coach Richt's tenure to end with him going out on top, but it is done," Propst said. "Now they have to make the next step. I do not think Georgia has but one choice - it is Kirby Smart. Hands down, Kirby is the right choice for Georgia. There is not even a close second, in my opinion."

And if Smart is hired, his next move should be an easy decision.

"Kirby would do a great job at Georgia," Propst said. "Recruiting would be off the charts. I am not telling Kirby what to do. He is his own man and he has to make his own decision. I would keep Jeremy Pruitt, Kevin Sherrer and Tracy Rocker on the defensive staff."

But will Pruitt stay?

Smart and Pruitt are known as two of the best defensive coaches in the country, and both have alpha-male personalities.

"I would hope Kirby would retain Jeremy Pruitt," Propst said. "My belief is that he should and would. Often, cooler heads do not prevail. Egos get involved. I have always felt that with 35-45-year-old men, egos often cloud their judgment."

Propst feels the decision makers in Athens need to step in.

"That is where leadership comes in at the hiring position," Propst said. "If the person doing the hiring, whether that is Greg McGarity, Jere Morehead, the board of regents or the top boosters - can get cooler heads to prevail, then it will work.

"Ultimately it will come down on McGarity's watch. Losing Jeremy Pruitt is not a smart move. That puts you back a year or two, and I know Kirby might think he can do what Jeremy does, but those two need to work together. That is what is best for the University of Georgia. Jeremy said on Saturday he wanted to be at the University of Georgia. He has worked with Kirby before. He was his eyes in the sky at Alabama. If Kirby offers Jeremy the job, and Jeremy turns it down, it will be his loss and I will put the blame on him."

One situation could prevent that from coming to fruition.

"But if Jeremy wants to go home, and Nick comes calling offering the defensive coordinator job, he would be a fool not to go back," Propst said. "They will not promote Mel Tucker. Unless Will Muschamp is involved. Will is a great defensive coach. He and Pruitt will both be head coaches somewhere very soon."

No red tape

According to Propst, hiring Muschamp away from a bitter in-state rival is something easily accomplished at Alabama.

"Do not think that Will being at Auburn is an issue," Propst said. "There is no red tape at Alabama. That is one thing that is wrong with Georgia, and Mark expressed that to me at times. There is too much red tape at Georgia. There is no red tape at Alabama or Auburn. That is one thing that needs to change at Georgia. The head guy needs full reign. When he needs something, he should be able to make one phone call and get it done, not polling a board of regents. That has been a good bit of Georgia's problem.

"Whatever Nick wants, Nick gets. There is no argument, discussion, or vote. That total control has to be deeply considered and taken care of before Kirby or whoever gets the job gets in there. That has got to happen, among other things that need to change that I will not discuss, but Kirby knows what those things are. They have got a lot of it in the right direction, but they still have a ways to go to get it turned around.

A change in offensive identity

One opportunity that Propst sees for Georgia is making a philosophy change now that the Bulldogs have a clean slate to work with.

"As good as Jeremy Pruitt and that staff has been recruiting, you add Kirby as a great recruiter and a great coach, you would only strengthen that side of the football," Propst said. "So the next item would be finding an identity on offense.

"Now that Richt is gone, you have got to have an offensive identity. Now that they have had the season they have had with the players they have had, and the ties have been severed, change is needed. The culture of football in this state has changed since 2008."

Propst built an impressive resume over the last two decades in Alabama and Georgia and helped usher in a different brand of football in the Peach State.

"I am sorry - at the end of the day, I came south, my offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey went north to Lassiter," Propst said. "He ran Hoover's offense there with Hutson Mason. Now the spread is run by every high school program in the state of Georgia in the largest classification. Now you have to go find an offensive guy that can relate to that part of that type of offense "

He feels Georgia's inability to adapt an uptempo passing attack has cost them in recruiting this cycle.

"What is best for the University of Georgia is Kirby Smart as head coach, Jeremy Pruitt as defensive coordinator, Kevin Sherrer and Tracy Rocker on defense, and whoever Kirby wants on offense, which I think should bring about a cultural change offensively to what your own state is already doing," Propst said. "Your No. 1 and No. 2 wide receiver in the state should not be going to Auburn or USC, they should be going to Georgia if they want them."

At this point, Propst appeared to be making a case for himself to be hired at Georgia.

"I have said this for a long time - Rush Propst hires the best person to get the job done, not a bunch of yes men," Propst said. "I think a lot of times, those 35-40-year old guys who are buddies that will not question their authority. There is a lot of failure in that type of insecurity. I think it has been documented that I will hire people that I think can do the job better than me. The proof is in the pudding. We are in the semifinals for a state record seventh-straight times, 28-straight wins, seven straight state championships at Alabama."

Then, Propst clearly made a case for Georgia to hire him.

"If I was there, I would have the best quarterback that leads, that can put points up and contend for top quarterback honors in the country, with an elite group of receivers that play a fast-tempo offense that scores points," Propst said. "If they had given me that job last year, they would not be in that situation they are in right now. I would have found a way to score points.

We set a state scoring record in Georgia, we set a state scoring record in Alabama, and there is not a difference in 6A in either state and the SEC. I will argue that with anyone, anywhere, anytime. Nick Chubb would have been a better back if he did not have to be a 30-carry feature back. I have had two 2000-yard rushers in our spread, uptempo passing offense, once in 2010 and once in 2014."

The Jacksonville State alum and self-professed Alabama fan admitted that his time in Georgia has made him a Bulldogs fan as well.

"I want Georgia to win football games," Propst said. "When Georgia has problems, football is just not as exciting. I am ready for them to make the right decision, get this thing going, and win."

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