Fran Tarkenton on 680 The Fan: UGA ‘is in in big trouble’
If you haven’t heard what Fran Tarkenton had to say regarding Mark Richt last Friday on 680 The Fan, you probably should. The most famous former Georgia Bulldog (non-Herschel division) eviscerated the Bulldogs’ coach and strongly suggested the program needs a new leader.
Francis T. began boldly — “What has happened over the last week with Georgia has been the most disturbing time I have seen in a long time; you know, people don’t want to look at reality” — and didn’t pause for breath. (A partial transcript is available at SportsRadioInterviews.com.)
Richt’s all-is-well press briefing of Jan. 4 apparently set Tarkenton’s teeth to gnashing. Concerning the announcement that Richt would re-immerse himself in the finer points of football, Tarkenton said this:
“Holy cow! Yesterday, where Mark Richt says, ‘I have been freed from administrative duties to spend more time on football.’ Then I quote him, he said, ‘The moves give [me] more time to study the game of football and be an expert and be on the cutting edge.’ What has he been doing for nine years? I have never heard any college, high school, professional coach [say] that [he] was not able to spend enough time on football.”
Asked by host Christopher Rude if Rich might have been devoting too much time to academics or somesuch, Tarkenton said:
“No, it sounds like a cop-out! It sounds like, ‘I am not taking responsibility. I have other things.’ We hire people to be football coaches. We pay him and others millions of dollars to be football coaches, not to be administrators. He didn’t do a very good job there — we had 12 people arrested this year, including a top-ranked quarterback who was a top kid that is now going to play LSU [Zach Mettenberger], and that has been going on forever.
“[Richt] is a wonderful guy. He is a good Christian guy. He wants to be a missionary. He goes on missions. That is a wonderful thing. But do you know the religion of Nick Saban? Or Gus Malzahn? Or Chip Kelly playing for the national championship? I don’t think we care what their religion [is]. We hire them to be football coaches. If we are hiring religious instructors, let’s go to the Candler School of Theology over here in Decatur and get some of their people to come and coach our football team.”
Let the record note that Tarkenton is himself the son of a preacher. Which isn’t the same as being the son of a diplomat, and is evident throughout this diatribe. More Fran: “You’ve been there nine years [10, actually] and you say [you] haven’t had time to spend on football — if you don’t think that’s a problem, Georgia people, and [athletic director] Greg McGarity, if you don’t think the signs are there, my friend … Bad news does not get better with time.”
Regarding last week’s announcements that two top in-state prospects plan to sign with Alabama and Auburn, Tarkenton said:
” We’re going to lose the elite players this year. We haven’t in the past — we’ve gotten the elite player. We either didn’t choose right or we didn’t coach right, because we didn’t have success.
“Right now our program has had three years of regression, and I don’t see any way this thing is going to get out of the ditch. When I read comments like [Richt's] … we’re putting spin on everything. In the meantime Alabama and Auburn and Tennessee are working and kicking our butts and recruiting people and getting coaches that have spread offenses. I mean, can you imagine? We scored two field goals against Central Florida.”
The son of a preacher then offered a benediction: “I think Greg McGarity has got to look at this awfully hard, I think the signs are that we have a program that is in big trouble.”
And now you’re asking: How noteworthy is this? My answer: Very. It’s one thing for some newspaper guy (like this one) to carp about Richt, quite another for a most distinguished alum to sound the alarm. In the space of nine minutes, Sir Francis essentially said what more and more folks are thinking: That Georgia needs a new coach.
By Mark Bradley
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1,032 comments Add your comment
purple gorrila
January 11th, 2011
10:31 pm
It’s a big deal, Fran is a very smart business man/football player and knows what he is talking about.
Rick
January 11th, 2011
10:32 pm
Who cares about Fran..he was only a messenger. Let’s right this program, it has its problems, Richt knows his job is on the line and he feels the heat. He’s done a poor job the last few years and you all want to live with this?…
always a silver lining
January 11th, 2011
10:33 pm
wow what a pity party.
Jim
January 11th, 2011
10:35 pm
That’s Incredible… Mark fails to mention it probably the only thing most UGA fans have ever heard from Tarkenton about UGA football. The real cop out is quoting a radio show as replacement actually working
Jim
January 11th, 2011
10:35 pm
That’s Incredible… Mark fails to mention it is probably the only thing most UGA fans have ever heard from Tarkenton about UGA football. The real cop out is quoting a radio show as replacement actually working
bleedsredandback
January 11th, 2011
10:37 pm
I think the comments made by the famous alum is frustration felt by many of Dawg supporters…..me included (but my words were not as calm as Fran’s)…But the truth of the situation is that CMR has in fact has earned the right for one more year. We just need to respect that. Here is how I see it…..Benchmarks for Richt and asst coaches 1 recruiting a great well rounded class with need and quality…2 the Boise State game(Win or nothing)….3 Improvement from Defense (I think we have very good defensive coaches but should show telltale signs of improvement in this 2nd year…4 If Bobo is the offensive mind that CMR says he is then he should be let loose and make or break in the first 4 ball games…5 complete turn around in attitude and effort of the team as a whole. We will know by the second game of the year if 1 and 2 are fulfilled. If either of both come up short then it spells the end of CMR. At this point the AD would have the season to do a proper search and evaluation of coaches and can make the change as smoothly as florida did with Muschamp. (They had more time to work on this than we know.
Dr. Dave
January 11th, 2011
10:39 pm
Fran T. is not saying anything new. Before he starts mouthing off we should all ask what gives him the right to criticize the program. He was a great player back in the day. He has done nothing to support the program for as long as I have followed it. Maybe if former players, many of whom have gone on to the NFL, were more outspoken about the good experiences they had at UGA, our program would be even better.
Rick
January 11th, 2011
10:40 pm
Fran is on 680 the Fan every week. He is basically a curmudgeon and is apparently very bitter about they way things have turned out in Minnesota and here at UGA. Perhaps he feels he was slighted in his football career. Regardless, he has struck an chord that is resonant in the Dawg Nation has validity. Why is this coach admitting he hasn’t been giving 100%?
PEACH DOG
January 11th, 2011
10:40 pm
OFF. LINE COACH SEARLS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISMISSED LAST YR AND FOR RICHT TO CONTINUE WITH THIS ONLY SHOWS HIS DENIAL AND JELLYFISH BACKBONE. THIS WILL GET CMR FIRED 2011
Rick
January 11th, 2011
10:40 pm
Nice dream world Dr. Dave…
PEACH DOG
January 11th, 2011
10:41 pm
Enter your comments here
MD
January 11th, 2011
10:41 pm
Being it came from Frank Tarkenton, I take it with a grain of salt. Fran needs to mine his own business and take care of his own problems.
dawgster
January 11th, 2011
10:42 pm
@Rick…actually you really didn’t allow me to answer your question on whether Coach Dooley or Coach Richt were more demanding…i can’t really answer that question…i never played for Coach Richt, but i can tell you a certain DC and special teams coach were extremely demanding, demanding in ways that probably could get a coach in trouble nowadays…but from looking on the outside right now, no it doesn’t appear that Coach Richt or the other coaches are as demanding as some of us might think…The kids however nowadays are different and you have to push different buttons to get their attention, sometimes,,,regardless a change in attitude is needed in Athens, i will agree…Hopefully with Coach T, and please don’t anyone say he’s old school, and some others in the S&C program will get their attention…I love your passion also, you and me both want the same thing i believe…I just truly believe that the message has been made loud and clear and that Coach Richt and our other coaches know what the expectations are….Will they meet those expectations..I don’t know, but they have one more season to prove whether they can get it done or not..i believe they can, but will accept what needs to be done, if they don’t..go dawgs…
Big D Dawg
January 11th, 2011
10:42 pm
saw fran at a game last season, looked like he’d been drunk for 3 days and needed a hair cut. also looked like he dressed in the dark. fran, you may be right but stfu, no one cares what you say.
Rick
January 11th, 2011
10:43 pm
Looks like another Dr who needs a Dr.
FCUK Fran
January 11th, 2011
10:45 pm
And all you baby cries
Bottom looks great
January 11th, 2011
10:46 pm
Done deal dog,we can not tolerate this any more, how profound it is to lose like this and it’s ok things will turn around.Auburn waited 50 years painfully with good teams to win the NC, are we to do the same? it’s already 30 years.I do not like railing against Richt, but something strange is going on, and it’s making my saturdays suck. hello boosters WAKE UP !!!!!!!!!!
fred
January 11th, 2011
10:50 pm
Agree Richt is a great man……..but the time is right for change. Hope AD has the guts to go ahead and make the move. Really wish MR would just resign and that would take the pressure off everyone.
The same goes for Paul Hewitt at GT..He also needs to move on..the writings on the wall………Both are hurting their programs.
Hairy Dawg
January 11th, 2011
10:51 pm
Sounds like we need to pay money to the right guys. I mean, Cam worked out great for Auburn. Time to pony up the cash, boosters. I’m sick of watching underachieving athletes being paid under the table. Let’s get the top guys, dammit.
Rick Grooms
January 11th, 2011
10:51 pm
put a pair of red panties on his plate. YOU LOSERS DESERVE EVERYTHING YOU GET.
agdawg
January 11th, 2011
10:52 pm
Old Story!! Saw the Fran himself at a the Ritz Carlton bar in New Orleans after the Ga. / Hawaii Sugar Bowl. Road hard and put up wet a few times too many himself!
Freddie G
January 11th, 2011
10:53 pm
Fran is a Bulldog for life and he like several others does not like the direction of the program. The downward spiral did not start this year and nothing has happenend to suggest that it will stop. We were preseason number 1 in 2008 with two number 1 draft picks and an early No.2 to Clevelend Browns ( Momass) and AJ who was outstanding in his freshman year, yet we got embarassed by Alabama, and loss several games that year despite been favored. I like Richt and I am in favor of him having another year but I doubt very strongly that he will turn things around. I believe that after this season Georgia should hire a good coach who will be able to bring in a solid staff to lift Georgia Football to elite status.
DrVino
January 11th, 2011
10:53 pm
The fans have been saying it out loud for 3 years that Richt does not have what it takes to be a head coach. Just because he’ s a really religious man, does not make the coach. No one cares what religion Sabin is, or any other winning coach. Does Bobo even watch a college game to see what other inventive coaches are doing? Other teams don’t even have to watch UGA film because they know exactly what plays will be called, probably better than the UGA coaches! Tark is correct in his evaluation of the program. We need a REAL coach! A coach that has control of his players, who do not get into trouble. Do you think AJG wants to flounder for another year? What recruit would want to play for Richt now?
BAMA
January 11th, 2011
10:55 pm
Auburn winning a National Championship just set Richts A$$ on fire ! If he gets beat by Boise St. Fran ain’t the only one that’s going to be talking about how bad UGA is. If he don’t win 9-10 games next year he’s a goner folks and you all know it. All this wait till next year crap is played out.
Loyal Dawg
January 11th, 2011
10:56 pm
Fran is a loose cannon. He may be a legendary Dawg, but that doesn’t make him an expert on running the program. It’s obvious that some teams are stretching the rules to win champships (i.e. Auburn). We are trying to do it the right way and not leave a wake of destruction behind (i.e. USC and probably Auburn.
BobDawg
January 11th, 2011
10:57 pm
.Let’s see Fran.. everytime you need some PUB for your business ventures… you play the UGA card for better or worse, right?? Also, Fran, what is your solution for the “regression” or is that the AD’s job??? Maybe we let Greg McGarity do his job since we hired him, right???
So Fran, stick to your Entreprenurial Gig and let the UGA dudes do their thing… Thanks…
Loyal Dawg
January 11th, 2011
11:00 pm
I didn’t hear anyone complaining about CMR’s religion in 2002 and 2005. As for the idiots that keep saying CMR won with Jim Donnan’s recruits- he did more with JD’s players than JD did. Exactly how many of JD’s players were on the 2005 SEC Championship squad?
underdog
January 11th, 2011
11:02 pm
Now on to the subject of Fran Tarkenton. The man is a total “JURK” . Not half way, but all the way “JACKASS” of the century in my book. The man ( wait ) not man, but something else. I watched football and played football from the time I knew how to pronounce it. There were many great players to play between the hedges. Fran-ncy was not one. Everytime I saw Him I ask for an autogragh. I was 6, then 8, then9, then 10, then10 again, then 11, then 14. Finally when I saw him in Young Harris , I was there in a tennis camp, I was able to get really up close. I thought maybe know I caan get the autograph. Same as it always was, ( Get away kid I don’t have time for that s__t” ). His nose was so high if it rained he’d drown. Now that I’m older, I can reflect back on all this and say I was dead on ” RIGHT “. But he is correct about our coach, He hasn’t won anaything with his players, those were Donnans. fire his ass
Rick
January 11th, 2011
11:04 pm
A couple years ago, Mark Richt wanted to relieve himself from the intimate day-to-day grind that he had put himself through to get the Dawgs to where they had obtained. He consequently, appointed BoBo offensive coordinator (Did this mean he thought BoBo would do a better job?) and stated he wanted to release himself from certain activities to be more of a manager and oversee operations of the football team. Hence, less time on micro-managing or attention to detail. This is where we have arrived folks…now Richt says he has been relieved from administrative duties so he can become more focused and provide more attention to details incumbent of a football coach in order to be an EXPERT.
Wow…
Loyal Dawg
January 11th, 2011
11:06 pm
Fire Nick Saban Alabama! The program has peaked and is going backwards. Lost to Auburn, LSU and, horrors- the Gamecocks! (UGA fan logic at work).
BAMA
January 11th, 2011
11:09 pm
Don’t kill the messenger folks. Fran didn’t coach this team to losing season this year. What he said was the truth and if you want to win it all y’all better get a new coach. Is beating GT important enough for you or do want to win it all? Richt’s a joke, closest thing I’ve saw to Mike Shula since the non-coaching fool himself. Richt’s your man if you want a 10 win season every 3 years sanwiched by disappointment. WAKE UP
Rick
January 11th, 2011
11:12 pm
I think McGarity stuck a fire poker up Richt’s ass and now he has a new purpose. will it be enough to save his job…he has 1 year left to find out.
BAMA
January 11th, 2011
11:13 pm
*breaking news* Coach Mark Richt is going to watch more film. What a clown this guy is !!!
Mobile Dawg
January 11th, 2011
11:15 pm
Loved the comment about the spin CMR continues to put on his lack of productivity basically equals his refusal to take responsibility. The slope for CMR is getting steeper, I see no way he survives. McGarity should pull the trigger now, or Richt should resign. The recruiting has gone further than South….Good day Dawgs….
GTBob
January 11th, 2011
11:18 pm
Good to see someone from the UGA side doesn’t not have his blinders on. The comment about getting more involved and studying more is an insult to everyone who supports the program.
Freddie G
January 11th, 2011
11:19 pm
The love for Georgia must be paramount, not for Richt or anyone else. It is a fact that if things were better in Athens, we would not be losing these recruting battles. We can only hope that some of these Kids consider Georgia this year. I hear Buck Belue blaming Rodney Garner for our dismal recruiting of the Georgia players, and consider that as most dishonest or stupid on his part. Mark Richt as the head coach is the closer and if he is not able to convince these recruits like Saban, Meyer and other SEC head coaches that’s too bad. Belue if we were winning and having a better control of the discipline problem more recruits would favor us. There are some Bulldogs fans and alums who would not mind if Ray Goff was still the HC at Georgia , because he too was a good man, only if he would win 9 games each year and lose to Florida and Tennessee. I see no reason why we have to play second to Florida, Alabama, LSU,and now Auburn and SC with Tennessee a team on the rise. At present we may be the 6th ranked team in the SEC which is not acceptable to most of us.
Rick
January 11th, 2011
11:20 pm
He probably has 1 year left Mobile, barring significant upside…his ace is Murray.
dawgster
January 11th, 2011
11:22 pm
@BAMA…why are you even concerned about Coach Richt and the dawgs anyway…as you have pretty well said, we are losers if we stick with Coach Richt…i just wonder what your concern and stress over our coach is all about…
@Rick…I do think you have made your point more than once regarding Coach Richt….everyone knows your feelings and many agree…i personally do not agree with all you said, you made some good points but they are all mute for at least one more year..I’ll say one more time, wouldn’t it help to be a little more positive especially as we wind up recruiting season which could go a long ways in rebuilding this program and even if Coach Richt is not the man, then whomever takes over if and when that happens, will start with a very good group…don’t let the other schools drag you into the bashing of Coach Richt and our school…thats what Mr. BAMA and others want…i hope you can see that, you seem very passionate about the dawgs, don’t let them cause you to fall into their hatred of any success we might come upon…go dawgs
Let's Not Panic
January 11th, 2011
11:23 pm
Bradley -
You are pathetic – you have been preaching the same tired old garbage for 2 months now. We get it. You hate Mark Richt. You’d like his head on a platter. Got it. Don’t you have anything better than a 70 year old out of touch ex Bulldog QB who has no clue on how the SEC operates in 2011? Don’t you have anything better to write about than the SAME TIRED SUBJECT over and over and over and over again. You sir are a joke as a sports journalist.
Gen Neyland
January 11th, 2011
11:23 pm
underdog: Your personal disappointment with Fran Tarkenton clouds your judgement of what the guy has to say. The fact remains Tarkenton knows a little about football and his opinion isn’t based on getting dissed over a flipping autograph. I’d take a minute and be objective here on what he has to say. Given the past 3 years of UGA football, don’t you think he may be on to something instead of on something..? Anyway, he’s a Dawg and wants to win. Spurrier isn’t a Dawg and he’s said things about UGA ( but with a measure of truth I might add) that would tick me off more than what Tarkenton said if I were a Pup… Anyway, down on the farm…
Anonymous
January 11th, 2011
11:23 pm
[...] disintegrating http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/2011/01/11/fran-tarkenton-on-680-the-fan-uga-is-in-in-big-tro... This is bound to help our recruiting…we couldn't pay someone to help us this much. [...]
dawgster
January 11th, 2011
11:27 pm
You know…i get the whole comparison of Bama, Fla, SC, Au…but how do you say Tenn is a team on the rise, and they may well be , but they finished with the same record we did, we beat the tar out of them this year, yet they are on the rise…yes they have young players, but so do we…We started a RS freshman QB and had a new DC this year along with several new assistants..I get the comparison to the other teams, but please don’t compare the dawgs and Tenn and say they are on the rise, but we are not…its not a valid argument right now, maybe next season, but not now….go dawgs
David Granger
January 11th, 2011
11:30 pm
I don’t agree with everything Fran says, but I do believe that Coach Richt has let the team slide into that FSU-style lack of discipline, both on and off the field. And when a coach loses discipline, he never gets it back. It would be best for all concerned…UGA and Coach Richt…if they parted ways.
dawgster
January 11th, 2011
11:30 pm
@Gen Neyland..the things Spurrier said about the dawgs was back in the Goff days…we all know his famous line…but to the best of my knowledge he has been very respectful to Coach Richt and the dawgs, the best that Spurrier can be as he is with other schools….not a very good comparison in my opinion, but its just my opinion…go dawgs
BAMA
January 11th, 2011
11:30 pm
@ dawgster
I happen to like Georgia and I’m tired of seeing Florida bash there head in year after year. After coming off of a subpar year last year you would’ve thought his butt would’ve been studying film a little more THIS SEASON . That guy is a joke and you know it . He has never accepted any responsability for himself and is always looking for someone to pass the blame to. How can players be held accountable if the dang coach can’t even hold himself accountable. The Dawgs are my second favorite team in all the land dawgster and they deserve better than Mark freaking Richt !
SuperB
January 11th, 2011
11:32 pm
I have been covering CFB for the past 43 years. I agree with everything Tarkenton said. I like my preacher and I enjoy seeing him in the pulpit on Sunday. But I don’t want to see him coaching my football team on Saturday. We pay our preachers to save souls. We pay our football coaches to win games!
DawgDad
January 11th, 2011
11:38 pm
The slide and problems are unarguable. But ponder this: Alabama was the preseason #1. If they “underachieve” again next year are they then 2/3 of the way down the same path UGA is on?
Maybe Richt needs to go, maybe not. Maybe the serious problems run far deeper in other directions, maybe they are right on his doorstep. He’s doing a good job of developing NFL players, and yet he’s recently seemed utterly incapable of developing a tough, disciplined team. Florida had to run off Cam Newton, and UGA had to run off Mettzenburger or whatever his name is. Does that make Florida and UGA wrong, and Auburn and LSU right? I think at this point you have to give Richt one more year, and if the development isn’t there and the coaching staff isn’t gelling and the recruiting is suffering and the team leadership is still getting arrested, then you make a change.
Ralph
January 11th, 2011
11:39 pm
Fire Mark Bradley not Mark Richt. The venom FT spews is loved by Mark Bradley who for a long time has disliked Richt. Bradley and Schultz are angry that UGA administration don’t take their advice. Mark Richt IS the Coach of UGA for at least three more years. Get over it, get used to it and I encourage everyone to join the Fire Mark Bradley and Jeff Schultz movement. Years of decling in writing. The handwriting is on the wall. Bradley and Schultz cannot turn the AJC around time to get someone that can.
SuperB
January 11th, 2011
11:40 pm
The ONE YEAR Mark Richt earned for his first nine years was– 2010! Why are we going to waste another year with him?
Ga Alum 79
January 11th, 2011
11:42 pm
CMR has had 2 careers at UGA, the first 5 in which he dominated with Donnan’s recruits and Van Gorder’s defense and the second 5 which have been a steady slide as he began to “administrate” the program , players, and coaching staff according to the Bobby Bowden administration structure. This system began to fail and show cracks in the wall in Tallahassee a couple of years ahead of Georgia. Just like at FSU, a new coach may bring a new intensity, fresh air, and repriortizing for the program before it sinks into Okeefenokee swamp…