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
Randall
January 11th, 2011
8:06 pm
Really people. We have just gained two big good recruits and it is possible Crowell, Drew and Rome are heading. Really losing the best recruits. If Georgia gets those three with what they have now, well it is as good as any class the Dawgs have had in a long time. Fran you were great but like Jimmy Carter you should shut up.
Richie
January 11th, 2011
8:07 pm
What did win at UGA,nothing,Why was he on the radio,the ratings for that show must be down.
Pete Van Weird
January 11th, 2011
8:08 pm
This is the absolute last gasp or attempted grasp from a former Dog, read that:not dawg, who has no relevance but is trying to trade on the distant past. In his day, three backs lined up behind the quarterback. Everybody was white, and they all thought running 10.2 in the hundred was awesome. Where did the AJC dig this relic up? Does Tech suck so bad you have to do this to create interest?
kral
January 11th, 2011
8:09 pm
I do not know who you are and you probably do not care about my opinion..but THANK you anyway..DAWGSTER..I am not a fool..I want success as much as anyone..but I am not a second guessing rip artist either..
Vick=Dog killing Thug
January 11th, 2011
8:09 pm
I agree completely with Fran. Richt has always had a HUGE agenda. His job as head coach at UGA is not his full time job. Never has been, never will be. Yes, he’s a great man and does many wonderful things but his priorities order have never been UGA first.
UGA89
January 11th, 2011
8:10 pm
i heard the interview last week and couldn’t agree more.
Most people will focus on the way Tark sounded instead of the dead-on points he was making.
Tark is abrasive and may rub people the wrong way….
But i’m sure he’s earned the right to express his opinions on the state of the union at UGA football.
And he is Dead-On!
Thomasville Dawg
January 11th, 2011
8:11 pm
Who the heck is this guy? Never heard of him. I also bet he talked about how it was in the old days…walking up hill 5 miles to school in the snow. Obviously not much of a dawg to diss our coach and suggest all of our big time recruits go elswhere during the final days of recruiting season. If you admire Alabama and Tennessee so much, go be a fan of theirs. Bradley – you honestly stink!
Dazed and Confused
January 11th, 2011
8:11 pm
Richt’s real problem is, he is just not very smart. His solution to a losing season is to hire a fitness coach and “study football.” He is earning three million dollars a year to know football. Is studying football going to reduce the arrest rate? Perhaps Richt should study criminology. If Richt wins seven games next year, he will say he is making progress. It will take a couple of years more of Richt, then two or three more years to straighten things out, provided Georgia gets a good coach, and that is only if Adams should go away.
Really?
January 11th, 2011
8:12 pm
Fran you are right in that the obvious thing is we are in trouble. Can CMR get us out? I hope so. He has one year to do it. But, while your opinion is valuable and I highly admire you, so did my dad who played High school football with you at Athens High under Weyman Sellers and Billy Henderson. BUt, you have seen the highs and lows in the business world and you have failed miserably at Business at times. Before you throw Mark Richt out the door, remember how many times in your career when you did not perform that you were not thrown out!
weatherdog
January 11th, 2011
8:13 pm
This idiotic rant by Fran has caused me to lose what little respect that I had for him. He thinks he is relevant because he is on the radio, but he has not been relevant for a long time.Just shut your mouth Fran—you are doing more harm than good plus giving all the blow hards something else to shoot their mouths off about. You people will see how stupid you really were. GO DAWGS!!!
kral
January 11th, 2011
8:13 pm
jeff the only thugs have been somewhat kicked off, or punished.. Hope you do not kick your teenage kids out when they make a mistake..now give me a list of thuggeryy and tell me how it was dealt with..and then we will discuss what you would have done in that situation
UGASlobberknocker
January 11th, 2011
8:13 pm
Tarkenton doesnt give a crap about the U of Ga. He has never been a supporter, always an a-hole; bombastic because he is irrelevant. Who has ever seen Tark at a game or heard him say one thing positive about UGA (or anything for that matter)?. He was the MNF worst color commentator ever. A first class prick who nobody ever liked as a player. What he says deserves to be written on the back side of a roll of toilet paper.
Fran dont go away mad..just go away.
Rest of the SEC
January 11th, 2011
8:15 pm
What did Fran say that isn’t wrong. As for the rest of us we fully support keeping Richt. Aint no doubt about it. Unquestionably this is a program in decline and certainly in big big trouble.
kral
January 11th, 2011
8:17 pm
yes you are truly dazed and confused…back up qb at MU.. fsu off coordinator..head coach with over 90 wins…tell dude what you have done in football
Rest of the SEC
January 11th, 2011
8:17 pm
Been fun watching AU roll to a bcs title while Georgia continously declines. Too funny. SEC teams in the bcs club, UF, BAMA, AUBURN, UT, LSU- who isn’t there? Georgia of course. HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Davey
January 11th, 2011
8:21 pm
What does F Tarkenton know about winning championships? He never won a championship in college or the pros.
F Tarkenton was an indecisive QB who couldn’t decide whether he should run or pass, so every team he played on never won a championship.
Sorry, but get advice from champions, not guys who don’t know how to win a championship.
Tons of coaches had down years, and came back bigger and bigger. F Tarkenton doesn’t have a clue about coaching, championships, or football.
kral
January 11th, 2011
8:21 pm
rotc ha ha great win..yes again bcs bcs bcs bs bs bs
UGA Dawg 97
January 11th, 2011
8:21 pm
Fran is right on. Get rid of Richt now and go get Gary Patterson. Within 3 years we’d be in the national title hunt. Instead we’ll waste another year with Richt, Grantham and Bozo. What a joke!
Lars Taint
January 11th, 2011
8:22 pm
You would think Fran would want to do what is in the best interest of the program. In this case that would be keep your thoughts to yourself. Especially if you don’t know the whole story.
Davey
January 11th, 2011
8:22 pm
Fran’s got to have delivered the dumbest, most groundless rant I’ve ever heard.
Man, I thought he wasn’t all there, something must be going on, trouble at home,s tress, etc.
Looks like he’s lookign for a scapegoat.
goldwreck
January 11th, 2011
8:23 pm
I don’t think I’d worry about Tarkenton’s comments running any recruits off.He is as old as most of their grandfathers and there is a real good chance that unless they took the time to Google him,they would have absolutely no idea who he was.They probably could care less anyway.
Most of these recruits know where they want to go but enjoy the attention to much.That lack of humility could be viewed as a character flaw by some.I think most of them realize that this is the only time in their lives anyone is going to feed their ego so they’d better enjoy it.
I’d be relaxed over it.It will work out but it may take a year to do so.
CMR
January 11th, 2011
8:26 pm
Fran- I will pray for you.
tom
January 11th, 2011
8:27 pm
Auburn fan here. Hope Coach R stays. Yeah, BABY!!
Rick
January 11th, 2011
8:27 pm
good points Dawgster…nothing wrong with backing the program but to keep the status quo, I can’t do it…its not working. Fran may not be what we all want to hear, but he is right if only on this accord (yes, I find him a bitter human), something IS wrong and the STATEMENT by Richt is fundamentally WRONG. I have believed in Richt and gave him the respect he deserved…not now, he is a desperate man clinging to his job that has gotten over his HEAD. I’m sorry…I was once a fan but a break -up has to happen
kral
January 11th, 2011
8:27 pm
It is so eaasy anin’t 97 fire MR get Pattreson dam…are you ad or what
Fran also knows this ...
January 11th, 2011
8:27 pm
For the last time on this ugly subject ……………UGA ( Adams and McGarity ) know the issues concerning Mark Richt but ……………but the contractual arragements in force at this time 2010-2011 are simply too expensive to fire them all and then go out and HIRE a new regime for millions more. That would cost UGA Ath Board or what have you around $12,000,000.00- $14,000,000.00
This is very easy to fathom ………right now UGA is $$$ stuck. Short of Richt winning around 9+ games with a signature win vs Florida and Arkansas and MSU and SC ………….GT is always a given …………..Richt will be fired. I think he would survive an ugly Boise outting in The Ga. Dome, if UGA does not stumble again vs Ark and SC and MSU and UT. McGarity right now wants to see upward mobility in the SEC FIRST.
Here this …………….lose to Boise and then go 1-5 ………….. he will be fired mid year. HE has allowed the program to drift and if this last sceanrio takes shape ( 1-5 ) he will deserve no further kindness or loyalty.
THIS is a business not a church.
Go Dogs
UGA man, class of 71 & 73
dawg85
January 11th, 2011
8:30 pm
I bet you do Tom since Richt is 6-4 against Auburn.
super kluge
January 11th, 2011
8:30 pm
Fran ran a software company into the ground a few years back and popped off on Mike V not being a good qb……..I think he likes to talk a lot……..but he doesn’t really know what he’s talking about
SouthGADawg
January 11th, 2011
8:31 pm
What does that say about GT? UGA can beat them on their worst day?Why cant you find something good to report about.Your column is miles behind Chips. CMR will either put out this year or be put out,plain and simple. UGA had some good recruits sign lately and we are hoping to get a few more. Why dont you try reporting on that.
just a fan
January 11th, 2011
8:32 pm
Actually Davey,
Fran won an SEC championship and an Orange Bowl in 1959
kral
January 11th, 2011
8:32 pm
Rick can agree if next year is like this year I think it is time to part ways, but you suppose to much…desperate..so you ate dinner with tonite..last nite…call him on his cell..texted him..reached out to help a friend
Sergeant Joe Friday, LAPD
January 11th, 2011
8:33 pm
Davey: Fran was a quarterback in the NFL…..championship or not, I think he knows a little more about football than you do.
Bulldog Colonel
January 11th, 2011
8:33 pm
Fran is falling victim to the Jimmy Carter syndrome. The older they get, the smarter they think they become.
Fran, for God’s sake…keep your mouth shut and let us remember you for the great athelete and leader you were.
I'm Not Blind Nor Named Homer
January 11th, 2011
8:34 pm
Maybe this will wake up all you “Blind Homers” out there. I’ve been saying this for 2 years now. Mark is a good Christian guy, but that’s just the problem, he’s a follower not a leader. He says that he wants to retire a UGA man, he may not have a choice, after the coming 2011 season, he may not be able to get a job in coaching. He may however make a good preacher. I bet I could take a nap in one of his pregame meetings, unispired young men leads to uninspired football. Start coaching and stop preaching. That’s how you fix this thing.
just a fan
January 11th, 2011
8:34 pm
We don’t play Arkansas next year they are replaced with Ole Miss
Monkey says
January 11th, 2011
8:34 pm
Just to clarify something, practically, and I will say Practically, not all but most contracts when being bought out are negotiable and the numbers on the contract are the ceiling price of the contract.
So if UGA really wanted to buy out the contract he would negoitiate with them to walk away with a clause as most coaches do in stating that if he accepts another job the original school will pay the difference up to levels 1, 2 or 3 on the contract. I know that sounds confusing but that is what happened with Zook, Donnan, Shula, Fulmer, and many many other.
UGA could buy it out but the gutless leadership are just that gutless.
UGA 92
January 11th, 2011
8:35 pm
Richt may be in trouble right now, but he has done more for UGA football than Fran could do in 10 lifetimes.
kral
January 11th, 2011
8:36 pm
No.. wasn’t going to go there could not help my self..rickie your making so many suppositions if your wrong your eyes will turn brown if they are not already
The Real Dawg
January 11th, 2011
8:37 pm
The fixation on Richt’s comments have been blown out of proportion. NOTHING he could have said would make the whiners happy. Fran’s focus on the press conference is stupid as is Bradley’s article. Coach long enough and you will have a down stretch. Bear did. Paterno did, Dooley did. Saban’s had plenty of seasons where he won less than ten games. We’ll see how good a coach Chizik is next year. The vitriol spewed out over this is pathetic. The Dawgs were in every game this year. Didn’t like the results but that’s a fact. That points to how close they really are. There is a razor’s edge between winning and losing. They’ll win at least ten next year.
Shawn
January 11th, 2011
8:37 pm
Like it or not Coach Richt is here another year. If we keep piling on instead of backing our program, no matter who the coach is, it will effect the program in a negative way. How many recruits will want to go to UGA if they read all this garbage. Get behind Your team no matter what. If Richt does not turn it around the right choices will be made. Have a little faith and stop feeding the negative publicity this garbage reporter is writing!
kral
January 11th, 2011
8:41 pm
no your are not blind unless you have a special computer but you have been the savior for UGA for two years man where have you been..your skills have been ignored you need to be elevated..I am thinking HC maybe…got any experience…we might be looking for a coach next year..you sound like the man INBNNH
the ghost of ben zambiasi
January 11th, 2011
8:41 pm
the same kind of crap was being unloaded on Bear Bryant after three mediocre seasons. He’s too old. He’s out of touch. The game has left him behind. In this day and age Bear would have never made it into the 70’s, which if I remember correctly turned out pretty good for Alabama.
just a fan
January 11th, 2011
8:42 pm
I am not recommending UGA fire Richt but to say it will cost the school to much $$$ is ridiculous take for example Urban, Les, Chizik, Saban, all in the SEC all won National titles within 3 years of taking the job just imagine the donations that would come poring in just like the did after we beat Hawaii in the Sugar bowl leading up to our preseason #1 ranking. I don’t know the real reason they won’t let him go maybe he has earned another year in their eyes but he either does it or he doesn’t and then we go out and hire our new coach Gus Malzahn or Kirby Smart because MONEY is not an issue at UGA
Ignore Him
January 11th, 2011
8:43 pm
I’ve heard Frank on ‘theFan’ several times in the morning. Just a bunch of rambling thoughts that always come back to how tough it was to play ‘back when he played’.
Ignore him and he will go away. Hopefully sooner than later.
fran is a ja***ss
January 11th, 2011
8:44 pm
Fran ought to go back to huckstering the ab burner or whatever piece of bogus fitness equipment he used to do ads for.
learner
January 11th, 2011
8:44 pm
People forget that only 3 seasons ago, UT had about 5 utter miracles happen for them in late season games, or else it would have been UGA vs. a beaten-up LSU team, most likely followed by UGA in the title game. Or that Auburn had a number of amazing things happen this year (such as Alabama missing several chances to bury them early). Or that Texas’ superstar quarterback was injured in the previous title game with Alabama. So many things can happen to prevent or allow a title.
I believe you will see a much higher level of focus, discipline, and drive next year, and the results will be far better. In fact, as early as three weeks from now, if most of the big-time recruits being discussed elsewhere pick UGA, then suddenly there will be positive momentum, and all eyes will turn with optimism to the spring.
@Dawgster, were you involved with the 1980 team?
Rick
January 11th, 2011
8:45 pm
Lets just all close our eyes and pray that everything works out with Coach Richt.
Yeah….
AP
January 11th, 2011
8:47 pm
I will always put UGA first. Unfortunately I’m very frustrated with the current payroll in Athens and their performance over the last 3 years; coaching, and administration. I love our boys though, and only wish for them ultimate success in all their endeavors. Auburn just proved with the correct mix of coaching, administration, and fan euphoria miracles can happen. Auburn hasn’t out recruited anyone in the SEC lately but just won a NAT”L CHAMPIONSHIP with 3 and 4 star talent and a whole lot of luck. Who in their right mind would have ever thought the Auburn team of 3, 2 or even 1 year ago was capable of this. Fran is frustrated! I’m frustrated! But, right now, it is all about recruiting and finishing off this class like we’ve never finished a class off before, and then dedicating ourselves 110% to the task at hand. If CMR turns this around, great! If he doesn’t then I’m confident UGA will hire formidable men to coach our boys and make them champions! For UGA, please get behind Richt and this coaching staff and lets support them in their efforts to turn this thing around. To all the recruits, UGA isn’t unlike any other institution seeking the highest levels of success in its academics and athletic pursuits. Recently, AL, Auburn, UF, FSU, USC, UT have all fallen on tough times. All are great institutions seeking excellence in all aspects of their programs and several are enjoying great success. The University of Georgia wants you to join our family and experience something great in our return to football glory. We won’t be down long with or without CMR…… count on it! You can make a huge difference! GO DAWGS
Thomas Long
January 11th, 2011
8:48 pm
I actually teach at the Candler School of Theology. I’m available if UGA needs me!
learner
January 11th, 2011
8:48 pm
When I listened to Fran T’s rant, the thing that struck me was he almost exactly was parroting the discussions on the current AJC blogs, and he seemingly added nothing in the way of a former player’s expertise. Any one of us who never played could have put that exact same rant together.