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.”

391 comments Add your comment

valyboy32

November 15th, 2010
7:38 am

i know he wont go but if he does 1 name harbaugh !!!!!

Jborodawg

November 15th, 2010
8:19 am

If you want to fire McGarity and CMR, you’re part of the problem.

McGarity has not been on the job “a year”; hired August 13th; give him time. He didn’t waffle. “…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.”….[there's] no question about that…”

What part of “absolutely” and “no question” do you not understand? How is that waffling? How is that not supporting CMR? “…has his bags packed…” How do yall dream up stuff like that? Bring in D. Dooley? You gotta be kidding.

I just hope recruits don’t read these comments/blogs. They’ll think UGA has no fan support. It’s bad enough that the writers think what’s said here is “rumblings from Dawg Nation”.

Goooo Dogs! Heck with Tech!

Scott

November 15th, 2010
8:37 am

McGarity’s been off track since the day he got here. I can’t find 1 positive thing he’s done that helped the team this year, in 2010. He’s been lost in 2013, working on the 2013 schedule, while the football team has performed the worst, under his leadership, as it has in a decade. McGarity think if he withholds positive comments about how secure Richt’s future is, that will make Richt coach better. Is he right? No, Richt is 5-6, worst record in Richt’s 20+ seasons of coaching. McGarity is clueless about how to bring the best out of Mark Richt. Richt, and recruits, and players, and coaches, need a solid, no going back statement about how committed and certain McGarity is about Richt and the future with Richt, or else Richt needs to get out of town, and go where he is HONORED and let McGarity spin into a medicore freefall for 10 years.

Scott

November 15th, 2010
8:39 am

Richt is NOT the problem, Richt’s won 90 games in 9 seasons. McGarity is the problem. 5-6 with him. 90 wins without him.

tampabigDAWG

November 15th, 2010
9:31 am

I believe CMR is a class act and a fine football coach. I do admit that there are many issue that need to be addressed but come on fans. Look at the history of every NCAA program. Even that Greats had bad session. Jo Pa, Bear Bryant, B. Bowden. It comes around. CMR does need to evaluate the OC and OL coaches. Grantham has done a DESCENT job in converting to a 3-4. We need a big DT for it to work properly. I think one of the biggest things we need to look at is our strength and conditioning coaches. Our players don’t look solid like other teams in the SEC. I was front line for the UK game and even the kentucky players look more defined and didnt get winded as fast.

dawgsgirl47147

November 15th, 2010
9:34 am

Keep Richt Let BoBo go. What we need is a new offensive coordinator not a new head coach. One bad season and everybody blames Richt. Why don’t they look at how the offense has been performing and blame BoBo.

GDAWG65

November 15th, 2010
10:11 am

Keep Richt – Fire Bobo

Phil

November 15th, 2010
10:17 am

Take him Colorado, PLEASE!!! We will throw in Bozo and that thug Grantham as well. Plus it will help your local economy by creating jobs. Your local police force will have to hire some more officers to deal with all the arrests that comes with a Richt team.

Phil

November 15th, 2010
10:23 am

tampabigDAWG

That’s almost blasphemy to use Richt’s name in the same sentence with Paterno, Bryant and Bowden. Those guys won National Championships. So has Meyer. Those guys deserve the benefit of the doubt.

Richt has had 10 years to show us where he can take the program. I think we have seen the peak and that was a few years ago. Richt won’t get us in the National Championship game, ever. Don’t think we will ever see a SEC Championship game again under Richt for that matter.

Half Century Dawg

November 15th, 2010
10:45 am

Hey Colorado, we will keep Richt, but you can have Phil. He is a great band wagon fan.

Urban owns Mark Richt

November 15th, 2010
11:20 am

please keep CMR

Auburn Fan

November 15th, 2010
11:46 am

UGA fans loved Coach Tommy Tuberville. Why? Because they owned him. I am starting to like Coach Mark Richt.

patrick

November 15th, 2010
12:25 pm

What we learned in the SEC: Week 11……………..Gator fans disappear when they suc.k sorse than UGa….and they do. UGA is 4 fumbles away from 8-2. Gators are <ia,i of Ohio and Chattanooga away from 5-6

patrick

November 15th, 2010
12:28 pm

Auburn Fan
November 15th, 2010
11:46 am

UGA fans loved Coach Tommy Tuberville. Why? Because they owned him. I am starting to like Coach Mark Richt.
===================================
mark is 7 – 3 against you

patrick

November 15th, 2010
12:29 pm

you cant have Richt but you can have Bob

patrick

November 15th, 2010
12:29 pm

Georgia needs to get serious

November 15th, 2010
1:14 pm

I guess Fl had their Keep Zook fans, Bama their Keep Shula fans,Tenn their Keep Phat Phil fans, and by all means Nerds wanting to keep Gailey.
All we can worry about, is whether anybody would come to Georgia to replace Richt.

Phil

November 15th, 2010
1:15 pm

Half Century Dawg

No band wagon jumper here, I’ve been saying for the last several years Richt is not the coach to get us to the next level.

willie martinez

November 15th, 2010
1:19 pm

and yall thought it was all my fault.

Phil

November 15th, 2010
1:19 pm

Serious,

And don’t forget Auburn had their keep Tubberville fans. Ask those fan bases now are they glad somebody had the guts to make the call.

Georgia needs to get serious

November 15th, 2010
1:20 pm

I bet all these Keep Richt fans are FL and Auburn fans in reality.
I’m sure Florida wants us to keep Richt.

Mike T.

November 15th, 2010
1:23 pm

willie martinez

Hey Willie it may be getting time to extend an apology….. Naw, Oklahoma
has had a pretty good year, but your not the reason for it.

Phil

November 15th, 2010
1:25 pm

Dallas Cowboys had their keep Wade Phillips fans also…..

Mike T.

November 15th, 2010
1:45 pm

What really stings about Richt, is while he was OC at FSU he consistently beat
Florida. Georgia was getting their ass handed to them year in and year out
with only one victory in the entire decade (97).When Richt was hired, he was suppose to be the one to end the onslaught,instead in ten years he has two wins
against them. It seems that he come here and fell under the curse instead of
pulling us out of the funk. I mean even our two SEC championship years are marred with losses to Florida.

Phil

November 15th, 2010
1:51 pm

If anybody on here thinks Alabama, Florida, USC, LSU, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Auburn, the list goes on and on, that Richt would still be the coach after 10 years at any of these schools, you are completely insane.
He would not have lasted 5 years.

Colorado, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Maryland, Duke, maybe 10 at those schools.

Ducky

November 15th, 2010
3:05 pm

Richt would be a nice fit at Michigan, Colorado, Tennessee, Miami, Texas A & M, Minnesota, the rumor is Georgia’s going after Harbaugh from Stanford, and Richt’s headed to either Colorado or Miami.

bitter "ole"school georgia fan

November 15th, 2010
3:08 pm

any good man withb a eye” for football can see that the ga d” just didnot give 100% sat., only solution is play a new bunch just like dooley did after 1979, bring and play freshman if they prove themself’s and only let coach richt go ifin he himself decides to transfer, otherwise its time to work 18 hours a day just like dooley staff did after 1979 horable season of 6-5 football. bad things are limited to bad players and bad coach’s none of which we have at uga. fla had bad season and next year the sec is surely up for grabs with professor newton headed for a truck load of money and allborn football head for 0and 12 / 2010 and a sure death penalty just like SMU and the eric dickerson situation. its all laugh’s at allburn today and in a couple of month it will be all tears and what just happened. ask paul finebomb yaaaaaaw, by by allllbuuurnnn 10 byears of proby yaaaaww

Ducky

November 15th, 2010
3:13 pm

Word is Richt and McGarity are not friendly, Richt doesn’t really like McGarity and feels mcGarity has thrown him under the bus. Richt’s ready to go, and thinks McGarity is an amateur AD.

DUCKY

November 15th, 2010
3:17 pm

Richt found out, through a mutal friend, McGarity had in fact inquired about Harbaugh’s interest, this after telling Richt privately that Richt’s future at Georgia was solid. When Richt found out, he had his agent put out some feelers, and then Colorado, and others, came calling. This is getting ugly, Richt’s angry, and feels McGarity has been deceiving his family.

DUCKY

November 15th, 2010
3:20 pm

Tennessee is VERY interested in Richt, and Miami’s offering Richt the moon to come to Miami. Colorado wants him too, Richt has Colorado ties, but feels like it can’t afford him. Michigan is also very interested in Richt.

Joey

November 15th, 2010
3:21 pm

Mark Richt is interested in Nore Dame. Loves the history, loves the faith based school, feels like he could turn it around.

AU Fan

November 15th, 2010
3:22 pm

I don’t think Colorado is after him. It is wishful thinking by the more ignorant dog fans.You may want to send your defensive coordinator over there.

Joey

November 15th, 2010
3:22 pm

Also heard Arknasas and Ole Miss are coming hard for Richt.

Frank

November 15th, 2010
3:24 pm

FSU has been in touch with Richt’s agent for weeks now, BEGGING him to come to FSU. They remember the glory days he led them to. Richt’s praying about it.

Hank

November 15th, 2010
3:25 pm

Wow, I heard a rumor at the office today. Les Miles goes to Michigan, and Richt goes to LSU, and Georgia gets Rodriguez.

Larry

November 15th, 2010
3:28 pm

Nope, here’s what’s happening, read it from a good source.

Mack Brown is being ousted from Texas, but won’t announce it until Muschamp commits to Georgia. Then they bring in Richt to Texas.

It’s a done deal, they’re just waiting on Muschamp to pull the trigger.

Bill

November 15th, 2010
3:30 pm

Up here in Penn, we’re hearing Coach Richt will replace Joe Pa.

Gorin

November 15th, 2010
3:46 pm

According to a Miami sports writer, Miami has Richt at the top of their wish list too.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/11/07/1912814_p2/true-freshman-saved-game-perhaps.html

Gorin

November 15th, 2010
4:03 pm

Miami fans pulling out stops to get Mark Richt, started a facebook page, they love Mark Richt in Miami.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mark-Richt-for-the-next-Miami-Hurricanes-Coach/107850382615040

Jantzen

November 15th, 2010
5:47 pm

From everything I am hearing, Richt wants to stay in the South, so looking hard at Miami, & Tenn. The recruits and coaches will ALL go with him.

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