Birmingham| Georgia football head coach Mark Richt is on the hot seat after a disappointing 2010 season.

Richt will be entering his 11th season with the Bulldogs. With Bulldog fans witnessing LSU, Florida (two), Alabama and Auburn win the last five BCS National Championships; fans have grown somewhat disgruntled with the fact that their team has yet to have an appearance in a national championship game under Richt’s direction.

Coach Richt and the Bulldogs will be without tailback Washaun Ealey, the team’s leading rusher last season, due to transferring from the program because of off the field issues. Also, redshirt-senior tailback Caleb King was ruled academically ineligible for the season, making him the second scholarship tailback that will be unavailable in the fall for the Bulldogs.

Though some fans are upset with the lack of success the Bulldogs have had recently, Bulldog players are quick to defend their coach.

“Coach Richt is like a father to us,” center Ben Jones said. “That would just crush us if something happened to Coach Richt because of us. We’re taking it under our wing and playing everything we’ve got in every game for Coach Richt. He’s like everything to us. That’s a reason a lot of us came to Georgia is because of Coach Richt and the man he’s made us.”

Quarterback Aaron Murray said, “We love Coach Richt. I know for me, that’s why I committed. I love Coach Richt and Coach Bobo. They are two of the greatest guys I’ve ever met. Coach Richt is a tremendous religious man. He is a man that’s going to make you a better person, not just a better football player. We all want him to be here for the entire time that we’re in college. We just want to win, too.”

Richt has still been able to recruit despite being under pressure. Headed to Athens is the top-rated running back in the nation according to the ESPNU 150, Isaiah Crowell. Also, Ray Drew, who is rated by ESPNU as the second ranked defensive end, committed to the Bulldogs.

Even though the Bulldogs are in need of a starting tailback, Richt said he has realistic expectations about his freshman Crowell.

“Well, we don’t really expect a freshman to come and carry our program,” Richt said. “We expect him to come in and compete. We expect him to learn what to do. If they have the talent base, they’re mature enough to be prepared to play, we’ll play them.”