Richt says he hasn’t been approached by Miami, ‘absolutely’ plans to stay at UGA
(Updated 6 p.m.)
Georgia coach Mark Richt said late this afternoon that he has not been approached about the coaching job at Miami, his alma mater, and that he “absolutely” expects to remain the Bulldogs’ coach next season.
South Florida newspapers today mentioned Richt among possible candidates for the Miami opening that was created with Saturday night’s firing of coach Randy Shannon. Earlier this month, the Denver Post reported that Colorado would like to speak with Richt about its coaching vacancy.
“I’ve got the same answer for [the Miami speculation] as I had for the other one: Georgia is my home, and it’s where I want to finish my career,” Richt said.
Pressed on whether he would entertain the possibility of the Miami job if approached, Richt replied: “Just like I’ve been saying, man, Georgia’s my home, and that’s where I want to be. I don’t think you’ve got to go any farther than that.”
The Miami Herald today listed Richt among “potential candidates” to replace Shannon. The Palm Beach Post listed Richt among “possible replacements.”
The speculation was not surprising. Richt is a graduate of Miami, where he played quarterback under coach Howard Schnellenberger. Richt is 96-33 in 10 seasons as Georgia’s coach.
When the Miami job last was open after the 2006 season, Richt was mentioned as a possible candidate before immediately saying he was not interested.
Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity has said Richt will return as the Bulldogs’ coach next season.
Richt, who fired three assistant coaches in the week following last year’s victory over Georgia Tech, was asked today if he is considering staff changes now. He said he is not.
He expressed support for offensive coordinator and play caller Mike Bobo.
“If I’m not mistaken, we broke some kind of school record with [seven] consecutive games of over 30 points, and a lot of really good things happened offensively,” Richt said. “The bottom line is whoever calls plays is going to get critiqued, going to get criticized. It’s just the nature of the beast.”
Other posts since last night’s game:
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Murray closing in on Stafford’s record for TD passes in a season.
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667 comments Add your comment
Joe B.
November 28th, 2010
4:28 pm
@kc15aa
When was the last SEC Championship for Richt?
Who has come into the league since then? Look at all the SEC schools that have passed UGA by with coaching hires. UGA barely beat a TERRIBLE Gtu team last night and even tried to give that one away.
rincon dog
November 28th, 2010
4:29 pm
Why do you people say we are fairweather fans? Why accept mediocraty? Why put a coach above the program? Isnt he paid to win? What has he won? Program started its slide since Van Gorder left and is only getting worse. You say who do we replace him with? How about a coach who is in the top 50 of the polls. Go back to your drinking your wine spritzers.
MTN Dawg
November 28th, 2010
4:29 pm
Very soon we will be able to recruit the current members of the awbarn team – after the death penalty is dealt for lack of institutional control. Maybe we get some misguided recruits back – just not paid what they were before.
Sean
November 28th, 2010
4:30 pm
Richt is a class guy and a good coach. He has a winning record as HC and has proven that he can turn things around. This season was a terrible one and all coaches go through those at some point in their career. The last few seasons have been mediocre for the Dawgs but I truly believe that they will improve next season. I foresee AJ staying, due in part to his love for UGA and to repay fans for the debacle that led to the 4 game suspension. I also feel that he will honor his parents wishes for him to graduate and stay. With Murray and AJ (not to mention the new recruiting class), we will be SEC contenders once again. I understand the frustration as a Dawg fan, but the ship will be righted. GO DAWGS!
Andy in Blairsville
November 28th, 2010
4:31 pm
I’m curious why Georgia fans think because they hired an OC from a proven NC caliber team to run their historically mediocre team, they expect that coach to suddenly win NC’s?
As they say, you can’t make chicken salad out of chicken chit.
c
November 28th, 2010
4:31 pm
We love you CMR! We want you and appreciate all you have done for us. Stay with the DAWGS!
cromley
November 28th, 2010
4:31 pm
Please let him go and take his undisciplined players and coaches with him. There is no excuse to go 6-6 and to have a losing SEC record. If he cant handle his players OFF the field then he cant handle them ON the field and this years record proves that. Are we ever going to win a game against a team with a WINNING record?
Here is how Richt would look at the U job
November 28th, 2010
4:32 pm
Richt could recruit Dade County, Palm Beach County ( Belle Glade, FL ) and Broward and maybe, if he can get home by 7PM, he might fly up to Orange County. See? The recruiting grind is diminished by two thirds. He could get Bobo to chase a couple of northern Florida kids and one or two in South Georgia.
The money for Richt now is no big deal. If he took a $1.5 cut in salary he would still be paid around $2 million per year.
Also, his Honduras faith based endeavor is CLOSER with direct flights from MIA to Honduras. This is key folks.
I say that it gets big by Weds and by Friday, he is gone.
UGA? We have a fabulous core of great kids to re build with an Aron Murray will only be a soph laong with several others. This effort will not be a replay of the 2009 effort to find a D co ordinator. Last year most local coaches KNEW that CMR was in trouble.
UGA can pretty much get any body to come in as head man. Money talks and smoke walks.
BobbyDawg
November 28th, 2010
4:32 pm
Auburn — NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! bring that title on home to the SEC.
cliff
November 28th, 2010
4:33 pm
please Randy Shannon…..defensive cordinator at ga tech ?
kc15aa
November 28th, 2010
4:34 pm
@ Joe B. The last SEC Championship was 2007. It is unrealistic to win the SEC every year if the SEC is the elite of college football. Look at all the hires. I guess Florida should fire Urban and Alabama fire Saban since they have not won every year. Find me a team that wins their conference every year especially in a tough conference. You can bring a big name coach in and when there is a down year here come all the “experts” saying fire him. Get a clue the competition is fierce and there will be down years.
Pull Finger Now
November 28th, 2010
4:34 pm
ugh
trey
November 28th, 2010
4:34 pm
I think it would be the best move for both Universities. It’ll also keep McGarity from having to fire Richt next year.
Runner up Richt
November 28th, 2010
4:35 pm
God bless folks. Got to spread my spiritural talents to south Florida.
Runner up Richt
November 28th, 2010
4:37 pm
KC15AA
My last SEC tittle was 2005. I was blown out by Tennesse that year which went to atlanta.
kc15aa
November 28th, 2010
4:37 pm
I say take the Miami job and see what happens to UGA since the so called experts know it all. Let’s see what an unproven name can do a conference the caliber of the SEC.
Joe B.
November 28th, 2010
4:38 pm
@kc15aa,
Thanks for proving that you know absolutely nothing. UGA did not even play in the SEC Championship game in 2007 because they lost to a bad Scu team and a mediocre Tennessee team. Please quit typing about things which you do not know.
You are the problem with fans. You are an idiot with an opinion, and that is a very dangerous thing.
Skitty Fritty
November 28th, 2010
4:38 pm
Lets get Saban (A coach who wins a national title then the very next year lose 3 games and possibly 4 with his QB and Heisman Winner), Lets get Meyer (A coach who loses 5 games and maybe 6 the season after losing 1 game for a shot at the title), Lets get Mack Brown (Plays in the title game and then loses 7 games the next year).
Skitty Fritty
November 28th, 2010
4:39 pm
I say fire every coach who doesn’t win it all this year, that’s the spirit!
kc15aa
November 28th, 2010
4:39 pm
Can anyone say Ray Goff or Jim Donnan. Maybe Vince Dooley will make a comeback.
kyle
November 28th, 2010
4:41 pm
If CMR decides to take this job, we need to shoot for Chris Peterson or Bud Foster. I know Foster doesn’t have any head coaching experiance, but he had been around Frank Beamer (who is an excellent coach) for a long time. He would bring a tough, hard nosed attitude to our team. Him and CTG would be good together. oh, and demote Bobo back to quarterback coach
rincon dog
November 28th, 2010
4:41 pm
Keep on about Saban and Meyer. They both have two more BCS tittles than CMR. Oh bama lost 8 players on defense and florida lost everybody including TEBLOW. You guys are stupid.
MichiganDawg
November 28th, 2010
4:42 pm
To all the Mark Richt naysayers.You show your unbelievable depth of football ignorance with your expectations.
Mark Richt is an outstanding coach and asset for the University of Georgia. There is no doubt that he is putting all the pieces in place for another run at Championships.
All programs go through periods of rebuilding. One just needs to look at Florida, Alabama, Texas, USC, Tennessee, and others to see that at some point all outstanding coaches have to make adjustments. Coach Mark Richt is no different.
Mark Richt is a damn good dawg.
tell me again
November 28th, 2010
4:43 pm
CMR is not going anywhere – he has planted himself and all of his family firmly in Athens – all of you who want him gone can go back to the Tech blogs and cry over the fact that Richt owns you lock, stock and barrel. GO DAWGS!
rincon dog
November 28th, 2010
4:44 pm
Michigan
Your right. But all the universities you just named have one a BCS tittle. Wheres CMRs?
kc15aa
November 28th, 2010
4:46 pm
@ Joe B.
You are really a blog thug who really has no clue about what it takes to run a program. And by the way this idiot can handle his own. Idiots are the ones who are “computer” nerds who shout out insults when someone disagrees with them. Oh by the way since UGA is such a football powerhouse with such high standards have they won a title in the last 20 years? How about the last 25? And by the way be careful with you comments. Enough said.
C. King
November 28th, 2010
4:47 pm
Can anybody explian how to hold on to the football? I thought all I had to do was show up and everyone would bow to my superior skills. This is not going the way I envisioned. My sorry lot mirrors the teams fate this season!
kc15aa
November 28th, 2010
4:49 pm
@ Michigan Dawg
I agree totally. There will be some down years. Some fans have unrealistic expectations.
Big Dawg
November 28th, 2010
4:49 pm
Dear Coach Richt,
As the great Bear Bryant used to say, “Mama’s calling!” And you should always do what Mama says. And she also says to take all of your close friends with you to Miami, especially Coach Bobo, Coach Van Hallenger, and Coach Grantham. Y’all come back now, ya hear!
Joe B.
November 28th, 2010
4:52 pm
@kc15aa,
I only shout insults at incompetent boobs who do not know what they are talking about.
Old Dawg
November 28th, 2010
4:53 pm
DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU IN THE A$$ ON THE WAY OUT, BUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kc15aa
November 28th, 2010
4:53 pm
Joe B.
Well look in the mirror and yell for the next 30 minutes.
MichiganDawg
November 28th, 2010
4:55 pm
rincon dog, CMR was close a couple of years. While NC’s are nice I prefer CMR build a winning program. He will have Georgia back to 10 or 12 wins and winning SEC championships which is harder than winning a BCS title. Winning a BCS title is pure luck. Do you think that Boise or TCU or Oregan could survive the schedule of SEC teams year after year. No way, yet they are practically being given a BCS title.
No, I prefer to see compete at the top of the SEC year in and year out and win a few of those titles every few years. I truly believe that an SEC title carries more clout and is more difficult than a BCS title.
Dawg Now
November 28th, 2010
4:57 pm
Hopefully, richt takes that job and uga hires a real coach who can win national titles. UgA should go after the coach at oregon or gene chizik, pay them a boatload of money and lots of benefits.
kc15aa
November 28th, 2010
4:57 pm
Hey CMR since the fans don’t appreciate you leave and take your .744 winning percentage at UGA with you. The last winning percentage anywhere close was by Coach Stegeman at .741 from 1920-1922. For the record Dooley had a percentage of .715.
Dawg Fan
November 28th, 2010
4:58 pm
There is a reason that every other program in the country wants Richt and it’s the same reason that UGA is going to keep him, he’s a good coach and a better person.
Get used to his name coming up with just about every open job, it’s not news anymore.
He is very content in Athens, his family surrounds him and the majority of true Dawg fans are happy to have him as our coach.
Maybe Miami needs to look at Saban, he’s 4-5 lifetime against Auburn and that is not sitting well with Bama fans.
Al
November 28th, 2010
4:58 pm
In the end, it will be Mark Richt’s decision whether to stay or go. The AD is not going to fire him much to the dismay of some here. In the real world cooler heads usually prevail. Having said that, CMR knows or will know shortly what the expectations for next year will be. Win the SEC East, a major bowl apperance and finish in the top ten. It is then up to him to decide if he has the right personnel and tallent to accomplish that goal. If in his assessment he does not, then he either makes changes in his staff to get who can help him or he walks away while he still has some market value.
Joe B.
November 28th, 2010
4:58 pm
@kc15aa,
Who is your team, by the way?
kc15aa
November 28th, 2010
5:00 pm
We all are entitled to our opinions and it is in my opinion that UGA would be better off with keeping CMR a few more years to see if he can right the ship.
Joe B.
November 28th, 2010
5:01 pm
Who do you cheer for?
LLUGA
November 28th, 2010
5:02 pm
@ Dawg Now
Gene Chizik?!? OMG, why would we want that high school a$$wipe? Last I checked neither he nor Chip Kelly at Oregon had won a NC.
Andy in Blairsville
November 28th, 2010
5:04 pm
2 SEC teams in the top 10 at the end of the season and the SEC is supposedly some elite conference not just any coach can coach in? That’s hysterical! Even once bad @ss Florida was destroyed by FSU yesterday.
Kapoonka
November 28th, 2010
5:06 pm
I think he should go. The hot Miami girls would love to see him muss with his doo. I think he should take Damon Evans as an assistant “cooch” I mean…coach….. I can see it..Richt and Evans on the Miami beach with LeBron and D wade hollering at all da honeys! Yeah baby!
kc15aa
November 28th, 2010
5:06 pm
I am a football fan that enjoys the sport. Personally I am waiting for a playoff and can’t wait until the championship is settled on the field. I truly believe there are teams that hit their strides later in the year that could make a difference in a playoff system. I just like to enjoy a good competitive game.
LLUGA
November 28th, 2010
5:06 pm
SEC is an elite conference…thinking otherwise shows your ignorance about football.
Mark Richt
November 28th, 2010
5:07 pm
F–k all of you, im not going anywhere so get over it, pull up your panties and come cheer these boys on.
Rickt is not going anywhere
November 28th, 2010
5:07 pm
Mark has already SAID more the once he is not going anywhere
jasont13
November 28th, 2010
5:08 pm
It’s amazaing how many idiots post on these blogs. Most of you have zero knowledge about football. It should tell you something that schools are wanting to come after Mark Richt. Its not because he is a terrible coach. As an alum, I’m happy with Coach Richt. He deserves to turn this program around. To all the people who mention Van Hallenger needs to go. He is leaving, he is retiring after this year. Also if your going to mention coaches and players by names please atleast spell their names correctly (Aron Murray, AJ Greene, Dan Mullins)
Hit A Single
November 28th, 2010
5:11 pm
Coach Richt has nothing to gain by going to Miami. Also he doesn’t want to compete against FSU on a regular basis. I heard Lane Kiffin was high on their list, isn’t it about time for him to move.
Big Dawg
November 28th, 2010
5:11 pm
For those of you wanting to talk numbers, let’s talk these. 6-6 record this year, with wins against all bad or mediocre teams. And never forget this one: CMR is 2-8 against the Florida Gators, and he couldn’t even beat this year’s 5 loss edition. When Richt came to Georgia, he announced that one of his attributes was his ability to beat Florida on a regular basis (see with Bobby Bowden and FSU). Looks like those FSU wins over Florida were a lot more Bowden and a lot less Richt. If anyone wants to follow Coach Richt to Miami, the rest of us will understand. Just don’t come crawling back 10 years later. Coach Mullen at MSU has done more with less talent this year, and he or someone of his caliber deserve the chance to coach our Dawgs. Coach Richt has had a decade to show what he can do, now let’s move forward and quit prolonging the inevitable.