UGA’s turnaround year began with a nudge from AD McGarity
Greg McGarity: Sounding the right tone at the right time. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
A different athletic director might have done too much, or too little. Greg McGarity got it right. He met with Mark Richt at the beginning of the first workweek of 2011 and, rather than make demands, McGarity asked a question.
“It was not adversarial or confrontational,” said McGarity of the meeting. “It was heart-to-heart. I asked him, ‘What do you need to get the job done?’ ”
When McGarity gets around to writing his book on management, that deft twist surely will be Chapter 1 — how to make a salient point without pounding the table. By asking Richt what he required, McGarity assured his coach that he and his input were indeed valued, but sent the message that more was expected.
Sure enough, more has arrived. Richt has presided over 10 consecutive victories and an SEC East championship, and this Saturday his Bulldogs will play for their first SEC title since 2005. Credit the coaches and the players, and credit the AD as well. McGarity supported Richt publicly at a time when administrative waffling could have undermined the program, but in-house he delivered a push so gentle as to seem the merest nudge.
A Bulldog born and bred, McGarity apprenticed in Georgia’s athletic department under Dan Magill and Vince Dooley, but it was in his time away that he grasped the ways and means of a cutting-edge athletic department. “It really hit home at Florida,” said McGarity, who worked as Jeremy Foley’s Gator aide-de-camp for nearly two decades. “Jeremy’s attitude toward all his teams is that being mediocre is unacceptable.”
When McGarity was appointed Georgia’s AD in August 2010, some wondered how this famously nice guy would handle Richt, who’s himself a nice guy but whose record had begun to slip. On cue, Georgia went 6-7 in McGarity’s first season back in Athens, the final indignity being delivered on New Year’s Eve in a dreary Liberty Bowl loss to Central Florida.
Said McGarity: “That was not a very good day. That was not a very good night. I don’t think anybody around the program slept very well. But we used it as a positive. We said we weren’t ever going to go back to that. That wasn’t Georgia football.”
The Liberty Bowl was on a Saturday. By the time McGarity and Richt met, rumors were flying that the AD had seen enough and was prepared to fire his coach. Said McGarity: “That was not even on the radar. It would not have been fair. I’d just started the Monday of the first game of the season. It wouldn’t have been fair to him or the institution or the players.”
Over those four months on the job, McGarity said, he chose “to sit back and look and listen and learn. There would be a right time for a discussion with Mark, but it’s hard to do that during the season because you’re always focusing on the next game.”
When Georgia’s first losing season under Richt was done, McGarity shared his thoughts but let Richt talk, too. “Being accessible is so important, and it goes both ways,” McGarity said. “Me to him and him to me.”
McGarity’s key observation: Richt needed to free himself of all administrative work that could be delegated. “Mark has talked about ’studying the game,’ ” McGarity said. “I call it ‘coaching ball.’ I wanted him to get back to what made him successful, to being a creative offensive mind. And you see him back in the meeting rooms [where game plans are concocted].”
As part of his “studies,” Richt visited Falcons coach Mike Smith in Flowery Branch, and Smith suggested a book — “The Energy Bus,” by Jon Gordon. “On the bus” became Richt’s rallying cry for 2011, and two of those soon ushered off were Washaun Ealey and Caleb King, Georgia’s leading holdover rushers. Perhaps not coincidentally, a summer passed without a player arrest.
For all that, the season began with Georgia losing to Boise State and South Carolina. Here again McGarity served his coach well, offering support and counseling patience. But did he really foresee such a complete reversal after 0-2?
“I thought it was probably 50-50. It wasn’t to the point that people were jumping off the ship. Inside the building it was, ‘We can only control this week.’ ”
The AD’s verdict on this season: “What has happened since the first two games has been very satisfying. It’s what we all hoped would happen.”
Does “very satisfying” mean Greg McGarity is satisfied? Not quite. “I hope to have a Dream Team every year,” he said. “That’s what the best teams do. We’ve got to back that up with another great recruiting year.”
Another nudge, deftly delivered.
By Mark Bradley
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581 comments Add your comment
Beast from the East Eaten by Dawg
November 30th, 2011
6:51 pm
I’m happy for Richt. He’s a class guy and I truly hope he is successful at UGA. That said, the schedule played a large part in UGA winning the East this year. If they had to play any of the top 3 teams from the West, then they more than likely would be watching South Carolina get steamrolled for the second straight year in Atlanta. not anyone’s fault…..just the way it worked out this season.
Best of luck against the Bayou Bengals….you’ll need it.
AirDawg
November 30th, 2011
6:51 pm
Tell ‘em Jack. Green just isn’t some folks’ color is it?
Just Gonna Say It!
November 30th, 2011
6:53 pm
Not on my end.. will be laughing about 6:45 p.m. saturday night after Georgia fans are on here making excuses for the loss and congratulating each other on a “great year”. LOL…see you then if you are man enough to take the heat.
AirDawg
November 30th, 2011
6:58 pm
Hey Angry Just Gonna Say It!,
How could the truth be anything but true?
You trying to invent some kind of new circular logic?
PT
November 30th, 2011
7:00 pm
Reasons for hope – Murry is the best QB LSU will face, Georgia has the second best defense they will see, and Georgia has the most talented group of receivers LSU will play. It may be a better game than advertised.
BDawg
November 30th, 2011
7:04 pm
I thought Auburn and GTech were ranked to 25 when we beat them?
Anyways, our schedule has helped but we won the games that we should have won. We now see what playing in the two Big 10…12s???, Pac 12, ACC, etc. is like. PLAYOFF!!! TOP 6, #1 and #2 get a bye first week.
LSU'S COLORS ARE FOR GIRLS
November 30th, 2011
7:13 pm
Poor Les has trouble beating the Dawgs!!! LMAO
Preston
November 30th, 2011
7:18 pm
Just gonna say something back! UGA has been in similar situations too. Remember 07′ @#$hole! No way Tennessee was better than us at the end of that season but they won head to head and those are the rules. Who do you suggest is better than us in the SEC right now besides MAYBE bammer and lsu? Arkansas has ZERO defense and would lose to us as easily as they did to lsu last weekend. SC would NOT like a rematch with us right now either. I really wish UGA’s schedule had been a little tougher this year so you idiots could shut up and realize that UGA doesn’t make it’s conference schedule. The SEC does! Just like it did Florida’s when they had a cake SEC schedule and eventually won a title.
dawg4u
November 30th, 2011
7:20 pm
The fact that LSU beat Oregon, WV, Arkansas and Bama is really going to make it painful to lose to a team wearing red panties now ain’t it? This is an even better build up than Joe Namath had against the powerful Baltimore Colts in SB3. Namath knew that nobody figured his team would win and “guarenteed” a win against the mighty Colts. LSU will assume the role of the Colts and UGA will be the Jets team that knocked them off that pedestal. Anyway, have a nice NC game against either Bama or OK State after we send you packing!
Elliot Garcia
November 30th, 2011
7:20 pm
Nobody blames Georgia for the soft schedule. It is just a fact that they beat a bunch of patsies….
Preston
November 30th, 2011
7:21 pm
And as far as the barking, every team has some sort of war chant whether it be “roll tide”, “war damn eagle”, “rocky top”, or whatever so STFU dummy and stop showing how much you respect THE UGA by coming on here with your ignorant drivel.
Sam
November 30th, 2011
7:22 pm
Amazing video of a high school senior from Columbia TN who kicks the ball dead straight 75-80 yards in the air. He was successful on 54 of 54 attempts this season….100%. Now he needs a college team. Wants to go to Georgia Tech!!!
Watch for yourself…it is unreal!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_JKwgwFY3g
Preston
November 30th, 2011
7:22 pm
Yeah Eliot just like other SEC teams have in the past on their way to the SECCG and sometimes the MNCG.
dawg4u
November 30th, 2011
7:23 pm
Should read “guaranteed” not “guarenteed.” My mistake or “bad.”
LSU'S COLORS ARE FOR GIRLS
November 30th, 2011
7:25 pm
I’ll be there all liquored up. Let’s rock baby.!!!!
PT
November 30th, 2011
7:25 pm
Georgia played the same teams Bama played. Look at the schedule. Next in line LSU.
Idiot Dawg
November 30th, 2011
7:27 pm
I just received my certified GT calculator from Big River this pm. Entered all the pertinent data and got the following:
UGA 27, LSU 0. Not sure if I can believe this thing or not.
LSU'S COLORS ARE FOR GIRLS
November 30th, 2011
7:29 pm
If it’s a GT calculator, it only works 1 out of 11 times.
Preston
November 30th, 2011
7:30 pm
Yeah everyone….it was all part of UGA’s plan to have the defending national champs have a down year, and for Florida to be in a possible rebuilding phase (jury is still out), and for the SEC to not have us play AR, Bammer, or LSU in the regular season. It was 100% premeditated. You clowns need to get your heads removed from your rectums and get reality checks! This isn’t Kentucky, Vandy, or Ole’ Miss. We’ve been there before. Multiple times over the years so shove it losers!
Idiot Dawg
November 30th, 2011
7:30 pm
Elliott you need a calculator?
AirDawg
November 30th, 2011
7:31 pm
Also look at how many underclassmen, many of which are freshmen, we played this year plus we redshirted Rome and Drew. Got a a great foundation for the future.
Starting Saturday.
LSU'S COLORS ARE FOR GIRLS
November 30th, 2011
7:32 pm
Preston,
If the fools knew SEC football, it’s called a rotating sec schedule for the western teams we play. they cant help they post without thinking.
Idiot Dawg
November 30th, 2011
7:33 pm
Preston, I hope very soon we are able to cram it down their throats too. Right now I would rather suck a crawdad head than let them get to me. Hang in there bro.
Bill King
November 30th, 2011
7:33 pm
JUST WIN BABY !!!!!!!!!!
1eyedJack
November 30th, 2011
7:33 pm
“If it’s a GT calculator, it only works 1 out of 11 times.”
MOST excellent!!
Preston
November 30th, 2011
7:37 pm
LSU’ colors, they aren’t armed for thoughts.
AirDawg
November 30th, 2011
7:38 pm
That calculator also works only 12 out of 48 times and, in two of those 12, the results have been deleted.
Bad Dawg
November 30th, 2011
7:39 pm
PierceCounty
How do you figure UGA will score 31 points on LSU? I just do not see it. (Me personally the most points I can see is UGA scoring in between 17-21 and LSU in the 28-31 range). For that matter how do any of you self proclaimed fortune tellers have the smug and arrogance to predict what will happen in the future?
1eyedJack
November 30th, 2011
7:41 pm
Is there a Calculus study group going on now? Listen! No crickets chirping.
nudge the nub
November 30th, 2011
7:45 pm
Now its time to nudge Bobo the Clown out of town!!!!!
Denial Dawg
November 30th, 2011
7:45 pm
@PT
Murray has thrown a lot of TD’s, but he’s also taken a helluva lot of sacks and thrown far too many interceptions. We won’t even discuss the fumbles. Charles is the only receiver of note. The defense has padded their stats against patsies. We don’t have a healthy running back.
I’m glad you have hope, but I’m afraid you’re gonna wake up Sunday morning with a huge hope hangover. Just be thankful that we made it to the big game. I don’t really see how Georgia wins it. Simply not looking as bad as SC last year would be an accomplishment.
Dawg
November 30th, 2011
7:47 pm
McGarity just needs to pony up and pay CMR and CTG.
pragmatic
November 30th, 2011
7:47 pm
the thing that turned this around was a soft schedule UGA is still middle of the pack in SEC. Only 2 wins came against teams over 500
Brainiac(Dawg for life)(CMR fan for life)
November 30th, 2011
7:47 pm
@SSIgator: Florida Gators + SSIgator + W. Muschamp + HEAVY Weiss = Trainwreck.
G. McGarity + CMR + CTG + CMB + Dream Team = Happy Dawg Nation
"Off the Mark" Bradley
November 30th, 2011
7:50 pm
Was wandering why all the Fla, USC, idiots are on the uga blawg. Then it hit me: because you are all siting at home on your sorry ass with no football going on at your pathetic programs. Enjoy Saturday girls!
1eyedJack
November 30th, 2011
7:52 pm
Denial Dawg, you obviously haven’t watched any of the games. Ain’t you got cable there in Egypt?
Fat Charlie Weiss
November 30th, 2011
7:54 pm
FL was better before I got there. Good luck Bulldogs!
Idiot Dawg
November 30th, 2011
7:57 pm
@Denial, that little Mitchell kid ain’t bad and he blocks OK, too. Running game is the Achilles heel of our team.
Dawghater
November 30th, 2011
7:57 pm
Funny, it’s now a big love feast! Fire CMR is all you saw on this blog earlier. Wonder what we will see after the beat down on Saturday!
Brainiac(Dawg for life)(CMR fan for life)
November 30th, 2011
8:03 pm
@Pragmatic:
Soft Schedule + Dream Team = SEC East Championship and BBBIIGGGGGG Bowl Game Invitation and Chance to defeat NO. 1 Team.
Pragmatic + SSIgator + W Muschamp + HEAVY Weiss – (that is a minus sign Prag) Tebow = Train Wreck and Invitation to Local Insignificant Bowl Game. = recruits jumping ship and headed to Athens,
Just Gonna Say It!
November 30th, 2011
8:07 pm
The voters and the polls say UGA is BEHIND
LSU
ALABAMA
ARKANSAS
SOUTH CAROLINA
and after the big loss to LSU you will see UGA drop even more than the one spot they dropped last week.
The pollsters, computers all have UGA as very weak.
As for the truthful comment about many( I will not say as all and group them all together as every fan base has their share of moronic fans) it is very true, the common comments from every opponent fans about UGA is the fans just bark and ruff while being intoxicated and believing they are some kind of gift to the SEC while winning their last national title 30 years ago.
UGA has a nice team, but could not beat Arkansas who really had zero defense last year at home in Athens, but this year have a better defense and as the voters, computers and experts all believe would beat a UGA team. Those are the facts, just live it.
AirDawg
November 30th, 2011
8:08 pm
Dawghater,
Most of the ‘fire Richt’ crowd were impostors, usually Tech fans who wish he had been on the hot seat. A Tech associate of mine has been whining that tune for two years.
He only wishes, too.
Just Gonna Say It!
November 30th, 2011
8:13 pm
PT
November 30th, 2011
7:25 pm
Georgia played the same teams Bama played. Look at the schedule. Next in line LSU.
Did not see LSU or Arkansas on that UGA regular season schedule. Both of those teams are ranked in the top 10. Was Penn St on the road in front of 100 PLUS Thousand Nittany Lion fans prior to the big Sandusky slam.
LSU had Alabama, Arkansas, Oregon, West Virginia, Did not see those on UGA’s schedule.
Nice Try but no win.
AirDawg
November 30th, 2011
8:16 pm
Oh Just Gonna Say It,
Where’s your team playing Saturday?
Bad Dawg
November 30th, 2011
8:16 pm
How many people really believe UGA will win this Saturday and think first before you answer the question? Would a moral victory be good enough? If the team loses who does the blame go to or should the fans just say “we got taken to the woodshed”?
Brainiac(Dawg for life)(CMR fan for life)
November 30th, 2011
8:18 pm
Hey PRAG: How many teams over .500 did the ONCE MIGHTY gators beat? How many teams did yawl beat period? Dream Team won 10 consecutive. Know whut im sayin.
Denial Dawg
November 30th, 2011
8:18 pm
@1eyedJack
Yeah… I watched the games – even the one’s only on the web. Some folks on this blog don’t seem to remember certain parts of those games. I’m happy to get a 10 game winning streak no matter what. It’s the first one that I’ve ever seen at UGA, but I don’t consider it such a big “turnaround” so much as a mere statistical anomaly. We played 10 games in a row that we should have won. Now, I’ll admit that we didn’t even do that much last year. Still, how often do you wind up with 10 games in a row that you are expected to win easily? Even Florida was a cakewalk this year. Who knew?
We’ve still had disciplinary problems (though not as many) and that is, in my opinion, the most acute problem that needed to be addressed by Richt and McGarity. I don’t understand fans pretending that Georgia is an even match for this LSU team. I hope we win, but if we do it will be a HUGE upset.
We have some very good players. LSU has a great team.
Go Dawgs Anyway!
Brainiac(Dawg for life)(CMR fan for life)
November 30th, 2011
8:21 pm
@Airdawg. Man you just hit a homerun with “Where’s your team playing Saturday?” Wish I had thought of that.
Just Gonna Say It!
November 30th, 2011
8:22 pm
In the Dome against your Dawgs…
AirDawg
November 30th, 2011
8:23 pm
I ALWAYS believe the Dawgs will win. Only a loser goes in expecting to lose. No, a moral victory isn’t good enough.
And, if you played sports at any time in your life, you realize you win some and you lose some. Sometimes the other guy is better. But we don’t know who is better yet.
The game is Saturday. We’ll know then.