As Georgia appeared on the verge of hiring a new defensive coordinator, the Bulldogs’ best defensive player, Rennie Curran, announced on a teleconference late Sunday afternoon that he is leaving school early for the NFL. Which provided an opportunity, of course, to ask Mark Richt about Kirby Smart.
“I’ll tell you what I’ve been saying all along: that I’m not going to make any comments on the [DC] search until I get my guy,” Richt said.
And is getting his guy imminent?
“I’ll let you know when it happens, I promise,” Richt said.
Earlier Sunday, ESPN.com reported that Smart — the Alabama defensive coordinator — had not decided whether to accept a UGA offer of a multi-year contract at $700,000-plus per year and that Alabama had told him it would “do everything necessary to keep him.”
While basically silent on Smart, Richt had a lot to say about Curran, the junior linebacker who announced the end of his UGA career.
“Rennie has been nothing but awesome for Georgia since the day he got on campus,” Richt said. “He’s been a great teammate; he’s been a great student of the game; he’s really done everything you ask him to do. He’s . . . been a blessing to me personally.
“I wish Rennie well. I think Rennie will do well. He’s a tackling machine. He always has been. I don’t care what level of ball he plays at, he’s going to be that torpedo that can hit.
“I just want to tell him thanks for everything he did for us.”
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338 comments Add your comment
Rick
January 10th, 2010
6:35 pm
That’s it Bamaboss, choke on your own puke, you drunk…
Rick
January 10th, 2010
6:36 pm
Bamaboss is another one of those Saban bee-hind smoochers…
Dawg'94
January 10th, 2010
6:40 pm
Smart or Grantham is good with me. I like Smart because he is an alum, but Grantham would be fine too. Curran is making a mistake. He has been great for the Dawgs, but I see him as a special teams guy & back-up in the pros. Of course, I could be dead wrong. I will pull for him, as I do all fellow Dawgs. 30-24
Rod
January 10th, 2010
6:43 pm
Clint, WM will be rehired as a position coach if doesn’t get or want to coach somewhere else. WM is a really good coach just not a good DC.
RiverDawg
January 10th, 2010
6:43 pm
Richt is the class act among coaches in the SEC. His comments regarding Curran were perfect.
Perk
January 10th, 2010
6:45 pm
Thanks Rennie! Damn Good Dawg!!!!
Bride of Chucky Knapp
January 10th, 2010
6:46 pm
All us grads love Athens. If I could make a professional salary and live around Five Points, I would be there in a heartbeat.
Sure, like Goff says, most coaches get fired. But, we all long to be the hero, to achieve something. I hope that is enough to attract Smart. If not, I’m sure he’ll get a chance to achieve something in another HC job. I just don’t think ‘Bama should get attached to any of this lot.
ckgator
January 10th, 2010
6:48 pm
Richt is a class act, no doubt. But what’s going on with UGA recruiting? Not hearing a lot of chatter.
Clint
January 10th, 2010
6:49 pm
Thanks Rod,, I also heard that. and yes,,, I agree with you on Coach WM talent as an Asst.
bhamdawg86
January 10th, 2010
6:52 pm
NEWS FLASH-JOX radio in Bham just announced that Kirby Smart has signed an agreement in principle with UGA to become the new DC. It will be come official tomorrow.
Clint
January 10th, 2010
6:52 pm
Ihave heard David Pollack is a possible Asst. Coach if Kirby takes the position,,,, anyone else ?
BAMA man in GA
January 10th, 2010
6:53 pm
Smart runs the D. but he is not the mastermind of the D. Everybody knows Saban is the puppetmaster behind the TIDE. ROLL TIDE!!
If Smart leaves, BAMA still wins the SEC in 2010.
Curran will have a good NFL career. He will play with a chip on his shoulder b/c people will talk about is size. Hope BAMA plays UGA in SEC CG. ROLL TIDE!
Bornloser
January 10th, 2010
6:54 pm
YOU LET ME KNOW NOW DAMNIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Whole Truth
January 10th, 2010
6:56 pm
If allowed, Richt will run the UGA FB program into the ground just as Goff did.
I have lost all confidence in the guy and can’t believe many at UGA still unconditionally support him.
UGA has taken its place again in College FB… 10-25 every other year. Read the various posting boards and it is easy to see why.
Organizations always meet expectations.
The Whole Truth
January 10th, 2010
6:57 pm
Enter your comments here
Bornloser
January 10th, 2010
6:57 pm
NEWS FLASH—— YOU LET ME KNOW NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BOY
The Whole Truth
January 10th, 2010
7:00 pm
By the way, I am not at all impresses with David Pollack as a radio guy and do not think that he would be that great of a coach.
Cronie hires are never good.
Alabama, Florida and UT have made some good hires.. Other than Van Gorder and Dave Hohnson, I have not been impressed with anyone Richt has hired. He will probably hire Pollack.
Bornloser
January 10th, 2010
7:03 pm
NEWS FLASH— WSB JUST ANNOUNCED KIRBY SMART WILL BE NAMED HEAD COACH AT THE COLLEGE OF ST. MARYS GIRLS SCHOOL
Dawgs Run This State!
January 10th, 2010
7:04 pm
Pollack will make a lot of $ in broadcasting. He actually does a good job on the radio, on the SEC network, and his spots on ESPN. “The Whole Truth”, the truth is you are a 2nd class idiot. And Richt is a great coach and great leader.
Stinger
January 10th, 2010
7:04 pm
Isn’t Rennie the one Dwyer ran smack over???
Dawgs Run This State!
January 10th, 2010
7:06 pm
Stinger,
Is there a tech fan on hear that is actually trying to talk trash? Remind me of how many yrds Dwyer had in the UGA game… 30-24.
Quincy
January 10th, 2010
7:06 pm
BAMA man in GA, you lucked out having McCoy out of the game; otherwise, the Longhorns would have won big time and you know it. The SEC was way, way down this year (2009) and will be much more competitive this fall. LSU and UT beats ‘Bama and Ole Miss scares the heck out of them in 2010. Now put that in your crack pipe and smoke it, trailer trash boy.
SickandTired
January 10th, 2010
7:06 pm
Well Mark Richt has shown in hiring Kirby Smart he really is a lightweight in the SEC. Giving him a reported raise to make him the fourth highest paid assistant coach in college football when he’s never proven anything on his own is incredibly naiive and irresponsible. Congratulations Mark you’ve officially lost your mind. The two faced leader of the Dawg Nation will be fired within two years. So many questions with unproven QB for next season and the Dawg Fans think this is gonna put them over the top with the Gators still boating 5 Star recruits this week like tiger bagging sluts. YeeHaw we’ve got a new DC and his name is Smart and everything is gonna be like the old days. What were the old days actually? One national championship 30 years ago, that is truly old. Now here we go with the downfall of the ethical, the faithful, and just dawggonnit a good man in Mark Richt stepping off the cliff. He knows not what he does with this fan base. They will ride him out of town on a rail that passes right behind the east endzone. This is gonna be fun to watch.
TDAWG
January 10th, 2010
7:07 pm
Smart already knows who he will hire. If he hires Pollack it will be his decision.
WE RUIN THIS STATE
January 10th, 2010
7:08 pm
If Kirby thought this deal was so sweet, he would have taken it by now.
He is either holding out or dosen’t want it at all.
DawgFan24
January 10th, 2010
7:10 pm
NEWS FLASH GATOR FANS: You didnt win the NC this year, Nobody on this board cares about your recruiting class, your Coaching ranks are decimated, and you will GET STOMPED next year by the rest of the SEC.
GLORY GLORY TO OLE GA! After we Hire Smart, GA will take it’s rightful place atop the SEC East!
WE RUIN THIS STATE
January 10th, 2010
7:10 pm
Shannon’s source is the neighbor of a friend whose mother-in-law used to go to a laundry where Kirby washed his clothes in high school.
Stinger
January 10th, 2010
7:11 pm
Dawgs run this state, No there is no Tech fan on hear, but there is one on here. I sure hope you don’t run this state. Our kids scores are bad enough as it is. I believe Dwyer had around 168 yds and Jones had over 200 yds.
sandman053
January 10th, 2010
7:11 pm
I checked the JOX website and there was no announcement on there at all concerning CKS.
The Grinch
January 10th, 2010
7:11 pm
Typically classy comments by Richt about Rennie’s departure. CMR is a man to be proud of leading our Dawgs.
Dawgs Run This State!
January 10th, 2010
7:12 pm
SickandTired,
Which college did you almost get accepted into… Alabama, Tennessee, GT? You obviously hold allegance to someone other that UGA. How much did Albany State teach you?
mgdawg
January 10th, 2010
7:14 pm
Thedawgpound, maybe you should actually read the articles and not the titles. According to all the articles Smart has been the only one that the job has been offered to. Richt just talked with Foster, more then likely he talked to him about grantham, and in the conversation mentioned that UGA would like to have him. That’s not an offer, that’s just conversation. Chavis just brought up the situation to get a raise, was never offered. Smart is the first one that has truly been offered, I think monday or tuesday an announcement will be made. You don’t rush signing these kind of contracts, he’s probably getting it read over by agents or lawyers and talking with his family one last time about it.
The Truth
January 10th, 2010
7:15 pm
When did the Independence Bowl become a BCS Bowl? Bama 14-0. National Champions. SEC Champions. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
WE RUIN THIS STATE
January 10th, 2010
7:18 pm
SickandTired: You’re correct. It really makes no difference. Richt knows he has to sell tickets. Georgia hasn’t played defense since
Pollack left because Stafford and Moreno convinced the Koolaid crowd that defense wasn’t needed. So what did Richt do ? Sign 15 quarterbacks. You put your best atheletes (AJ Greene, maybe?) on defense if you’re serious about winning championships. But UGA hired a head coach who coached offense. Tech did the same thing but this game is not about offense. What was Alabama known for this year ? Its wasn’t offense.
Dawgs Run This State!
January 10th, 2010
7:18 pm
Stinger,
You are and idiot. Dwyer had 33 sorry yards. Go back to loserville with all of the rest of our little sisters.
Clint
January 10th, 2010
7:19 pm
Dawg Haters on these blogs always amaze me,,,,, why are they even here ???
I do have a question for my fellow Dawg fans,,,, do you think our recent problems in the past several years are a problem with recruits or a problem with coaching ??
BAMA man in GA
January 10th, 2010
7:20 pm
Quincy- Shoot boy, you mus be trippin. I ain’t got no crack pipe no mo… you never gave it back!
Dawgs Run This State!
January 10th, 2010
7:20 pm
And Stinger, it doesn’t surprise me your kid’s scores are bad.
Big time?? Not
January 10th, 2010
7:22 pm
Four tickets, four hot dogs, four cokes
Bartkowski had a great arm!
January 10th, 2010
7:22 pm
dalton, don’t worry about CRG. He’s safe under any circumstance. He has turned down other offers because of the kind of man CMR is. Smart, or whomever the new DC is, will be more than glad to have him.
Big time?? Not
January 10th, 2010
7:22 pm
Coaching
Stinger Envy
January 10th, 2010
7:23 pm
((((30-24)))) I want my mommy,
Chris
January 10th, 2010
7:23 pm
C’Mon KIRBY start my week off right !!!!!
DawgFan24
January 10th, 2010
7:24 pm
LOL, Stinger your team is a joke. Please go get beat by another pathetic Big 10 Team. LOL! GT won the ACC, which got beat down by EVERYONE!
ABSOLUTELY NO ROOM TO TALK YOU LOSER!
DAWGS Suck
January 10th, 2010
7:24 pm
I think Chris wants to have sex with Kirby,,
Stinger...
January 10th, 2010
7:25 pm
Please do not correct grammar. I would be surprised to hear that you ever went to college. You butcher the English language in just about every one of your posts.
Bwahhhhhhhh
January 10th, 2010
7:26 pm
Anyone want to know the real translation of CMR’s comment? Well here it is. At this point in time we haven’t hired anyone. We have talked to many coaches but they have decided to stay at their respective institution’s while they were able to secure hefty raises. We are also using a consulting firm in the hiring process and as soon we hear from them with other possible candidates we will inform the press I promise. As of right now we have no one interested in becoming a DC at UGA.
sc dawg
January 10th, 2010
7:26 pm
More word/rumor (yet to be substantiated) that CKS has turned down Bama’s offer, will be announced as UGA DC tomorrow . . .
We MIGHT know something soon . . .
or
this MIGHT just be more unconfirmed rumor . . .
BAMA man in GA
January 10th, 2010
7:26 pm
Clint – I can answer your question. Coaching! and lack of BIG wins(like the Gators smackn the puppies around. UGA might have a chance at winning next year.
BILLY JACK
January 10th, 2010
7:26 pm
KIRBY SMART WILL BE UGA DEF COORDINATOR-ANNOUNCEMENT TOMMOROW 3.1 MILLION FOR 4 YRS.HE IS BRINGING 1 COACH WITH HIM-THIS COULD AFFECT RODNEY GARNER.