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:
So was that Green and Houston’s way of saying goodbye?
Murray closing in on Stafford’s record for TD passes in a season.
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667 comments Add your comment
John Galt
November 28th, 2010
8:58 pm
Since it was the final post on the last page, I’ll say it again. Thank you Joe C. I’ve been saying that same thing for years. Our fans are the problem. They just accept mediocrity, which is why we continue to be mediocre. They love Richt because he gave us a few 10 win seasons. No championship mind you, but some 10 win seasons. I’m going to let you all in on a secret, all of Richt’s success can be attributed to a few simple things: Zook at Florida, Fulmer taking Tennessee down the tubes, Shula at Bama, and Gailey (with Reggie Ball) at Tech. Without these factors, Richt has no conference titles, and very few of your precious 10 win seasons. He was very fortunate to come to Georgia when he did. After his first year, Spurrier left Florida, Tenn was never the same, SC had to fight to win one game, Bama was on probation, and Auburn was secretly meeting with coaches on private jets. The SEC East was basically given to us (and we still couldn’t win it in 2003 & 2004). The 2005 title was a huge surprise, even though LSU was forced to play 13 weeks in a row with no week off due to Katrina. I guess what I am saying is that much of the success he had initially, that Richt worshipers always point to, was largely an illusion. The man was 1-2 against Zook, for God’s sake. Goff could have won the 2002 title with all the transition going on in the conference.
Joe Cox
November 28th, 2010
9:01 pm
Well said John, most Richt fans are not critical thinkers, they only look at results from a long time ago not why or how they were achieved.
Russ
November 28th, 2010
9:04 pm
All you guys that call yourselves Georgia fans need to be careful what you wish for. Mark Richt is first and foremost a good man, a good husband, and a good father. That is primary, coaching is secondary. All of you guys that wish he were gone are pathetic fans and you need to become a Boise State fan.
Short Bus
November 28th, 2010
9:05 pm
SEC puts 10 schools in bowl games..not bad my friends.
Auburn
Arkansas
LSU
Alabama
Mississippi St.
South Carolina
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Tennessee
Ole Miss and Vandy left on the outside looking in, that practice time means time with Redshirts and learning who is going to replace your seniors and early exit Juniors.
Joe Cox
November 28th, 2010
9:05 pm
The fact is that Georgia is the best recruiting state around, with tons of H.S. talent however Richt just can’t get it together, while at the same time both Alabama schools(a state with much less high school talent) laugh at us. On top of that our only in state recruiting rival is GT and we know who wins that battle.
carmen
November 28th, 2010
9:10 pm
why would they hire him? UGA was the Miami of the ACC, 5 stars which amount to a vast sea of nothingness, no difference at all
Devil's Advocate
November 28th, 2010
9:12 pm
I will remind you guys once more. Bet against UGA in the big games next year, like taking candy from a baby, yeaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Rick
November 28th, 2010
9:17 pm
After reading all of these comments, I’ve come to the conclusion that 99.9% of you slackers don’t know what the crap you are talking about. Have to wonder if any of you are over 14.
Mudcatjoe
November 28th, 2010
9:18 pm
You’re right Randy, the game shouldn’t have been close. If Nesbitt had played Tech wins by at least 20 points! You just got lucky this year with our QB getting injured.
Mark M(. for Mediocrity) Richt
November 28th, 2010
9:18 pm
We will change his name for this blog as with the 4th or 5th best talent in the country comes out of Georgia every year and Mediocrity Richt turns them into Mediocre players when he does get them.
For those on here who say and repeat the mantra that Mark Richt is a good Christian man, and a good husband, good father. The University does not pay him to be those things, he is paid to produce a winning football team that competes for a national title every few years and to win SEC championships. Going 7-5 or 6-6 is not getting it done. Neither is embarrassing the state and university with players continously being arrested and plastered across the AJC and ESPN.
LCDawg
November 28th, 2010
9:22 pm
Mcgarity needs to step in NOW and tell Richt he needs to shake up his staff and bring in a hot shot strength and conditioning coach. Our players looked over powered through out the year and we were almost always gassed come the 4th quarter. I also think it’s time for Richt & McGarity to review Garner and Searel’s performances. These coaches are NOT getting enough out of their respective lines! They have no excuses left! THEY recruited each player they have and need to take responsibility for either not coaching them up or recruiting poorly. It’s one or the other.
chan gailey
November 28th, 2010
9:25 pm
if mark goes to the U, i can bring you dogs a few 7-5 seasons, and i will work a lot cheaper…..
JRW7
November 28th, 2010
9:25 pm
PLEASE PLEASE, CMR, take the UM job and take BOBO with you. If you stay, you will probably get fired next year after another 6 and 6 season!
LCDawg
November 28th, 2010
9:25 pm
Was anybody else baffled by the fact that Grantham and his staff could not figure out how to stop an effing dive play? I watched Grantham’s after game interview and was very disgusted by his general assessment and then his excuses. He sounded like a guy that wants to go back to the NFL …maybe we should let him. Is there any possible way we can coax Van Gorder back? Pay him a million bucks…who cares just get him back…could be our head coach in waiting too.
Katherine
November 28th, 2010
9:26 pm
LCDawg
November 28th, 2010
9:22 pm
Mcgarity needs to step in NOW and tell Richt he needs to shake up his staff and bring in a hot shot strength and conditioning coach. Our players looked over powered through out the year and we were almost always gassed come the 4th quarter. I also think it’s time for Richt & McGarity to review Garner and Searel’s performances. These coaches are NOT getting enough out of their respective lines! They have no excuses left! THEY recruited each player they have and need to take responsibility for either not coaching them up or recruiting poorly. It’s one or the other.
Very well said!!!
CrackDaddy
November 28th, 2010
9:26 pm
Top Miami recruit (Keith Brown) says he hopes Miami brings in Butch Davis.
John Galt
November 28th, 2010
9:26 pm
No one is debating Richt the man. There is no question he is a great individual person. However, we don’t pay him $3 million a year to spread his faith, and 90,000+ do not show up on Saturdays in Athens to see a good man lose. The bottom line is that at Georgia, a state with awesome talent, a school with unlimited resources, and a fan base that sells out every game, you better win big games, and contend for national titles. The fan bases at Bama, Florida, Auburn, Texas, and LSU would not put up with the product we’ve had on the field these last few years, and that’s why they win. Richt’s heart is just not in it. Winning is way down on his priority list, which simply does not (or, should not) cut it here.
IlliniDawg
November 28th, 2010
9:28 pm
@Joes Cox: dude, are you even a UGA alum? If so, when did you graduate? Because I’m old enough to remember when we’d have a 6-5 or 5-6 or even 4-7 season every so often (we only played 11 games way back then – sometime before electricity). Heck, we’d be giddy to have a team that finished with 8-plus wins in a season – something Richt has done all but this one! Do you really have that short of a memory?
@Jeff: I agree with you completely. If you took these same guys calling for Richt’s head, gave them the coach of their dreams, who then reeled off six seasons with ten-plus-wins, but then had two seasons with 7 or 8 wins – they’d want his butt fired just the same. I can’t believe the insanity!
Devil's Advocate
November 28th, 2010
9:30 pm
Tech almost beats us with their second string qb and a 1960 offensive scheme. Heck, I ran that set in high school. And to think that some nut jobs here want to keep CMR, I get stitches just laughing so hard, and it isn’t funny, its SAD.
Mark sux
November 28th, 2010
9:35 pm
No such luck. Miami has already decided on Jon Gruden.
IlliniDawg
November 28th, 2010
9:41 pm
@Devil: no, what is sad is the delusional thinking that any school can sustain athletic greatness year over year over year. Just like the NFL, there is parity in college football. We’ll never see another dynasty like Notre Dame or Michigan in the 70’s or Nebraska or Miami in the 80’s. Even Alabama and Florida couldn’ come close to repeating their performances of the last few years!
What you hope for is stability and consistency and a reasonable shot at greatness every so often. Which is exactly what Richt has delivered apart from the last two seasons – and one could definitely argue that those were transition years. Unless the team turns in another middling performance like this one next year, I cannot see why we would seek a change.
kc15aa
November 28th, 2010
9:41 pm
Mike Leach to Miami.
kc15aa
November 28th, 2010
9:43 pm
Hire Randy Shannon after you fire CMR and no one accepts your vacancy.
UGA '79
November 28th, 2010
9:43 pm
Richtus is and has always been a phony. He needs to be effin’ fired right effin’ now, so he can have more time to pimp effin’ Ford trucks. He owes his latest win to a missed p.a.t. and an int. after the techmite coach outsmarted him. Which wasn’t hard to do, BTW.
Xenophon
November 28th, 2010
9:44 pm
Why would he stay at Georgia if offered the Miami job? At Georgia he stands a good chance of finishing next season at 7-5, and that would probably mean the end. His contract would not be renewed. But he could bolt for Miami or Colorado and have at least five more years, many more if he were successful there. What would you do? If he plans to hang it up after his Georgia career, then next year could see him become “Reverend Richt” for real. Or he could turn it around, win 10 or more games and be offered another contract. Time will tell.
boise bulldog
November 28th, 2010
9:47 pm
Some of you are actually trying to have an intelligent discussion on a bulldog blog site. To this I say
congratulations. To the aforementioned; all of you crowd into a VW bug, drive to the local zoo, sit
around the monkey cage and observe the monkey’s slinging sh*& at each other. You will have the same experience as reading these blogs. One big difference. The monkey’s are smarter.
Joe Cox
November 28th, 2010
9:47 pm
Illini you can’t live in the past, nor can you compare it to today.
Fire Richt, Hire Tubberville
November 28th, 2010
9:48 pm
Please leave, Richt. Tubberville has more motivation than you (you seem to have a live and let live demeanor), and we want to try Tubberville out.
DaveDawg96
November 28th, 2010
9:48 pm
Please let’s not endure one more year of underperforming just to reach the obvious conclusion – it’s time for a change. Greg McGarity needs to to let Mark Richt know NOW that he will be on the hot seat if he sticks around next year. Then Mark can make an informed decision about his future and consider other opportunities. Richt going to Miami right now would be a great “homecoming” move for him on his own terms – and it’s likely better than any HC job he’d land after being run out of Athens next season.
Then, Mr. McGarity should pull out the old UF rolodex and give Dan Mullen a call – and an offer he can’t refuse. Life is short, and I don’t want to waste another year of it dealing with hopeless mediocrity AND likely losing out on a coach like Mullen, who’ll likely be moving on to greener pastures any day now.
BBBieUgaVIII
November 28th, 2010
9:49 pm
Leach is a done deal as Miami’s #1 choice. Leach is already shopping for Pirate Ships to put in his slip on the intercoastal. Nobody with a real good head coaching job ever takes an ex-UGA Head Coach. Can you name an ex-UGA head coach that ever got a good head coaching job after his time at Talent Rich UGA and lost?
lawzoo
November 28th, 2010
9:50 pm
I thinl Ga. should pick John Gruden, Bob Stoops or Norm Chow. Maybe Leach or Turbeville.
Miami Bound
November 28th, 2010
9:52 pm
Please take the job Richt and spare us of your incompetence.
Response to Pooper Trooper Trailer
November 28th, 2010
9:53 pm
You love white women and probably commiting crimes too. Is anyone else sit and tired of who’s commiting all these crimes.
750K
November 28th, 2010
9:53 pm
$750,000/year just doesn’t buy what it used to.
John Galt
November 28th, 2010
9:54 pm
Richt couldn’t win the East with Stafford, AJ, and Knowshon here at the same time. Seriously folks, how can anyone even imagine a scenario for future success under this coaching staff? I’ve come to realize that most of the Richt worshipers would defend him after an 0-12 season. What is it going to take people? Can you honestly not see how this Richt thing is going to end? It’s so obvious. Will the 0-2 start next year convince you? Probably not. Please be a fan of the team and not the coach. You can follow him to the next institution that hires him. Mark my words, we will struggle once again to be a .500 team next year, and we’ll be having this same debate. It’s sad, because we are capable of so much more than 10 win seasons with Outback Bowl births…and that’s as good as we are ever going to be in the future with Richt. The question then becomes, is that good enough for you? It’s not near good enough for me. It’s the difference between winners and losers, I guess.
crapsandwich
November 28th, 2010
9:55 pm
Nothing to see here, Richt haters, move on.
Phil
November 28th, 2010
9:57 pm
Miami, PLEASE take Richt. Don’t let the 6-6 record worry you. He’s a good man……..
Joe Cox
November 28th, 2010
9:59 pm
Richt supporters are not UGA fans.
BBBieUgaVIII
November 28th, 2010
10:00 pm
Who would Richt make his OC if he were to go to Miami? The U will not let BOBO and his bunch of kids near their football team.
San Marco
November 28th, 2010
10:01 pm
Buh bye, Richt. You will NOT be missed by decent people in this state.
Don’t let the door hit your butt on the way out, you jerk.
IlliniDawg
November 28th, 2010
10:01 pm
@Joes Cox: You are probably right. Our society’s penchant for instant gratification, complete customer satisfaction, and “justice” means that the coaching profession is a carousel – driven only by only present and most recent success. As a result, we will never see the likes of Joe Paterno, Tom Osborne, Bobby Bowden, Eddie Robinson, Bear Bryant, or Vince Dooley – all class acts – ever again in college football. Sad – very sad.
rosezeee
November 28th, 2010
10:02 pm
Trust me – The Canes have “absolutely” no interest in Richt
IlliniDawg
November 28th, 2010
10:03 pm
@Joes Cox: my experience is that most Richt haters are not UGA grads!
Al
November 28th, 2010
10:03 pm
LCDawg
November 28th, 2010
9:22 pm
Well put. I believe that discussion will be forthcoming this week as will be the AD’s expectations for next year which will include winning the SEC East and a major bowl invite. Next year all the cards are on the table and CMR will be expected to meet those goals or he will no longer be the head coach of the Bulldogs. I believe the AD wants him to be successful and will get him the resources and personnel he needs but he must produce. He is going to be on the hot seat but then he should already be aware of that.
BBBieUgaVIII
November 28th, 2010
10:08 pm
IlliniDawg
Most Dawg Fans are not UGA grads. The only people that matter in the end are not the UGA grads or fans, but the People that give the BIG MONEY to GAA. Those that Adams fears are the ones that hold the purse strings and can force changes. Unhappy fanbase Yelling with their $$$$ will make all the others listen.
John Galt
November 28th, 2010
10:09 pm
Right now we are at a crossroads. We are very much like Florida was in the 80s–tons of talent, but nothing to show for it. Then as we all know, Florida got themselves a coach that wanted to win more than he wanted to live…the result was a title, numerous conference titles, and year in year out contention for titles. And all it took was a coach. That’s where we are…1990 Florida. All we need is a coach to make it happen. It’s right there for us to take, but our fan’s love of Richt and Outback Bowls are a constant block on the road to our success.
Richt for Coach of the Year
November 28th, 2010
10:11 pm
Most (actually 80%) UGA students and alumni want Richt gone. Despite what’s published about us, if you went or go to UGA, you know that we’re not a mediocre university.
IlliniDawg
November 28th, 2010
10:13 pm
@BBBie:
Interesting comment, because up here in Illinois, most of my friends who are big-time donors to my “other alma mater” (U of I) are not Illini. They are rich wannabes who relish all the attention they get with their donations and how the Athletic Dept fawns all over them and gives them all these stupid little perks. And then they never go to the games – or they leave at half time. Lame-a** fans who don’t have a true emotional connection to the university.
Great point – one which I should have thought of myself.
Phil
November 28th, 2010
10:13 pm
John Galt,
You are right on. Richt has taken us as far as he can, and that was 07 and the Sugar Bowl win over Hawaii. It’s been downhill ever since. We are not a program on the rise, we are a program that has spiraled to the bottom of the SEC alongside Vandy and Kentucky. This same time next year we are going to be right around .500 again and having this same discussion again.
It’s a sad state of affairs when we have more arrests than wins. It’s sad when our coaches stoop to juvenile antics on the sidelines giving choke signs to opposing players. It’s a sad state of affairs when Herschel Walker says there is no discpline in the program. It’s a sad state of affairs when the state’s top recruit says UGA has no discipline and says the program has lots of problems.
Total all of that up and Richt has this program in a sorry state of affairs.
IlliniDawg
November 28th, 2010
10:17 pm
@Richt for Coach:
Do you have any data to back up your claim? I haven’t done any surveys or collected anything close to statistically valid data, but everyone I know is at least in the camp of “he deserves another year.”