Who Says the Pressure's on SEC Coaches? Not the Longest Tenured One.

Larry Burton (Panma City Beach, Fla.) The grey is showing in his hair these days, and expectations seem to be lowered now than the day when he was hired, but Mark Richt keeps on coaching.

As hard as it is to imagine, he's the dean of SEC coaches, having coached at Georgia for nine seasons. That's longer than anyone at their school in the nation's toughest conference. 

Entering his 10th season, he's well aware that few make it past their 10th. Tuberville didn't, and in recent memory, only Phillip Fulmer and Steve Spurrier went further. Fulmer was fired after 17 years, and Spurrier left Florida for the NFL after 12.

But both of them had a national title in their trophy case, and so far, Richt has nothing to show for his nine years but a couple of SEC Championships that seem like a hundred years ago even though it was in 2005.

And even that year didn't end with excitement, just more disappointment, as Georgia fell behind 28-0 to West Virginia in the Sugar Bowl, finally losing 38-35.

Hopes were high early on. He won his first SEC title in 2002 in just his second season, and many thought this first title was the beginning of a Georgia dynasty.

The 2005 season made people think he finally had his feet under him only to see the carpet pulled out from under them yet again.

In 2008, it was finally supposed to be Georgia's year. They were preseason picks to win it all, and things were looking good until Alabama thoroughly embarrassed them at home in the now famous "Black Out Game".

The season ended with Georgia proving it may not have been the third best in the SEC, let alone in the state of Georgia as Alabama, Florida and Georgia Tech drubbed them.

Richt's tenure, though the longest in the SEC, has been one of high hopes and little realization.

Certainly two SEC titles are nothing to sneeze at, but the 2005 one was won during Urban Meyer's first season, and while Alabama was still suffering from probation.

With Meyer and Saban apparently set to dominate the SEC for the foreseeable future, will Georgia fans be content for a ten win season at best and a decent bowl?

Tuberville was fired for having that kind of record, and Richt's winning percentage is below that of Fulmer's first nine seasons.

Georgia fans thought they had hired a man who would bring them into the title hunt, but instead, only got them a couple of conference titles while everyone else was down and rebuilding.

What does Richt have to say about being the longest tenured coach?

"It's kind of weird, yeah," Richt said. "I didn't know I'd stick around that long, but I'm glad that I'm here. I still feel kind of young and energetic, which is good."

When reminded that four coaches with less time at their SEC schools have a championship ring on their finger: Spurrier, Saban, Meyers and Miles, Richt said, "That's good for them. Hopefully we'll get one."

Hopefully? Is that all you're offering the Bulldogs? Just hope?

Maybe that's why his coaching chair is finally beginning to feel some heat. The bulldogs were hoping to be contenders, not simply content to be a good little team that always made a bowl.

While Meyers and Saban have made headlines grabbing up top talent and building up contending teams, Richt complains about about gaps and holes in the lineup that seem to keep him from getting it all together.

Georgia fans must now face that Richt may never be able to put everything together for a championship run. The last 4 years have seen him field respectable teams, but teams that were clearly second tier in the SEC pecking order.

This may be the last season Richt has to try and show he's headed back up instead of the downward course of the last two seasons.

Going .500 in the SEC last season was the worst conference record since Richt's other bad campaign of 2006. That's two of the last four seasons only going .500 in conference play.

Though you can point to better statistics, you can't hide from the fact that they are clearly a second class team in the SEC.

And while that alone puts them still in the national rankings most years, it doesn't quench the thirst the dogs have for a championship.

The scary thing is, when Richt was asked if he felt pressure to bring things up a few notches or be put on the chopping block, he said, "We've got things going in the right direction here and we are hoping for better things in the future."

2006 - 9-4 overall 4-4 in the SEC

2007 - 11-2 overall 6-2 in the SEC

2008 - 10-3 overall 6-2 in the SEC

2009 - 8-4 overall 4-4 in the SEC

That sounds like you've got things going in the wrong direction. With hope in one hand and nothing in the other, one wonders if he'll see the bus that hits him coming.