McGarity expects Richt back next season (updated with Richt reaction to Colorado interest)
AUBURN, Ala. – Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said Saturday that he expects Mark Richt to remain the Bulldogs’ coach next season.
“Sure I do,” he said before the game against Auburn. “Absolutely.”
Asked if he’s ready to say unequivocally that he wants to retain Richt — often rumored to be on the occupational “hot seat” – as Georgia’s coach next season, McGarity elaborated:
“I’d say, based on the first 10 games, [there's] no question about that. I know we’re 5-5 [before Saturday's loss], but you go back and you look at all the dynamics involved — how close the games were. It’s not like we’re dealing with situations here of lop-sided losses, of being non-competitive. There are some games we wish we could have won by taking care of the ball a little better or making certain tackles or interceptions. You go back and play that through your mind, and if you dwell on it too long, it’ll just eat you up. You’ve just got to focus on getting better every day and do what you can do to be the best you can be.”
McGarity made his comments on the same day the Denver Post reported that Colorado is interested in talking with Richt about its vacant coaching job. The Post cited an unnamed source “close to the Colorado search.”
When informed of that report, McGarity said: “Really? I did not know that. That’s the first I’ve heard of that.”
UPDATE: Richt chuckled when told after the game about the report. “Georgia is my home,” he said. He left it at that.
McGarity said he has not been contacted by Colorado and has gotten no indication that Richt wants to be anywhere other than Georgia. Richt, in his 10th season as the Bulldogs’ coach, has said repeatedly over the years that he wants to complete his career at UGA. McGarity said his sense “absolutely” is that Richt wants to be at Georgia.
“He and I have had great discussions all season long,” McGarity said. “We have been very frank with each other. . . . I have seen nothing but all things pointing to him wanting to stay at the University of Georgia.”
Asked if he, reciprocally, has signaled to Richt that Georgia wants to keep him, McGarity said: “I think so. I tell you what: One thing we’re going to do is spend all the time necessary with our coaches to give them all the resources they need. We’re in the hole with them. When we lose, we’re right there with them: ‘What can we do to help?’ I think you actually work harder when you have some adversity. It’s easy when things are going right to pat yourself on the back.”
McGarity said he and Richt have not talked specifically about the future because they are focused on this season.
“If we get going about the future and things of that nature, then we’re getting off track,” McGarity said. “We’ll talk about that later. I am working with Mark Richt — I think our whole staff is — to help make this thing happen. I fully expect Mark to be with us for a while.”
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
391 comments Add your comment
blue
November 13th, 2010
9:52 pm
You CMR lovers are right all UGA can ever hope to be is a second teir team. And CMR is the best there is the best there was and the best there is ever going to be. P.S. tell him not to spend all next summer going to bulldog club meeting tell us all how great the O-line is going to be. I Think he missed that one
maddawg
November 13th, 2010
9:57 pm
We won 3 SEC games this year…..23-17 over the last 5 years. That’s pitiful. No more excuses. Nice guy, but Richt must go.
AndGetWho?
November 13th, 2010
10:00 pm
Yeah looks like Urban is coaching a dandy this year! And without Tebo – you want to bet on next year? Lots of folks in South Carolina wanted Spurriers’ head in the last few years. Not a very good record either. You think he forgot how to coach? And then suddenly remembered this season? Spurrier is a good coach, we all know it. So is Richt! Man – even Les Miles was rumored to be on the hot seat 5 games ago! I don’t want to go on a fishing expedition for another decade.
dawginduluth
November 13th, 2010
10:02 pm
Hell, Lou Holtz started at William and Mary. Don Coryell started at Whittier College, Bobby Bowden started at Samford, Pat Dye at East Carolina, Schembechler started at Miami (OH) when it was DII.
SonofaDawg
November 13th, 2010
10:03 pm
Andgetwho, your mind is made up, so there is no convincing you to have a open mind and look at the facts that have been presented. Again, Myer has won 2 National Championships. How many has Richt won, or played in?
blue
November 13th, 2010
10:04 pm
And getwho just admitt you think you know CMR and think he is a good man (and he could be) but I was always told judge people by the company they keep and that means he talks agood game but leades the nation in one thing Off field arrest. And I know you will say its not his Fault but to you nothing is.
AndGetWho?
November 13th, 2010
10:09 pm
SonofaDawg- you tell me we can get Saban and I am all in- But you gotta admit we cannot afford to have another Goff/Donnan decade. Can’t happen. I gotta believe It turns around. Another year like this year and I am with you 100%.
dawginduluth
November 13th, 2010
10:14 pm
So, AndGetWho, you thought last year was a good year, I guess?
AndGetWho?
November 13th, 2010
10:16 pm
Blue – I believe he is a good guy, he graduates alot of the players and I believe he hits it harder than most coaches. Maybe a change is inevitable, but his record is telling me to hold!!!
He hasn’t forgotten how to coach/recruit/discipline etc. This is the SEC! Not every decent “other” conference coach can handle what the SEC dishes out! Gonna take a special coach! Alot of teams play “marygoround” trying to get the NC.
stendek
November 13th, 2010
10:18 pm
Time for Wretch, Dodo & Dunderheads Burlesque Follies to go on tour. Athens engagement over! That was totally embarrasing. Another big lead blown! Painful to be Bulldog fan. Has been that way for years. Will always be that way as long as Wretch is in control. Mark that in your Bible Wretch! STENDEK
dawginduluth
November 13th, 2010
10:19 pm
@AndGetWho?
His record is 13-12 over the last 25 games. That’s telling you to “hold?”
SonofaDawg
November 13th, 2010
10:21 pm
Andgetwho, funny you mentioned Donnan. His recruits won Richts’ first SEC title. To your question, I don’t know what coach is available, but there are coaches who coach better than Richt.
Hit A Single
November 13th, 2010
10:23 pm
Fairley=SEC THUG OF THE YEAR
blue
November 13th, 2010
10:24 pm
sonofaDawg donnan also recruited DJ Shockey
blue
November 13th, 2010
10:26 pm
wish FLA, ALB,LSU, and ABU all thought these was THE SEC and nobody could coach here.
blue
November 13th, 2010
10:27 pm
hit a single the only reason is UGA had 12 guys split the vote
SonofaDawg
November 13th, 2010
10:30 pm
He sure did Blue, and Richt waited three years to play him
stendek
November 13th, 2010
10:30 pm
GO MARK WRETCH GO! To Colorado. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! Richt is now 13-12 over his last 25 games. A real keeper. How damn true guy! STENDEK
Dawg in Kentucky
November 13th, 2010
10:31 pm
Keep Coach Richt!!!!!!!!!!!
SonofaDawg
November 13th, 2010
10:32 pm
There is just no convincing the Richt manlovers, did yall see the first page of posts? I mean it was a I love Mark Richt orgy of comments.
Hit A Single
November 13th, 2010
10:35 pm
White hat official was a joke. He must be kin to Fairley!
Dawg in Kentucky
November 13th, 2010
10:37 pm
Agree with Hit a Single!!!
bwilson
November 13th, 2010
10:45 pm
is this a joke? wait…. who wrote this as a joke. the ajc is JOKE….I thought TMore retired!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rodney D
November 13th, 2010
10:52 pm
Richt is a good coach, and we can’t realistically expect to go 10-2 every year. But the dogs have been in a decline for the last four years. They have to improve recruiting, maybe get those players that have been getting away to Tenn., Auburn, S. Car., or other SEC schools, and then coming to Athens to whip us.
Uncle Tom
November 13th, 2010
10:58 pm
The great philosopher Chuck Oliver said it best a month ago. Should we hold Georgia to a different standard than we do Alabama? Shouldn’t they both have the highest expectations? Many of our fellow Dawgs have adopted the Loser Mentality of passively accepting underachievment. Expect more of the same.
Rest of the SEC
November 13th, 2010
11:00 pm
Please keep Richt!
Observer
November 13th, 2010
11:06 pm
Uncle Tom,
Georgia and Alabama should not have the same expectatations. Alabama is Alabama. It is the traditiional king of Southern football, more national titles than anybody except Notre Dame, more bowl wins and appearances than anyone, more 10 win seasons than anyone, and the winningest team ever in Southern football by a large margin. Also one of the truly elite national programs in college football- up there with the Michigans, Ohio States, USCs, Oklahomas, Notre Dames of the world.
Georgia is what it is. A good regional program that occassionally makes some noise. UGA had a glorious run from 1980-1982 and great seasons in 2002 and 2005 but that’s pretty much it. 5 years of great football and even then the 2002 and 2005 teams were a distant 3rd compared to the 2 unbeaten teams that played in the bcs title game in each of those 2 years- Ohio State going 14-0 and beating defending champ Miami on a 23 game winning streak and in 05 mighty USC with Leinart and Bush and Texas with Vince Young squaring off.
Snoop Dawg
November 13th, 2010
11:11 pm
Mark Richt is a loser that has made the Geogria Bulldogs the laughing stock of the SEC. You apologists should be happy now as the Dogs are bottom feeders until further notice. They will lose to a Nesbitt-less GT also because we will be outcoached as usual. All for Richt’s obscene salary of $3M a year. Michael Adams should also be fired for that one. I hope you stupid redneck apoloogists are happy now. How did you like that onside kick today? Did it remind you of West Virginia’s fake punt which lost the Sugar Bowl for us because Richt did not have any practices over the holidays? Wise up. We are bottom dwellers until Richt is gone. We should pay Colorado to take him and Bobo off our hands.
Snoop Dawg
November 13th, 2010
11:15 pm
Observer, you are correct. Georgia Bulldog fans are delusional and under the spell of Preacha Man Marjoe Mark Richt and his Medicine Show. An objective assessment shows that UGA football has been mediocre the past 30 years and will only get worse as long as the good ole boy UGA mafia keeps running it with its incestuous relations. The new AD is one of them.
Gator Fan
November 13th, 2010
11:17 pm
Keep Marc Richt. He is the best. Bring back Bowden.
falconfiend
November 13th, 2010
11:41 pm
This is the worst defense i have seen from georgia. That defensive coordinator has to go. He came from sorry DALLAS COWBAGS. Bring Coach Martinez back. LOOK at coach Van gorder for the falcons holding a strong ravens offense to 0 points in the first half with a young falcon secondary going up against veteran recievers. Coach Richt is my favorite all time NCAA coach. He got some thugs on his team but he keeps teaching and plus he is a man of God. A new d coordinator. I cant take this BUM D COORDINATOR. bring my defense back please.
dawgster
November 13th, 2010
11:45 pm
Snoop Dawg…i’m sorry my man, but i have to just laugh at your absurd posts…you pretend to be a dawg fan, but its obvisous you are not….You think you have the answers…well here’s your chance tell us what you would do…I mean you say we are a laughing stock in the SEC…i would think the other coaches in the league would disagree with you if you ask them….so tell us Mr. High and Mighty little Snoop Dawg…what is your answer…give us some real answers, like what coach should we hire, what offense and defense should we run…who will come in here and guarantee a NC for us in the next year…Hey, we could get Mack Brown from Texas, he seems to have forgotten how to coach i guess in your opinion, i mean look at their record this year, but their recruiting classes have been in the top 5 or better for years…Hey maybe we could get Meyer, or has he forgotten how to coach. i mean there record is not so great this year and lets see last year their recruiting class was suppose to be one of the best ever by any program…my point with this is we need to upgrade out talent and i believe this year recruiting class will be a huge upgrade…the coaches can still coach but you have to have the talent and for many reasons we haven’t the past few years…we also made major changes on defense, hopefully that will pay dividends next season…so now its your turn Snoop Dawg…lets here all of your solutions…you seem to think everything the dawgs are doing is wrong and that it has been that way for 30 years…i will give you some credit though, you are a very good fair weather fan…I’ll go ahead apologize for posting these comments, i don’t mean anything personal, but the dawg nation and these players don’t need fans like you….
gatorman
November 13th, 2010
11:49 pm
PLEASE STAY SO THAT THE GATORS WILL NEVER HAVE A WINLESS SEASON!
He's nice
November 14th, 2010
12:13 am
Keep richt—he can’t coach a lick, but he’s a “nice guy.”
SAMMY DAVIS JR.
November 14th, 2010
12:19 am
RICHT is a GREAT coach. Has he had some things that I think could have been done differently? Of course. I think BAMA fans, Gator fans, LSU fans, etc, could all say ‘yes’. Bottom line is even Great coaches have bad years (Dooley, Saban,Spurrier,Etc), and what makes them ‘Great’ coaches is how they don’t go in the tank & turn things around.
We love you coach Richt!!!
GO DAWGS!!!!!!!
46-40
November 14th, 2010
12:22 am
gatorman , REALLY??? REALLY.
Perhaps you should think about back-trading for your old coach.
ps- (((((35-10)))))
SonofaDawg
November 14th, 2010
12:25 am
Sammy Davis, the difference between the coaches you mentioned and Richt is, those coaches won National Championships.
PMC
November 14th, 2010
12:51 am
Bad years??? Richt hasn’t had a team that played up to their ability since 2005.
5 years is a long enough sample size to say whether he can win or not. He’s answered that question and the answer is no. He’s not able to get his coaches and players to perform at a high level. Maybe he did at one time, but that time is past.
Doyle Rainey lives
November 14th, 2010
1:10 am
Richt needs to go……..and now. as faor Auburn, not tooo worried. And USC will take care of all of you and your late hitting thugs that you pay to play. And cam the one hit wonder will be gone. Auburn……..the butthole of SEC programs in the words of the immortal kenny powers
Doyle Rainey lives
November 14th, 2010
1:11 am
AND JUST TO COUNTER SOME OF THE STUUFF SAID……”COACH RICHT. I HATE YOU.
UT Class of 1992
November 14th, 2010
1:17 am
If UGA runs off Mark Richt, they will be making one of the biggest mistakes they have ever made. My alma mater ran off a similar coach back in 2008. Steady success and a chance to win it every year. Now, we are in the cellar, the fanbase is divided, and it is not much fun to be a Vol. Be careful. Rebuilding is not all it is cracked up to be.
New World Order
November 14th, 2010
1:26 am
Class of 1992: At least Fulmer was awake on the sideline and involved in the game. I always got the feeling he was intensely involved in the game and pulled out some amazing victories including a NC. I was very surprised when U.T. cut him loose. I still think that was a mistake. I don’t think the situation at UGA is the same. Richt doesn’t seem to have much passion for winning football games. I think he is too involved in his religious activities.
Clemson tigers!
November 14th, 2010
1:29 am
UGA just ran into a better team today, it wasn’t Richt’s fault or at least not all his fault. Auburn and that loser Newton will get what they deserve… probation. Hahaha.
luckie1
November 14th, 2010
2:37 am
I think MR is honestly tired. He made his money. He has done his job. He is ready to move on to the next phase of his life. Remember when Falcons ex-coach Moro said he wanted to coach high school football? Arthur Blank gave him his wish. Maybe Coach Richt is ready to do missionary work. Someone from Georiga needs to make that wish come true.
Oracle of Marietta
November 14th, 2010
4:26 am
CMR is not an elite SEC coach. His teams are perpetually long on talent, short on important wins. His departure to another school would be a great way for the both he and the school to both save face. Getting fired would be embarrassing to him, and as this message board shows UGA fans finds it hard to fire a nice guy. It easy to respect him as a person, but he clearly struggles with getting our teams to the next level of discipline, applitude of talent, and winning big games. CMR taking a job elsewhere could be a blessing to him and UGA.
Next Year!!!!
November 14th, 2010
5:52 am
We had a red shirt freshman quarterback, with no strong backups and a whole new defensive scheme for this year and when we started losing everyone wanted to fire everyone. COME ON MAN!!!! I wanted the DAWGS to have a great year, but be honest. With all of that, we have been getting better and better ever week. Keep everyone, tighten the Defense up for next year and things are going to be great.
GO DAWGS!!!!!!!
Adrian Perry
November 14th, 2010
6:18 am
I believe the term is “Fair Weather Fans”. There are some sorry UGA fans here on this blog. Do you really expect a team to be in the top ten every year and if not, it is all the coaches fault? UGA has been competitive all year long, even though the record doesn’t reflect it; Ask the teams they have played. You have a whole new defense installed, with maybe a few players to be recruited to play it. You have a first year starter at quarterback, who will probably be near the top of the SEC next year. You have a head coach, who has had terrific success in his time here, and most of you can only complain because we are not SEC champs. The one fault you might find in the UGA offensive play calling was that earlier in the year, we were too conservative, and did not realize what a special quarterback we really had. Next year I think UGA will be right in the hunt for the SEC title, and you do not need to change coaches when you have a top five head coach now. The defensive coach is terrific and brings a lot of fire to that side of the ball. Possibly, the only thing that needs to happen on the offensive side of the ball, is for the head coach to get involved a little more on that side,because he is a good offensive mind. Maybe, the play calling could include a few surprises and not be so vanilla, but we have got the players on board now to be successful next year. Quit acting like spoiled kids, with your childish remarks and stand by your team through thick and thin. Maybe you would prefer we be 11-0 and get the rep. as THUG U. I am darn proud of the UGA team this year and every year, and I am not a natural born Georgian, but a darn proud transplant.
Douglas
November 14th, 2010
6:57 am
If McGarity is so positive about Richt, he can go too.
Coastal Dog
November 14th, 2010
7:03 am
Mark stays, we have the world’s next great QB, and a D that will be awesome when the new boss gets some guys in he’s recruited. Only thing missing is giving one of the backs the ball 25 times / game. RB by committee won’t get it done at any level. Dogs compete for championship next year.
Mark Richt
November 14th, 2010
7:29 am
Thanks for all of you support. Now… Can somebody help me with all of the thugs on my team?