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
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
581 comments Add your comment
Red Stick
November 30th, 2011
8:23 pm
PT
November 30th, 2011
7:00 pm
“Georgia has the most talented group of receivers LSU will play.”
You must have forgotten about Arkansas’ receivers who are clearly the best in the SEC and perhaps the nation.
How did they do against the Tigers last week?
Geaux Tigers
Go SEC
Red Stick
November 30th, 2011
8:24 pm
The 5 finalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award was announced today;
Luck
Richardson
RG3
Keenun
and the Honey Badger
Geaux Tigers
Go SEC
AirDawg
November 30th, 2011
8:26 pm
Naw JGSI,
You made too many references much earlier that alluded to a team other than LSU (though you are too afraid to say who).
That’s not even a nice try. That’s actually poor effort.
And thanks Brainiac. Dude’s angry.
Red Stick
November 30th, 2011
8:27 pm
I’ve heard that Ole Miss is trying hard to hire Kirby Smart.
Geaux Tigers
Go SEC
Bengal Tiger
November 30th, 2011
8:27 pm
All UGA and their weak fan base can hope for is “moral victory”. Keep it within the point spread and go slap each other on the back and toast your trip to the Cotton Bowl as a better bowl than Memphis 2010.
45ACP
November 30th, 2011
8:28 pm
Hey haters, who you playing this Saturday? Yeah that’s what I thought. How about a hot bowl of STFU!
AirDawg
November 30th, 2011
8:29 pm
I’d take the Cotton as a consolation prize. Fond memories of ‘84 down there. Cold but fun. Plus, I still believe the Cotton should be a part of the BCS. Great old bowl with tons of tradition.
Bengal Tiger
November 30th, 2011
8:30 pm
I had to refer to other teams as you and your so called fans wanted disparage our opponents as if we did not play anyone. I respect Arkansas and Alabama, even Miss St. They played tough opponents all year while you guys coasted through the easiest schedule in the conference and finished off a middle of the road ACC team.
Hater
November 30th, 2011
8:31 pm
I’m playin’ yo Momma next Saturday big boy. Gimme some fries with that!
AirDawg
November 30th, 2011
8:33 pm
Agreed on our schedule, but we don’t make it. It rotates and you get what you get.
And I’ve NEVER heard anyone disparage your schedule. That would be nuts!
45ACP
November 30th, 2011
8:33 pm
Watch thec game and be happy. You ain’t got nothin else to do.
Bad Dawg
November 30th, 2011
8:34 pm
The players feel really disrespected by the media and the pollsters. They go in with a chip on their shoulder and play their best game of the year imo. So I think the players are ready for the game BUT do you guys have faith in our coaching staff to out coach Les Miles and his staff because as you saw in the Alabama game even if your players play up to the level of LSU (which is very hard to do) the coaches must come up with a gameplan to “out smart” the other coaches.
Hater
November 30th, 2011
8:34 pm
That’s what she said.
Cuz
November 30th, 2011
8:34 pm
McGarity is the best AD since Joel Eaves.
Just Gonna Say It
November 30th, 2011
8:36 pm
Air Dawg and Brianic wanting to call me out,grow a pair and get a win this weekend, I will be here on Satruday nite after the game, it may be late, but I leave in the a.m. to arrive in Atlanta for SEC Championships Weekend. See you there if you can afford a ticket.
AirDawg
November 30th, 2011
8:36 pm
Hater’s a Tech boy. He thinks this is a basketball blog. Who’s playing NEXT Saturday?
Brainiac(Dawg for life)(CMR fan for life)
November 30th, 2011
8:37 pm
@Bad Dawg: Every team LSU played got taken to the woodshed including “We ain’t got no Field Goal Kicker” Alabama. We are just PLEASED AS PIE to be playing for the Championship in the best conference in NCAA Football and nothing you or any other LOSER spouting negatives is gonna rain on our parade but if it makes your day to try, have at it. We are in a Win Win situation. No semi-rational person is gonna expect us to win and if by some mini-miracle we do then that’s just gonna be more fun than Dawg Nation can handle. IF, if, if, if, if Murray brings his A-Game and we move the ball on the ground a little something good could happen but rest assured WE WILL BE THERE and play the game. Keep them TV’s tuned in now. Ya hear?
SEC_Fan
November 30th, 2011
8:38 pm
@Bad Dawg
Georgia should have an emotional advantage in this game. It don’t see any other advantages for the Dawgs. LSU is favored for a reason. Ball bounces funny sometimes though…
1eyedJack
November 30th, 2011
8:38 pm
Seems to be a lot of Techies who have dual enrollment.
DILLIGAF
November 30th, 2011
8:39 pm
Here you go little Sweatbee trollers….
Win or lose against LSU, we will always OWN you! Don’t you ever forget it…
http://youtu.be/yerKM6YWu0k
UGA/85′
GATA!
AirDawg
November 30th, 2011
8:40 pm
Dual enrollments and BIG imaginations.
Reader
November 30th, 2011
8:40 pm
Mark, you can’t be serious? Look at this schedule for UGA football. Boise St. thrashes the Dawgs in their own backyard, S.C. wins, but goes on to have a horrible season. Coastal Carolina..no explantation needed. Mississippi St. you’re suppose to win there.. UT is the worst team in the SEC, Vanderbilt? Had to fight to win against them. Suppose to be a win-win every season. Florida is having a down season, suppose to win there. New Mexico St?? Auburn will be like that for the next few seasons. So will Florida. Kentucky, had to fight to win that one, suppose to win every season and Ga. Tech was just too small. So my point is here, Georgia did what they were suppose to do this season. They were not gonna beat Boise St, S.C. was ready, UGA didn’t want it more. You can’t say the A.D. is reason for the football team turning it around. He doesn’t do anything but sit in an office and pretty much make threats. This argument you’re making here isn’t valid. Weather McGarity was here or Evans or anybody else, this football season would have still went this way.
bamaguy
November 30th, 2011
8:40 pm
We don’t really need to argue about this. Because on Saturday we will see if Georgia is on par with LSU and Alabama. Will be fun to watch.
45ACP
November 30th, 2011
8:40 pm
I concur Cuz.
SEC_Fan
November 30th, 2011
8:41 pm
Do the Georgia Tech fans pester you guys on this blog?
1eyedJack
November 30th, 2011
8:41 pm
Just Gonna Say It, you gonna be selling programs or hot dogs?
sldkfjslk
November 30th, 2011
8:43 pm
I do think it is unfair to classify King as an energy vampire. His career certainly didn’t turn out to be what we hoped for but I don’t blame King and his attitude was not the reason he was dismissed. He was academically ineligible and we all know that he struggled in that area since before he enrolled at UGA. I would actually credit the University for not allowing him to continue. We get a lot of flack for the Jan Kemp affair which began nearly 30 years ago but the bottom line is we started doing things the right way in the classroom. Things that Auburn with its rouge sociology program and Tennessee with it’s Bensyl-Meyers situation have still been dealing with in this past decade. King gets a lot of flack for his problems but as I recall his only indiscretions were driving a scooter the wrong way down a short one way road on campus and going 70 mph on hwy 78 through Monroe. It’s not like he pulled out an AK-47 and fired rounds into the air. Ealey certainly had attitude problems going back to high school and was summarily dismissed but King’s dismissal was purely academic. I wish him the best in the future and would like to thank him for helping to beat Tech and salvage the ‘09 season which is more than most of us around here have ever done for the R&B.
Go Dawgs – Shock the World Saturday!
AirDawg
November 30th, 2011
8:43 pm
I think Just Gonna Say It is a 12-15 yr old kid playing on his computer before bedtime.
He’d be fun if he wasn’t so angry.
Hush
November 30th, 2011
8:45 pm
@Reader
We all know about the schedule, but it’s not polite to discuss it in public. Just pretend it isn’t there, and it’ll go away. We’re gonna CRUSH LSU dude! Haven’t you heard?
Ain’t it cool?
AirDawg
November 30th, 2011
8:45 pm
SEC_Fan,
The Tech fans try, well somewhat.
Kinda like their team.
Hard to take ‘em serious. Not much personality, those boys.
45ACP
November 30th, 2011
8:46 pm
LSU has the 97th ranked passing offense of 120 teams.
Brainiac(Dawg for life)(CMR fan for life)
November 30th, 2011
8:46 pm
@Bad dawg: Last time I checked Les Miles had a problem keeping up with what down it is, how much time he got left,when do he call a time out and how many timeouts he got left.. It has cost LSU some games in the past. Maybe they done hired them some knowledgeable folks to keep up with that vital information.
SEC_Fan
November 30th, 2011
8:48 pm
@45ACP
Could be because they run the triple option so much.
SEC_Fan
November 30th, 2011
8:49 pm
Why throw it, when you don’t have to? Three things can happen when you throw the ball – and two of them ain’t good things.
Bad Dawg
November 30th, 2011
8:49 pm
To say UGA’s fan base is weak is ignorant Bengal. Are UGA fans crazy? Yes. Are UGA fans delusional? Some are (not me) Do UGA fans get excited every time our team has a chance to go to a BCS bowl? You bet (30 years and counting does that to a lot of the older fans, fortunately I am still young and in college). Do UGA fans love those Georgia Bulldogs? Yes sir and no matter how good or bad UGA does any season that won’t change. I think most other fans hate UGA fans because they are overly optimistic which is understanding because last National Championship coming so long ago. Its not easy to be a dawg fan but somebody has got to do it. Good luck in the dome.
guy
November 30th, 2011
8:50 pm
I am an avid UGA fan but we all need to realize who we are playing Saturday. LSU is not unbeatable but look what they did to Arkansas after falling behind by 14 points.Still,miracles are possible.????
AirDawg
November 30th, 2011
8:51 pm
LSU really focuses on the run game. FOUR tailbacks who can pound it would be hard to pass up if you’re Miles. But they’re not one-dimensional. They have been very opportunistic with the pass. A lot of clutch throws, which can be back breakers.
1eyedJack
November 30th, 2011
8:52 pm
Stop the run. Check.
Run the ball. ????
Play sound special teams. Hopefully that’s straightened out. More starters need to step up and step in.
Don’t turn the ball over. ??
Murray vs. Jefferson. Georgia.
Play 60 hard, side-splitting, bloody, minutes.
Give 100 %
Celebrate!!
45ACP
November 30th, 2011
8:52 pm
Maybe so. Georgia Tech is ranked 108.
AirDawg
November 30th, 2011
8:53 pm
SEC_Fan reminds me of a guy named Dooley who used to coach around these parts. He said the same thing.
And that’s a compliment.
45ACP
November 30th, 2011
8:57 pm
UGA is ranked 6th at stopping the running game.
Hall Dawg
November 30th, 2011
8:57 pm
Hey, SSlgator… Where will Florida be playing on Saturday??? Oh yeah… I forgot… NOWHERE.
Brainiac(Dawg for life)(CMR fan for life)
November 30th, 2011
8:58 pm
@Reader @ 8:40 pm: McGarity actually makes the schedules so you can expect many more “Soft” seasons like this one. oh, and the won/loss record is the ONLY THING THAT COUNTS. McGarity will probably fill in a couple of high school teams for next year(Probably the equivalent of your team) Oops.Sorry! do you know what equivalent means?
SEC_Fan
November 30th, 2011
8:59 pm
“Stop the run. Check.”
Heh heh heh… That’s as far as I got.
Bad Dawg
November 30th, 2011
8:59 pm
I am no UGA football pessimist. I just try to be realistic and objective about where the team is but after 12 games it is still up in the air. I do think this game is closer than the Arkansas game though, only real worry is the usual suspects for UGA (Crowell’s injuries, Bean Anderson below average pass blocking, Bobo’s lack of creativity at times, and poor special teams play) If these problems can be managed the game should be competitive and some way UGA must win the turnover battle.
AirDawg
November 30th, 2011
8:59 pm
Yeah 45 and we get our biggest test yet Saturday.
Gotta bow up like the man said.
1eyedJack
November 30th, 2011
9:02 pm
“Stop the run. Check.”
Heh heh heh… That’s as far as I got.
Can’t read, huh? Hooked on Phonics. Try it.
Bad Dawg
November 30th, 2011
9:02 pm
Seems like Richt is cool with the guys drumming up some confidence via “trash talk” this week. There were the comments from Jones and others, then at practice Richt is telling people to watch for the Honey Badger – which the players turned into the Honey Bun. I think the Bulldogs might feel a bit disrespected after stringing off all those wins and coming into this game without anyone giving them a shot, so they are making sure that game week leading up to kickoff is about building confidence.
45ACP
November 30th, 2011
9:05 pm
UGA defense is ranked 11th against passing and 6th against the running game.
LSU offense is ranked 97th passing and 18th running.
Stop the running game and the Dawgs have a real shot at winning this game.
DILLIGAF
November 30th, 2011
9:07 pm
To the naysayers and haters on any blog concerning the state of UGA football, unless you’re a Boise State fan or a SC fan then shut up. If UGA has played you then you have lost. If UGA has not played you, then you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.
Boise State fans can boast because they beat a team that was clearly not ready to play on the big stage with all of the buildup and hype. SC won a game that even the Ole’ Ballsak said they were lucky to get out of with a win. UGA gave that game away with turnovers and dumb mistakes and it was a game that the Dogs should have one.
I feel very confident that the outcome of BState/UGA would be decidedly different now and I know if we played SC now that UGA would beat them down with Garcia, Lattimore, Shaw, any combination that you want to throw in the mix.
To LSU fans, lets talk again on Sunday. Your team still has to show up and play. On any given day….that’s why the game is played. Despite your perceptions of the state of UGA footaball and past games or seasons, this team will be focused and prepared to steal the hype if. If, perhaps they do pull off the “unimaginable’ feat of beating your team and LSU does proceed and win the NC with a one loss record.
You will always remember that UGA spoiled your unbeaten season and will be the team that you lost to, the true National Champions.